《These Games Of Ours: Crown Of Thorns》 1 Nilbog could barely stand, much less talk anymore. Sweat ran down the dark bangs attached to his head, combining with the dirt and dried blood stuck on its tips. It was time. It took him months, but he finally found Jack''s civilization, and he revealed the truth to them. It was finally over. ¡°Uh-uh,¡± the guard said, leaning over the counter. One handheld his face up while the other covered his nose. "Look man, I hear ya. I really do. Other than getting the ticks in the pants, a ranker murdering his party mates is the worst thing out there. It¡¯s sickening how common it is. Point is, I hate to be the one to say this, but you¡¯re full of shit. The ones your accusing of murder rule Dlair. And if you haven¡¯t heard,¡± he leaned in further, whispering. ¡°It¡¯s the place you¡¯re standin¡¯ in." Nilbog stared blankly at him. He didn¡¯t understand what he was hearing. The guard rolled his eyes. He sat back in his seat with folded arms. ¡°Nothing against you. It¡¯s your words against theirs, and theirs carries a lot more than your poor ass,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°You should be glad I¡¯m not arresting you on the spot¡ªaccusing the general and queen of foul-play is a big no-no. You seem off in the head though, so I¡¯mma let you off on that.¡± ¡°I was there! I saw them! I did!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible either, ya goof,¡± he said, chuckling. He stood up and walked around the counter. ¡°The Dungeon they did allows only 5 people to enter it. Now math isn¡¯t my strong point, but the Tall Five wasn¡¯t the Tall Six. It''s a tragedy that Jack The Hero and Nelly The Caretaker died, just when The 45th Game is nearing its ugly hide, but it was no murder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± How would Nilbog even explain that part without giving his identity away? ¡°What do I have to do to get you to believe me?¡± ¡°Pfft,¡± the guard said. It was a word Nilbog was not familiar with. The guard covered his mouth and held his stomach as he attempted to hold down the laughter. That Nilbog was familiar with. Mockery. ¡°Why don¡¯t ya save the kingdom from impending doom? That''ll get my attention. Now, good day to you, boy,¡± he said, picking Nilbog up by the back of his shirt. Nilbog was tossed out into the street before he could utter a protest. He struck their strange, hard ground. Not stone, but not dirt either. He stayed there for a few moments, not finding the will to get up. Humans walked right past him, barely giving him the slightest glance. Their giant structures stretched down the horizon, each one rising higher than the last, ending where their stone wall blocked entrance to the belly of their kingdom. It was taller than any tree Nilbog had seen, rivaling even the mountains. What now?
You have taken 1 cold damage.
Another wind blew, nearly freezing the sweat under his clothes. It jolted him up and searching for shelter. For starters, I can¡¯t do anything if I¡¯m dead. His HP was down to 91 out of 130. He was not used to this weather. All he had was a beaten gray scarf, a brown coat patched from multiple different coats, and three shirts he pilfered from some unfortunate travelers, but for all the good it did him he might as well been naked. The wind cut through his clothes like they were nothing.
You have gained the hunger status effect.
Hunger HP, STM, and Overall STM regeneration decreased by 20%.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Nilbog groaned. Fatigue, cold, hunger. It just keeps piling on. Food was more important than sleep. There were only a few hours left until nightfall, and the nearest forest he could forage in was at least a half day''s walk away. Nilbog wandered the streets in hope of finding the solution to all his problems. Could he even steal anything? In the smaller rural towns he¡¯d passed through, snagging a loaf of bread had been fairly simple. The farmer¡¯s wives and children who sold their wares at the local markets weren¡¯t particularly observant. This kingdom¡¯s buildings, walls, and doors, however, made the hunt for food difficult. A strange sound caught Nilbog¡¯s ears as he wandered. Cautiously, he neared it. He hunched forward, pressing his hands against the glass windows. Humans sat in groups around tables as hot soups, chunks of beef, and sweet bread oozing of custard cream were brought to them in pristine white plates. The air itself must have had its own flavor. Nilbog¡¯s tongue wouldn¡¯t stop salivating. It made him wish the names of the food he paraded around stopped popping up in his head. The sound, however, remained to elude him. Muffled by the walls Nilbog could not identify its source. It wasn¡¯t a person¡¯s voice, nor a monster¡¯s growl. Words failed to describe it. He wanted to enter, wanted to make sense of this strange phenomenon, but like all other buildings he¡¯d entered, it would just end up with him being tossed out. He couldn¡¯t go in, yet he couldn¡¯t just wander the cold streets. The path here from the bogs was not easy. Goblins, ghouls, flying snakes, and bloodthirsty boars stalked the woods at night and day, but he¡¯d at least felt safe in the cover of the trees. He could run, he could hide. But here? Here he was exposed. There was no cover, no branch to climb, no leaves to staunch his bleeding when he gets cut. As the minutes passed Nilbog realized that staring blankly into a window wouldn¡¯t fill his stomach. The cold had shaved off a few more of his HP, leaving him at 89/130. His STM was 140/140, but what was most troubling was his Overall STM-- It was 442/700. It didn''t matter that Nilbog could break into a sprint--once his Overall STM runs out his STM will stop regenerating. He won''t be able to move. Even crawling would be a tortuous task. Nilbog would know. Lost in his own worries Nilbog reacted too late when a heavy hand clutched his shoulder. When a tense moment passed without him being struck or hauled away, Nilbog turned towards the person behind him. He was a short man with a round belly and thick skin that folded twice on his chin. Just like the rest of the humans in this kingdom, he was adorned with a white buttoned-up shirt, a black jacket, and a top hat that didn¡¯t seem to have any practical use. ¡°No need to cause a scene,¡± Nilbog said, sighing out of exhaustion. ¡°I was just about to leave." He¡¯d encountered his fair share of scornful humans in his travel. They often saw it as their civic duty to ¡®expel the riff-raff¡¯ from their buildings and villages. Nilbog¡¯s beaten attire, not to mention the countless holes and bruises alongside his pants, made hiding from them a difficult task. ¡®¡¯Now wait a moment young lad! Are you really going to leave after having a chance to sample some of the food you were eyeing with such unrestrained desire?¡¯¡¯ he said in an odd, squeaky voice. Upon seeing the different plates being served behind Nilbog, the man smiled--It was a facial expression that remained to puzzle Nilbog. From the limited knowledge he had of it, a ''smile'' was used when humans wanted to be reassuring, but how would showing one''s fangs be considered anything but a hostile gesture? Regardless, the man continued in his cheery tone before Nilbog could make his escape. ¡®¡¯I am in a mood to dine tonight; would you care to keep me company? I assure you the food tastes even better than it looks. Or, well, at least as good as it looks anyway.¡¯¡¯ he winked, chuckling at his own joke. ¡°Why?¡± Nilbog asked the man with a sidelong look, keeping his eye out for some trick or sudden moves. ¡®¡¯Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing in it for you.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± he exclaimed, leaning uncomfortably close to Nilbog. A strong scent of alcohol filled his breath. ¡°I believe I already told you¡ªI require company. Eating alone can be dull at the best of times, not to mention these dark times.¡± ¡°I doubt I¡¯ll be¡ª" ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡¯¡¯ Nilbog closed his mouth. He was about to walk away when his stomach curled on itself again. All right man who shows his maws far too often, I¡¯ll play your game if it means I can eat. ¡°Nilbog,¡± he answered reluctantly. The man¡¯s ¡®smile¡¯ grew even wider. ¡®¡¯Nilbog? Nilbog? What a strange...but fine name! I wish I had a name as astonishing as yours, Nilbog, but quite unfortunately, mine happens to be a simple and common Argento Danario!¡¯¡¯ he said, his voice cutting loud through the crowd as he extended his hand. Nilbog glanced at it, groaning on the inside. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Pressing his teeth tightly, he swallowed his disgust as he shook it briefly. Why must all human¡¯s hands be so¡­ moist? ¡°It¡¯s...a pleasure to meet you, sir Argento,¡± Nilbog said, this time genuinely having difficulty pulling the words out. Argento''s lukewarm hands sent the shivers down Nilbog¡¯s spine. Humans were unpleasantly squishy. They had no bouncy to their flesh. Argento beamed once again, nearly causing Nilbog to leap away. ¡®¡¯Likewise, my lad, likewise. Now, shall we head inside?¡¯¡¯ he said, leading Nillbog by the shoulders.¡°Platters of exquisite wonders await our tongues. Damn the everlasting clouds, Nilbog, I say damn them all! So conceited they are, to look down on us every hour of the day. We shall be sunny despite¡ªno, in spite of them!¡± Nilbog made no attempt at understanding Argento¡¯s strange words. 2 The symphony of aromas overwhelmed his sensitive nostrils. With each step he took inside this building, a new and splendid fragrance filled his lungs. They strolled through the cafe, searching for an open table. Everything around Nilbog seemed to sparkle, from the silverware to the golden ceiling and even to the very food itself. As horrible as humans were, their civilization was¡­wondrous. How could such evil creatures make such beautiful creations? To think such things even existed. Music was another perplexing concept. Though Nilbog knew what it was, he¡¯d never actually heard it. The memories inside his head were tricky like that. He was aware of concepts like carts, castles, dance, and even the smell of alcohol without actually ever encountering it before. Experience was a whole other problem. The first time a cart had rumbled by he¡¯d nearly been trampled. He hadn¡¯t expected them to be so fast. If he was being honest though, music was one he¡¯d been looking forward to. In the corner of the cafe, on a raised stage, sat a machine. It seemed to fit his understanding of what the humans called a ¡®piano¡¯. It was supposed to be a relaxing and elegant machine, but all he heard from it was¡­ discomfort? The sound was not at all like he¡¯d been led to believe. It was strange. The pianist? Even stranger. She wore a white buttoned-up shirt and gloomy black pants identical to every other human he¡¯d seen, but they somehow stuck out more. The three orange braids she had stuck to each side of her head were also a first. She had two large scars, one was small, cutting across the left side of her lips, and the other curved up the right side of her face over her sharp cheekbones. It vanished underneath a yellow piece of cloth that covered her eyes. Something about her was off, not the least being her hidden Danger Rank. Nilbog could feel the goosebumps crawling up his bones. Seventh Sense was going haywire. His ability to innately sense the Danger Rank of those he encountered was one of the reasons Nilbog had been able to survive his journey through human society. Powerful individuals, the humans called them rankers, were categorized into various tiers based on the level of threat known as Danger Rank. Nilbog had learned to avoid anything more powerful than a Cub, the lowest rank. The chill grew as he neared the stage, further fueling Nilbog''s suspicions that the pianist was dangerous. Few creatures in the forest made his Seventh Sense signal such a clear warning. It wasn¡¯t just her, either. Most humans nearby were Cubs, but there were Wolves, the highest Danger Rank Nilbog had seen. A couple more of the Humans had their Danger Rank hidden. While he couldn¡¯t sense their exact rank, his Seventh Sense still flared when he looked their way. Argento smiled when he noticed Nilbog¡¯s gaze. ¡®¡¯You have a good eye, my boy. The musician this afternoon is none other than Kara Aivlys, an intriguing wanderer. They say she appeared about a month ago informing Ouranios Hold that she would like access to their library! The gall of the lady! Many fine citizens go their entire lives without being granted leave to peruse a single tomb from their archives. Yet this woman appears and demands access to the entire library as if it was nothing!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nilbog asked with wide eyes. He, of course, did not know what that place was, but he felt like it was important. Humans loved to write important things down on thin pieces of trees. ¡°She¡¯s a silent caster, boy, where normally you would need gestures and words to channel Mana,¡± he said, swooping down to whisper in Nilbog''s ear with a speed unbefitting of his size. ¡°Her aptitude is unheard of. As you noticed, her Danger Tier is hidden. No one knows it. Not her origins, class, or even a rough guess of her level. Word is she could be quite powerful. With all this talk of the Game having been absent for longer than usual, well, the army was glad to take her in as an honorary guest while they tried to research her background. We will need all the Rankers we can get if things kick-off. Though I pray it is not in my lifetime. Ah- This is my favorite spot¡ªlet¡¯s settle down here.¡± Following Argento¡¯s lead, Nilbog pulled back the chair, opened the menu, and acted as if he could read any of it. At the very least he was able to use the flimsy sheet to hide his glances at the stage. Just looking at the musician felt dangerous. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if any second now she would snap around to lock eyes with him despite the crowd of bustling tables around them. ¡°She¡¯s blind, isn¡¯t she?¡± Nilbog asked. It certainly didn¡¯t feel like it given the pressure of her attention that seemed to hang in the air. It was oppressive. How did anyone stay in her presence? ¡°Ah, that¡¯s another wonder--she¡¯s a mage specialized in Kinetic Mana. This a bit of an area of interest of mine if you¡¯ll indulge an old man¡¯s hobby. Do you know what mages are?¡± Nilbog nodded. The memories he had covered this at least. Mages were people capable of manipulating Mana, the most basic ones being Thermal and Kinetic. Thermal was the control of heat, either to create or take it away. Fire and ice, basically. As for the other one¡­ ¡°Kinetic Mana is movement, right?¡± he responded. It could cut, pierce, or even explode if tightly condensed. It was the most versatile Mana to master, but Nilbog didn¡¯t understand how that allowed her to see. ¡°First and foremost, Mages are students of knowledge. They study the physics of this world. How it functions, how it exists, and most of all, how to utilize it.¡± Argento said, shaking his head. ¡°Not all of it is for combat purposes!¡± ¡°Right, of course,¡± Nilbog said, nodding. He couldn¡¯t see how else they could create such enormous, nearly gravity-defying structures. ¡°Back to our topic. Kinetic Mana is the movement of particles. Imagine tiny dots everywhere and that make up everything. Those are particles, and there are millions upon millions! More than you can count, more than there are stars in the¡­¡± Argento stopped short of his sentence for a breath. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat off his brow. ¡°Madam Kara senses the movement of particles, while identifying living beings by the Thermal Mana of their bodies. That¡¯s my theory anyway. Or she may be constantly releasing a light wave of Kinetic Mana. Like a bat does with sound. The way the air moves around an object or a dent in the ground, or even a living person, lets her draw an image. There are probably other ways it might be done that even I am not aware of. I am only an enthusiast after all, not a practitioner.¡± Nilbog would have laughed if he had the energy for it. Mages could surely sense the heat in a campfire, or maybe the kinetic mana of a moving an arrow. But to be able to sense mana of such a tiny magnitude? That did sound like unbelievably powerful magic. ¡°Sounds impossible,¡± he replied.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Argento nodded solemnly. ¡°Precisely. Unless she achieved mastery of Mana this side of the world has yet to see, she must have gained an undocumented unique skill. I have no doubt she could have been one of the world¡¯s greatest rankers just for that simple fact, but even for a prodigy, channeling Mana while--¡± Why does he know so much about her? Nilbog thought as the waitress finally arrived. She wore black pants and a white buttoned-up shirt with a small bow tie below her chin. It was bright red like her lips. Most other waitresses looked similar, down to height, haircut, and color of their skin. It was uncanny how similar all of them looked and dressed. "Welcome back sir Argento,¡± she said, nodding towards him. ¡°You never miss a day, I must say.¡± ¡°Little else is worth doing than to sit here, eating your delicious food, and trying to comprehend the enigma of the Blind Mage,¡± Argento replied, stretching his neck as he did so. ¡°I¡¯ll go with number three. High thermally done duck with a Life Ent juice. No shankle leaves, and doused with black wine.¡± The waitress nodded. ¡°As per usual, your orders certainly make Chef Doyan happy. And for you, young sir?¡± ¡°The same,¡± Nilbog responded. As long as it was food, he would be happy with it. Having it be cooked was a plus. "Of course," she said, smiling. She jotted it down, straightened her back, and walked towards the kitchen. ¡°You work, young lad?" Nilbog had the lie ready. It was something he was asked often on the road when he managed to hitch a ride on the back of a wagon. "A handy boy for a carpenter, it¡¯s honest work, though it¡¯s not enough to¡­" Nilbog said, glancing at the opulence around him. "Not sure if you noticed,¡± Argento said, patting his stomach. ¡°But I am a regular of this fine establishment¡ªtoo regular, perhaps. How old are you, young man?¡± Argento asked, leaning forward over the tableware. ¡°I¡¯m sixteen, I believe, sir,¡± he replied. He had quickly come to understand what humans would believe and what they would not. Sixteen was what most seemed happy to accept based on his current appearance. ¡°You believe? Did your parents not teach you to count on your fingers and toes?¡± he asked, chuckling. His entire body shook in motion, the flesh below his chin juggling slightly. Nilbog was ready for this too. A tried and tested way to avoid further irritating questions. He looked back at Argento with his best dejected, miserable look. Human faces had many of these. ¡°They¡¯re dead, sir. Lost in a raid.¡± Argento¡¯s laughter stopped midway in his throat. His gleeful, carefree face turned mournful. ¡°Apologies. It is common enough that I should have known better. Times are hard. Everyone is preparing for The Game, but most often it ends up with the unprepared sustaining grievous injuries, or worse, leaving their children behind.¡± ¡°Hunger is a curse. Makes you do things you¡¯ll regret for the rest of your life.¡± Nilbog shifted in his chair, that last bit had simply slipped out. He began to fidget, feeling uncomfortably exposed. Chairs were a silly human invention, why sit on hard, splintery wood when they could sit on the soft ground? ¡°At least death hurts a lot less than starvation.¡± He finished, hoping that bringing the conversation back around to death would end all this questioning. Humans hated talking about it. Argento gulped either out of hunger or fear. Nilbog was still learning to tell the two apart. ¡°It is unfortunate, how things are, but let¡¯s speak of more merry subjects! This cafe is exquisite! You see that crystal chandelier up there? It¡¯s quite expensive work, constructed from discharged Obleeks, crystals that transfer Mana rather than store it, and linked in gold, another great conduit. Thermal Mana is discharged through glass¡ª¡± Ignoring the Argento''s rambling, Nilbog surveyed the dishes around him, his eyes lingering longer on the more attractive of them. He tugged at his mouth, making sure he was doing the smile thing. He made sure to nod and exclaim whenever the need arose, but really he was just biding his time as his meal was prepared. In the meantime he needed to come up with a plan. The city had been his last hope. He¡¯d tried telling his story to every village guard and magistrate in the countryside. He¡¯d even approached a few "rankers" on the road. Every time the response was the same. Some would beat him, some would just laugh. He wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d thought going to the hub of where humans gathered would make a difference. No one was going to believe him. He wanted to expose Barlom and his queen¡ªkilling them wasn¡¯t justice. It wasn¡¯t what she would have wanted. At first Nilbog had been consumed with rage. His first thought had been to hunt them down and destroy them. Common sense had reared its head however and told him that; firstly, he wasn¡¯t anywhere near powerful enough and two, a quick death was far too easy of a punishment for what they had done. But how would he even go about that? He was a Danger Tier Cub stuck at level 20. His body was stuck. The only way he could gather more power would be to complete his evolution. That meant doing something he swore he¡¯d never do again. Consume the life force of a sentient being. It didn''t have to be humans--there were Vandrans and the Free Tribe folk, but it was all the same. Nilbog licked his dry lips, turning his attention back to the music of the blind pianist. Something about it was hauntingly familiar. The music crept into his brain, dulling his senses. Did all music do this? The notes began to swell, boring into his mind. The music was like a snake¡¯s venom, numbing as it flowed through him. It pulled horrible emotions out of him¡ªguilt, anger, helplessness. Reality, maybe. He was being delusional if he thought he could do this peacefully. Was there any meaning in exposing the truth? Would Jack and Nelly really care about the way he avenged them? Justice is justice. Who cares if the world never finds out what they-- ¡°Kid? Everything alright down there?¡± Argento said, leaning forward. Nilbog snapped back to himself, his eyes wide. He sucked in a sharp breath as the numbness lessened. He clutched his chest, trying to calm it down. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Nilbog asked, his hands shaking. ¡°Do you mean the tempo of the song? Why yes, it is at its climax.¡± ¡°No,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the air. It¡¯s¡­ shaking.¡± Argento¡¯s lips widened further than any creature Nilbog has seen. ¡°Yes, yes, of course! Spirits be praised, it is no coincidence that you caught my eyes¡ªyou have the ears too. The sight, maybe. That phenomenon is exactly what I am studying. Ever wondered why mages can¡¯t use mana without yelling the name of their skill? Why External Life Force skills behave the same way, but not internal Life Force? What if it¡¯s not the name? What if it¡¯s the sound that draws and controls mana?¡± Nilbog just stared at him. He didn¡¯t understand a thing Argento said. Argento nodded. ¡°With eyes like yours, such a keen mind, you are wasted with a mere carpenter. It appears the Game has decided ¡ª you will become my student. Mana Sight is something I believe I myself am on the cusp of achieving, but alas, The Pre-Game does not easily grant such powerful skills to old men like me. Having a pupil with your potential will surely will vastly further my research!¡± ¡°What? No¡­ no, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Nilbog said, studying the area around him. Argento was focussed on him, delighted at this novel discovery. The man had completely missed the point. Something was wrong. Nilbog just didn''t know what. ¡°The Game works in mysterious ways, young Nilbog. Drama, conflict, and spectacularity are its three pillars. Just how likely is it for two people with the sight to meet? And in this very place, where the enigma has presented itself?¡± Argento said, standing up in his excitement. ¡°It¡¯s as unlikely as meeting an honest ranker! Come on my boy, join me in my quest for knowledge, what do you say?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Nilbog said off-handedly. The feeling of wrongness continued to rise. With no way of knowing what the source was, he did the only thing he could¡ªhe waited for his meal and hoped for the best. 3 It was the second time Kara felt this particular sense of wrongness. The first time was 45 years ago, when The Games began, when her name was Sayrina The Marauder. When she had her original body, when she was alive. It distracted her from her song. It brought her attention back to this poorly created body that cracked with any abrupt movement. Music was the only thing that distracted her from its tension. Even in sleep she could feel the echoing sensation of her skin crumbling to the ground all those years before. Music was her only way of lessening the pain, but even that had begun to fade as her body deteriorated further. This hobby was no substitute for power. Ranking was all she had. It was her entire purpose, the very existence of her war-made race. There was nothing else. It was everything. Hunt monsters, gain levels, and loot more and more powerful items. Rinse and repeat until you ruled the world. Envy. What a horrendous emotion it was. She was familiar with anger. She was familiar with grieving when her brothers and sisters fell in the Games. She felt it even more vividly after Shinkro¡¯s betrayal. But envy? And envy of humans at that? The Vandrans were a beautiful race, they were perhaps worthy of jealous eyes. The Free Tribes were both fierce and diverse, and so there was bound to be reason for envy there. But humans? What did they have? A weak, feeble body. And yet, even that, what the average human had, what every man, women, and child in this caf¨¦ had, was more than what she could create herself. Her own body was flawed. Inferior. Kara felt the temperature of her blood raising. Thermal Mana began to build inside her, almost radiating off her clothes. The urge to blast the piano to bits began to tug at her nerves. The urge to destroy was always there, but this time it was coaxed by jealousy. It was coaxed by the coming of The Games that she would not be able to participate in. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, consciously relaxing the Mana swirling within her. Even with three-quarters of it sealed away, this body could barely contain what little of her power remained. Kara had to mentally prevent the dam from breaking. It was an active effort, at all times. One impulsive thought was all it took for the mana to be set loose. Such a release wouldn¡¯t help anyone, least of all the people around her. She wasn¡¯t an obscure corner of the world anymore, where mistakes costed nothing but her negligible progress in resurrection. Shinkro. It was all because of him. He was supposed to be the most peaceful of all her brothers and sisters¡ªhe despised violence. He was supposed to be the na?ve one of the family. Ironic that he would be the one to kill her. You only bring destruction, he said as he killed father and mother, sister and brother. You¡¯re too dangerous, he yelled as he ran away with what was left of his minions. Shinkro had succeeded in destroying the entire family. Even Kara herself. Well, her body, that was for certain. Her Soul, though? Most of it lived. She had put enough points into her Soul stat that even without a body she was able to keep herself from fading away.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it According to her research, the state she was in was a rare one. Lordans were one of the few Sentient races capable of dual-wielding Life Force and Mana¡ªusually, if someone trained one, they could not train the other. Life Force was made by the physical body, while Mana was made by the Soul. Without Life Force to trap the Soul in its dome, the Soul would just leave the body and break apart. The concept was easy¡ªbecause her class allowed her to convert Mana into Life Force, she was able to perpetually contain her Soul without a body providing continual Life Force. So, while she was probably one of the few people in existence that was able to survive the destruction of her body, her luck ended there. A body was needed to interact with the world. The one she created over the past four decades barely held her Soul in place, thus signifying the end of her tale. She had come to this foul city to seek further knowledge but it seemed they knew little she had not already learned in her years as a Ranker. So what now? She was a literal a shell of herself, a moving corpse with memories of grandeur. And now, as the Game begins, I sit here with nothing, being no one, unable to do anything. Once this feeling would have excited me, the wrongness in the air that signals the coming of the Game. Now it is hollow, this body is incapable of properly enjoying the thrills of the game, of battle. I have become weak. So weak. As emotion welled up in her, her song changed. Despair and hopelessness was something the Sylvia family was unaccustomed to. It was a weakness that clouded the mind, but Kara was too tired to fight it anymore. Everything amounted to nothing. All the training, all the years, just to end up playing the piano in some insignificant part of the world to sub-par mages and aristocrats. She lifted her fingers from the keys, but the song continued. The familiar black tables manifested in her mind as the shaking in the air as the music reached a crescendo. The Games have arrived. Some will lose, others will rise, and the mindless cycle will repeat. But for her, it didn''t matter. She lost before it even began.
Congratulations!! Entering the game in an unnatural state of life has allowed you to become the first Life Siren in The Game''s history! Weep your songs upon the broken battlefield, for where Souls depart will be your greatest verse. There is always a way.
You have lost the profession Grimoire Keeper.
You have gained the profession Life Siren.
Kara couldn''t help but chuckle. There is always a way. Skills, monsters, and mechanics changed from Game to Game, but those words were the only thing that did not. It was a phrase that could be dated back to the very first Games, long centuries ago. She brought up her resource bars, and then immediately placed one hand around her ribs, afraid that her growing laughter would crack them. Tell me, just what is the way for this?
Kara The Blind Mage HP 0/0 STM 0/0 Overall STM 0/0 Life Force 0/0 Mana: 1800/450 (18/Minute) Equilibrium: 5/5 (1/minute)
4
The 45th Game has begun. Those who survive The Games will be allowed to continue their fight in the Abyss. Only there will you find the truth of this realm.
Those who finish The Game with the highest amount of points will be able to make a wish. The limits of your wish correlate with the total point value you have gained.
Until the Fifth Phase, each kingdom''s territory will be locked from the rest of the world.
Nilbog went still, the fork carrying a crispy piece of duck just a few inches away from his salivating mouth. Semi-transparent black screens covered most of his vision. With a groan he lowered his hands to the table, one holding a small steel knife, the other a fork. He closed his eyes, exhaling completely, inhaling deeply, and then cursed life with all his limited vocabulary. A mix of confusion and fear was apparent on everyone¡¯s face. Argento fell backward, spilling his noodles over himself.
The First Phase Begins! Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Take up your spoons, take up your forks, for death is below you! Tier Rank: F Level Spread: 15-30 Anomalies detected: 3 First Attribute: You will receive contribution points for any damage or action that results in the destruction of monsters. Second Attribute: You may not exit the vicinity until the Phase is complete. Third Attribute: The faster the Phase is cleared, the higher the rewards upon completion. Fourth Attribute: Experience gain is increased by 600%.
Nilbog looked around, making note of every expensive dish around him. He marked each one that he would get to after finishing the one in front of him. Chaos was about to descend but if there was one thing he had learned the past few months of his journey it was to never miss a chance for a free meal. The duck''s head sat in the middle of a mound of sparkling yellow rice, surrounded by pomegranate seeds the size of grapes. On the edges of the plate thinly cut radish circles were placed with perfect symmetry. Nilbog brought down his fork with deftness, chunking most of its cheek. A pocket of steam seeped out of the meat as he tossed it into his mouth. The meat was mellow below the crispy skin that trapped all the heat and flavor inside. The real surprise though were the bones¡ªthey were as soft as the meat itself. They melted on his tongue before his other hand could even reach for the radish, the cluster of foreign flavors sending the shivers down his spine, and for once, it was a pleasant type. There was a crash off in the distance but Nilbog ignored it. He kept his head down on his meal, seeing nothing else. Maybe if he ignored it it would go away. He began to tear apart the head, tossing in rice and bread whenever he found space in his mouth. Nilbog thought the surprises were done, but it was far from it. Below the duck¡¯s skull was uncooked pomegranate seeds, raisins, black olives, raspberries, and cranberries for a sour explosion. It was the first time he¡¯d ate meat and fruit at the same time, and strangely enough, it all somehow mixed together quite well. And so, while impeding chaos threatened the Drail kingdom, Nilbog fed on an exquisite chunk of duck, a side dish of potato fingers and fried eggplant, lettuce and small, bite-size baked tomatoes. Inevitably, the apple tart on Argento¡¯s side of the table would have followed soon after. A banging resounded from under Nilbog''s table. He pushed back his seat, his mouth nearly letting all the precious goodies slip out when he saw a rotting hand stuck out through the marble flooring He watched as the Ghoul attempted to pull itself out from the earth, low growls echoing its frustration as it pushed aside the heavy marble. He stomped on the Ghoul''s head, pushing it back into the ground. Please wait. Nilbog had to finish his meal. After all, it might be his last. 5
Life Ent Juice Food Rank: E The Ent''s condensed Life Force of planetary life flows within this juice, granting it great regen properties. Increase HP, STM, and Overall STM regeneration by 10%.
Black Wine Food Rank: C Black Wine is a difficult ingredient, requiring a highly skilled cook in order to bring out its virtues. The inexperienced cook was not able sufficiently to remove the side-effects of such a potent drink. Increase the effects of Life Force and Energy skills by 25% for three hours. Decrease the effects of Life Force and Energy skills by 10% for two hours once the buff duration finishes.
Filling your two Advanced Food slots has granted the Vigorous Nourishment buff!
Vigorous Nourishment HP, STM, and Overall STM regeneration increased by 20%. Sleep Rest bonus increased by 30%
Your Shapeshifter¡¯s racial trait has negated the harmful effects of Black Wine.
That¡¯s nice. Not knowing how to use Life Force did not stop him from feeling it coursing through his body. The soreness in his limbs faded and the open wounds below his shirt began to tingle with a warm feeling. Nilbog felt it coming with his Seventh Sense. Holding his knife and spoon tightly, he lunged forward, rolling across the table as a claw slashed his chair in half. He turned around, keeping his center of gravity low.
Level 28 Young Ghoul Rank: F
The Young Ghoul was approximately the same size as Nilbog, and nearly as thin. Its rib cage pushed against its dark purple skin, making the blue veins stick out against its lean muscles. It had an oval, shiny head with two enormous yellow eyeballs, and would have looked silly if not for its teeth and claws. Both were a glossy, metallic black. One, tw- Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. It lunged forward, swiping with both of its claws at his feet. Nilbog jumped above it, pivoting his body in the air as he fell. Fighting was one thing that came naturally. Even though he rarely fought he felt as if he had years of experience. His time in the forest foraging and fending for himself had only honed his skills. Avoiding the spine, his knife and fork plunged to their hilt as he fell on-top of it. The momentum carried the knife it down four inches down the ghoul¡¯s flesh, significantly increasing the slash damage.
Penetration! You have dealt 35 damage! You have dealt 20 damage! You have dealt Devastating Bleed Damage!
Blood spurted from the Ghoul''s neck, coloring one side of Nilbog¡¯s face purple. Some of it found its way into his mouth, combining with the sugary apple slices he had moments ago. Once again, Nilbog found an unexpected, but not unpleasant, combination of flavors. He yanked his deadly weapons from the creature''s neck, stepping back and ducking. The Ghoul spun around with a screech, swiping at him with its left hand. Finding nothing, the creature¡¯s attack once again threw it off balance, giving Nilbog just enough time to fling himself up, his fork and knife sinking a couple of inches inside the monster¡¯s large eyeballs.
Penetration! Your strike dealt fatal damage! You have dealt 17 damage! You have dealt 18 damage! You have dealt a Devastating Bleed Damage! You have infected a Blind status effect!
Warning, because of your incomplete Shapeshifter husk, you are unable to gain experience.
He kicked the Ghoul, sending it scrawling across the table. A few seconds after, the Ghoul stopped thrashing below the purple-stained cloth. Undead never went down easy. Slice off their head and they¡¯ll still chase for flesh. The forest was filled with them. A massive brawl spread around Nilbog. The smart ones stayed and held their ground with whatever they could, while the foolish ones attempted to escape through the locked doors. Argento was of the latter crowd. Barely a few moments passed before he booked it towards the exit, becoming lost in the chaos. So much for fate. The man had seemed nice enough but, like all humans, he proved he couldn¡¯t be counted on when things got tough. An abnormal sound caught Nilbog''s attention. It was a slight, condensed sound. A man fell, screaming as Ghoul made mincemeat out of him. Then Nilbog saw her through the gap in between, Kara ¨C the Blind Mage. Nilbog once again found himself staring at her. There was just something off about her. The way the air moved around her, the way all the Ghouls gave her a wide breadth--it was all strange. He spent a few dangerous moments standing still in a daze. Every fiber of his being screamed at him. By the time he snapped out of it, he found himself running away, cold sweat covering his back. Anomalies. Phases are sorted according to level, but a special few had skills which allowed them to by-pass this rule. With special limitations they were allowed to participate. Kara The Blind Mage had to be one of them. Dodging a few broken tables, a few men skirmishing with chairs in their hands, and a Ghoul having the feast of his life on an especially plump woman, Nilbog quickly made his way to the kitchen. He needed a weapon. There was too much to think of. For now, he needed to survive¡ªeverything else could wait. Swallowing a painful lump of salvia, Nilbog broke through the crowd, gaining vision of the kitchen entrance. Blocking the double doors was a large man wielding a foot-long cleaver. His heavy iron gloves, originally used to bring hot pots out of smoldering brick ovens, were now used to block strikes from overeager Ghouls. He was able to hold off two at the same time, though not without getting a few deep gashes on his arms. Standing next to him on both sides were other cooks with knives, slashing whenever the Ghoul¡¯s tried to circle him. The Ghoul¡¯s dark purple blood was mixed with the chef''s red, coloring the man¡¯s apron in a mixture of colors. He kept attempting to get a good cut in, but each time he did they stepped back. They were far too fast, and the moment the chef and his friends left their position to chase them, they would be stranded in the open floor of the cafe. The familiar waitress on the ground was proof of that. A large puddle grew from an open neck. These men weren¡¯t fighters. They didn¡¯t have the speed or skills to lock the Ghouls down, but Nilbog had both. His muscles pulsed, the adrenaline soaking his blood, urging him forward. His bones felt tight, sturdy iron instead of the usual brittle sticks. As the human saying went, here goes nothing. 6 Nilbog charged, savoring the air¡¯s embrace as his shoulder crashed into the unsuspecting Ghoul. The Chef was surprised but took advantage of the opportunity. He lifted his weapon over his head, relaxed all his muscles, and then came down with the weight of his entire body upon the staggered monster. The cleaver went through its skull, stopping halfway down its torso. Meanwhile, Nilbog himself was off-balance after his shove. Unable to step away from the other Ghoul¡¯s attack, Nilbog stepped under it.
Your armor was able to slightly reduce the damage taken! You have received 7 Damage! You have received a Slight Bleed status effect! You will lose 1% HP (1.3) per second for 9 seconds.
The thrust that was aimed at his neck ricocheted off his angled shoulder blades, taking a bit of flesh out of him with some bleeding, but otherwise keeping himself alive. Before the pain could register, Nilbog pushed forward with his legs, twisting his upper body for each bit of force he could add to his fist. Not knowing whether the Ghoul¡¯s groin was a weak spot, he opted for sinking his fist inside its guts. The beast might have been quick and lethal, but its scrawny body and lack of muscle meant it went down just as quick. The beast hunched forward from the might of the blow, its teeth coming dangerously close to Nilbog¡¯s neck. Feeling death a bite away, he pushed the monster away as he fell backward. Just as it was about to pounce at Nilbog, one of the Chef¡¯s finally realized that now was a good time to attack. He charged forward, knife shaking in hand, and stabbed the distracted beast in the neck. It released an identical screech to the last Ghoul Nilbog killed. Unfortunately, the fool made the mistake of not retreating immediately after, like Nilbog had done. Undead sustain fatal injuries that would incapacitate other creatures. The beast turned with madness in its eyes, hand swiping bone and flesh off his chest. One of its long fingers sliced through his neck. He fell, bleeding extensively in fits of gasps. He tried to scream but he could not find his voice. Nilbog leaped up for another punch, but the Chef moved in first. The cleaver went in for a good four inches inside the Ghoul¡¯s skull before the blade stopped. The Ghoul froze, its eyes meeting in the middle, attempting to look at the cleaver. Unable to see the blade inside of it, it tipped its heads up until it dropped backward. The Chef offered him a bloody hand, purple and red blood mixed. ¡°Not bad for a kid,¡± he said, spitting red blood to the side.
Danger RankThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Chef Doyan: Cub Unknown Human: Cub Unknown Human: Cub
¡°Considering I saved your life, sure.¡± His shoulders burned, reminding Nilbog why wearing multiple layers of clothes was a good idea. He allowed the man to lift him up. Doyan¡¯s muscular figure looked to be at least double his weight while being a foot taller than him, but the Strength stat did not work that way. Doyan did not have as much of an easy time as Nilbog thought. Nilbog focused in on his resource bars. The increased regen came at a vital time. His shoulders ached, but none of his vitals were hit. The bleeding also stopped when he pressed against it.
Nilbog HP 79/130 (18.2/Hour) STM 125/140 (+1.96/Second) Overall STM 421/700 (392/Day) Life Force 120/120 (+1.44/Minute)
Being injured before the fight even began did not help Nilbog''s case. ¡°Most people did not have any weapons with them, for some strange reason,¡± Doyan said, walking forward. He gazed at the scene in front of him with a disproving look. ¡°People grew complacent. It''s been nearly half a century. There were about seven of us in there. We killed five of them, while they got¡­¡± Doyan shook his head, turning towards his other assistant. He was pressing on the wound, but the cut was too large. "Leave him be, there is no saving him. Go bring out every sharp object in the kitchen," Doyan said, and turned back to Nilbog, handing him the extra blade that was left.
Common Chipped Kitchen Knife Weapon Type: Dagger Weapon Star level: ¡ï¡ï Slash: ¡ï Thrust: ¡ï Durability: ¡ï¡ï Good for cutting lettuce, onions, Ghouls, and beef.
Well, at least someone still has a sense of humor. A two-star was probably respectable to kill level 30 monsters. ¡°We¡¯ve heard much of it, but it¡¯s all so strange for monsters to appear out of thin air. What type of power- " ¡°Save it for someone who cares,¡± Nilbog said, his pink cheeks raising in a scowl. He was seriously running out of patience with everything and everyone. The day just kept getting worse. Doyan stared at Nilbog, a few of his nerves pulsing. The air around him got warmed, but he held back. ¡°We¡¯ll get by if we can get all those idiots ones of these,¡± he said, pointing towards Nilbog¡¯s blade with his chin. ¡°But first¡­¡± Doyan''s muscles bulged, the nerves on his giant forearms pulsing as he turned towards the noise ¡°...Who in the two faces of the fucking earth is playing the piano at a time like this?¡± Nilbog shivered. He had forgotten about it. With his attention towards it, he began to fully hear it. It grew more sinister as he listened to it, and he could have sworn he saw a black, round object strike a person. When it vanished inside them a different look appeared on their face. Nilbog didn¡¯t like where this was going.
Seventh Sense has improved
Oh. 7 Kara felt a consuming desire to play the piano. All she could think of was to make a sound. A vibrant, powerful, haunting sound. Her fingers were itching for it, her entire body fidgeting with the anticipation of touching the keys, to feel them sink under her touch, to create. She knew of Sirens. They were one of the most abnormal things in The Games, though unfortunately not particularly powerful. Most Siren types had an obtuse set of requirements and unique skills that reflected them. This would be the first time she heard of a Life Siren, most likely given the reason that, when people die, they usually stayed dead. She could feel something inside her trying to break free. It was her new powers, whatever they might be, and they didn''t seem intent on listening to her. Her Mana tensed and cramped under its pressure. She attempted to stand up, to turn away from the piano, but she was unable to push the Kinetic Mana forward. Her hand stuck to it like glue. Kara could hear her powers calling out to her, to release every bent up and twisted thing of hers into it. She just had to let go. ¡°I refuse to bend," she again, releasing hundreds of Mana points. Her hair began to float around her shoulders, and if she had eyes, they would have shinned a stark white. ¡°Not an inch, not for a moment,¡± she said, and cut her arm from the shoulder down. It fell to the floor bloodless. The dead did not feel. She stood up, grabbing her cane with her other hand. She walked around the piano, eyeing it. Its voice no longer burned inside her mind. It no longer attempted to control her. She converted a hundred points of Mana into Life Force, causing her arm to float back into its place. Re-connecting the bone and veins was a tortuous, tedious but having done it thousands of times The Pre-Game granted her the Flesh-Mender skill even with her high level. "I refuse to be a part of someone''s sick entertainment," she said, her hand sliding against the wood. She walked around, glancing at how the humans panicked, screaming and bleeding about the cafe. Kinetic Mana fueled objects darted around the room, smashing into either Ghouls or other people. A fire began to grow in a corner, started by a miscast Thermal skill. Kara had gone from being a part of the pinnacle of intelligent life, to this low-level farce. It was infatuating.
Congratulations! You have taken the first steps into becoming a Siren! You have resisted your most basic needs. Nothing will manipulate you, not even your emotions, well-being, or your very dreams. You have gained the Stalwart trait. You have greater control over your songs at the cost of losing 20% of their effectiveness. You have filled 1 trait Siren traits of 5. Based on the Songs you unlock, your powers will evolve differently!
Ah. Kara felt a bud of excitement spark. It was tiny, but it was there. It wanted to do what it has always done--to learn and evolve. This new profession seemed to offer something novel. Kara returned to her feet, and out of desperation and curiosity, she began to play, hoping to find something worthwhile in whatever decaying life she had leftover. *** Nilbog pushed ahead of Doyan and his assistant, Tren, to engage a Ghoul. He did it for practicality, not out of bravery. The sooner they could get people armed the higher their chances of survival will be. Of course, the increased rewards were a welcome addition. Those with the highest contribution received the best rewards, which in the end worked in his favor. He needed all the skills and equipment he could get if he wanted to get anything done in this world. With two knives in his hand, Nilbog stalked for his next Ghoul. Picking out an unsuspecting Ghoul, he darted in, making as little sound as possible while attempting to keep up with the monster¡¯s rapid movement. It was circling a man with a small cutting knife. The beast was much faster than him, slashing him while constantly dodging his ill-aimed strikes.
Level 26 Ghoul Monster Rank: F
Nilbog snuck to its left corner, and just as the creature went in for a slash, he did so as well. It quickly gave the man a small gash on his forearm, and promptly backed-stepped right into Nilbog blade, impaling itself. He aimed for the heart, hoping it was a weak point.
Penetration! Your strike dealt critical damage! You have dealt 59 damage! You have dealt Devastating Bleed Damage!
The blade went in cleanly, piercing it¡¯s back and appearing out the front. He stuck the other knife up its rib cage.
Penetration! You have dealt 25 damage! You have dealt Major Bleed Damage!
Nilbog placed his foot on the creatures back and pushed forward, quickly pulling out both knives. Blood spurted like a fountain soaking his arm and chest. The creature fell, dead before it could touch the ground. Either it took a fair amount of damage, or two critical strikes was all it took. The man was panting heavily with many shallow cuts, but he was otherwise fine. ¡°T-Thank you, chil-¡± ¡°Group up with the guys hacking at the Ghouls behind me,¡± Nilbog said, pointing to Doyan and Tren. Their bellows rallied those around them. The man nodded slowly. He was too rattled to complain about being ordered. If Nilbod learned one thing about humans, it was that they did not like being told what to do, regardless of whether it was right or wrong. Nilbog circled back, not going too far out from his group. The numbers were about even now, and that was not good. The creatures kept pouring in from their holes in the ground. They had no Armor and easily bled to death, but dealt extremely high damage with their claws. Life Force was the most common power humans used. It granted them increased stats and offensive skills, but most importantly it was their main form of defense. Life Force Armor was them basic and important skill a person can have, and most of these humans did not. The information inside Nilbog''s head regarding its importance was not wrong--it was the humans that were. Anyone without Life Armor was going down with two direct shots. Those who fought recklessly got badly damaged, and those that didn¡¯t gradually lost HP and STM instead. There were a couple of ones capable of using Life Force, as well as a few Mages blasting fire and sharp winds, but they were quickly becoming exhausted by the influx of Ghouls. Most of the crowd here were ordinary folk with no combat focused skills. What struck Nilbog as odd was how these Ghouls were acting. They were automatic, instinctual beasts, but the way things were escalating was abnormal. Those that were in a group met group battles, and some Ghouls even hovered around aimlessly. Virtually no one was outnumbered.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Nilbog wasn''t sure what to think of that. While he knew the basics, information regarding The Game itself was absent from his head. Were those Ghouls like Nilbog, but only instinctual? Or were they empty shells? What if they were just being controlled? Those questions haunted Nilbog. What if he was behaving exactly like how The Game made him? No.What type of monster did not eat humans? He had free will. It wouldn''t make sense why he did so many stupid things if he was a puppet. Nilbog took a few moments to run through the crowds, intervening just long enough. He helped a young woman take down a Ghoul as she battered it with her chair, and got lucky another time when he back-stabbed a Ghoul through its heart, leaving it to bleed out as he thrust at another one a few meters away. Those that used Life Force skills had a yellow glow to them, though the hue sometimes changed based on the skill. Nilbog focused mainly on helping them. Before he attacked his next ghoul a human-shaped raisin dressed in a white dress scuttled from the side. She struck it legs with her cane, sending the creature¡¯s head below it, and then pummeled it to pieces. The poor Ghoul didn¡¯t have a chance. What the hell is that doing here. Anyone below the age of 13, as well as over the age of 60, was given the option to remove themselves from The Games, and that lady looked easily over a 100. Her eyes barely peeked from under the thick layers of shriveled skin hunching her eyebrows, and the hunch of her back was so bent it was almost parallel to the ground. Nilbog stepped back. She might have been one of the three Anomalies. He didn''t want to get invo¡ª ¡°I see you, son,¡± she said, snapping towards Nilbog. He saw one eye peeking through the sagging skin at him. The other was hid in the hunch of her fading eyebrow. ¡°Do this old lady a favor, and go fetch my grand-daughter, would you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m a bit bus¡ª¡± ¡°It will do you good,¡± she said, taking tiny but abnormally quick steps. Her body swayed from left to right, almost as if she were tipping over. ¡°The brash girl is in that direction,¡± she said, catching Nilbog¡¯s hands before he could even react. She tugged at him as she pointed towards a chaotic mess of people and undead. ¡°That bastard¡¯s dog sent her off before I could have a decent word with her.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Nilbog¡¯s mouth wouldn¡¯t work. Two Ghouls began to circle them, but the old lady¡¯s clutches were wrapped around his wrists like iron. They did not budge an inch, and kicking her did not seem like a good idea¡ªhe didn¡¯t need Seventh Sense to know that. She concealed her Danger Rank but it didn¡¯t completely hide it. He knew for certain she was stronger than him, but not how strong. She could be anything from a Wolf to a Cataclysm for all he knew. ¡°Won¡¯t you?¡± she said, not paying any heed as they charged. ¡°I will!¡± Nilbog yelled, stepping in front the moment the old lady peeled her fingers. He met the Ghoul¡¯s claws on each knife as it dashed towards him. There was too much power behind its charge for him to block in place. He jumped back with it, falling to the ground. His knives were stuck in between each finger, preventing it from ripping him, but he couldn¡¯t stop its teeth reaching for his face. They got close enough for their breath to burn his nostrils before Nilbog kicked the Ghoul in the air with the momentum. He dealt 4 damage, but more importantly, he got to keep his face. It struck the back of its head as slide across the plastered ground. Nilbog got up half a second earlier. By the time it turned towards him his knife flew the couple feet in between them, impaling itself through its eye. It took 57 damage but still did not fall. It charged forward right into another flying knife, taking another 59 damage before sliding to Nilbog¡¯s feet. Holy shit. He still had not grown used to being able to do any of this without actually knowing how. Throwing knives, swords, spears, bows, he likely had a basic understanding of each common technique and weapon. He bent down, taking both knives out. He was going to have to test this as soon as he could. ¡°Good. Now go find my granddaughter,¡± the old lady said. Nilbog hopped away, waving his knife in front of him. She stood a few feet away. The Ghoul that attacked her laid on the ground with all its limbs pointing in all the wrong directions. ¡°Where is she?¡± he said, swallowing sweat and blood. Something cut his lip. ¡°The girl tends to be flashy, so look towards the center of things. You¡¯ll know my dear when she sees her,¡± she said, and then walked the other way. ¡°You need allies, yes? She¡¯ll be useful to you, just like she is to everyone else.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± There was no reason not to help strong people, but doing it on her command was different. ¡°Because your face is eerily familiar to one prick I used to know,¡± she said, glancing back. ¡°It¡¯s more a favor to you than it is to me.¡± Nilbog flinched, though it was to be expected. With a name like Jack The Hero, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for someone to notice the resemblance. I¡¯ll talk to her later. Jack was betrayed by his closest allies, but if he had true friends among the serpents, then it might be good for Nilbog to find them. It was his only viable option at this point. He began jogging, dipping in where he thought he would be useful. There was no reason to put in extra effort to find a single person out of the crowd. Then again, the lady''s not-so-subtle threat didn¡¯t inspire confidence in Nilbog to completely disregard the idea. He sighted another potential ally attempting to crush a Ghoul with a chair, but before he could make his way into the fest, his body jerked down and rolled to the right. Surprised at the sudden movement, Nilbog did not roll with the momentum, making his right shoulder receive the full impact. He nearly fumbled his knives because of it, but he found his bearings at the last moment. He bounced up, coming face to face with a Ghoul¡¯s thrust. He couldn¡¯t bock it in time, but his knife did push it to the left side. Its nails took a bit of his flesh as it scraped by his upper arm, taking 5 damage with it. The beast¡¯s movement carried it forward, placing him inches from its chest. Clenching his teeth, Nilbog met the Ghoul''s neck with his other knife before it could bite. It sprayed blood as it tumbled away, dying shortly after¡ªit must have been already damaged. Dismissing the experience penalty notification, he quickly balanced himself as more feat scuttled towards him.
Level 34 Adult Ghoul Rank: F+
One Ghoul was left. Fortunately for Nilbog, the Ghoul he cut blocked the other, probably saving him from a fatal attack. Unfortunately, another Adult Ghoul joined the fray. A monster¡¯s level and rank showed once he got within a certain range. The higher the level and rank, the quicker and more intelligent they became--it was the reason Nilbog had consciousness, probably. Oddly enough, however, these two were the same levels as some Ghouls he harassed. One also had identical injuries. That''s not a coincidence. If they were truly mindless monsters then they wouldn¡¯t have chased Nilbog when there were much easier targets to hunt. He also doubted they had the capacity to seek revenge. This had to be influenced by The Game. Either this information wasn''t considered ''basic,'' or there were holes in the information The Game provided to Nilbog. Focus. Taking that Ghoul out there probably saved his life, though fighting two Ghouls simultaneously was not a much better alternative. The element of surprise was not on his side. He might have had the technical experience but real fighting was out of his league. His eyes darted towards Doyan. They were a distance away, but they were still within range. Doyan turned towards Nilbog as he took down another Ghoul, probably being alerted by his Sixth Sense. After a glance, however, he shrugged and turned away. No surprise there, I guess. This was just how Sentient beings behaved, and though it was probably a baseless prejudice, Nilbog felt like humans were especially despicable in this matter. Besides that literal oddball Argento, everything he had seen so far confirmed it. And that music was not helping. He could hear it everywhere around him, and in each different place he looked the music changed, as if each fight had its own track. Its invasive notes tried to creep into his head, louder and louder they became vibrating through his body. Foreign emotions began to bud inside him. All he felt was rage. His hands and feet begged him to crush something. The faint dark mist began to solidify around him.
A Siren offers you power. Do you accept? Y/N
Nilbog politely declined but it did not relent. It tried to burrow its way through his skin. Clenching his teeth, he willed it away, his Sentient Killer class substantially boosting his Mental Defenses.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 50%
Status Affliction Resisted
You resist, but for how long?
For as long as it takes, Nilbog thought as the Ghouls crept forward. Whatever a Siren was, it wasn¡¯t any good news. It wasn''t a surprise, but Kara The Blind Mage was at least two Danger Ranks higher than Nilbog. That meant Tiger and up. She was hardly his main concern, though. More sweat ran down his forehead, mixing with the red and purple blood.He racked his brain for ill-advised solutions against the Ghouls. 8 The Ghouls kept attempting to circle him, one from the back and one from the front. It forced Nilbog to constantly reposition. He needed to keep them at his front. They were patient. Adult Ghouls behaved more intelligently than regular Ghouls, though their speed itself didn''t seem to be much higher. Nilbog tried to relax his muscles to no avail. They kept tightening at the Ghoul¡¯s movement, further wasting his STM. The advanced food he''d eaten helped, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Time was running out. Nilbog gave a quick glance to his left side, surveying the battlefield. Doyan¡¯s group grew to a crew of eight, fighting just as many Ghouls. That was good news, at least. The Ghoul on his left corner inched forward, as the other Ghoul inched to the right. Nilbog tensed, smiled, then relaxed. Time to test how much I actually know. He repositioned himself again. Running was not an option. They were rank F+ monsters, and while he had four ranks over them as a rank A monster, they were nearly double his level. His Shapeshifter race wasn¡¯t even ranked that high because of the raw stats it had, anyway. He didn¡¯t know if he was faster, and frankly, he didn¡¯t want to test it at this moment. Inching backward all the way towards Doyan''s group, as ingenious as the idea sounded, will undoubtedly end in tragedy when he gently bumps into a Ghoul. He peeked at the right. The people that panicked and rushed to the blocked door were surprisingly holding their own at the door, using chairs and other miscellaneous objects to keep the Ghouls at bay. Barely any of them had weapons, showing that it was mostly inexperienced that panicked. There were a dozen of them left but nearly all were damaged and fatigued. Few people survived around him, and if their victim would fall, Nilbog would probably be the next target they hovered around. The Ghouls once again got closer, inching forward. Nilbog nodded--that¡¯s all the information he needed. He positioned himself to the left but did not step back, allowing one to stay in striking range. The right Ghoul was not in his range, and at that moment, Nilbog once again glanced to the left. A surprising number of Bruiser Ghouls surrounded someone just outside his line of sight. Those rank E variants were level 30, larger, muscular, and were protected by Life Armor. Most of the damage they received would be subtracted from their Life Armor instead of HP. Hitting one with a sword was akin to hitting one with a blunt weapon¡ªlittle bleeding damage would occur until the Life Armor broke. There were two of those mobs surrounding different people. Flames extended from one of the circles, while the other had purple blood spraying like a fountain into the air. The closest Ghoul on his left side went for a thrust at that moment, its left claw flying directly at Nilbog¡¯s bare knuckles. The other Ghoul went in a second later. That one second was the opening he was waiting for. He dashed forward, meeting its strike with the side of his knife. That by itself wasn¡¯t enough. Strength and Armor were his lowest parameters. It would have bent his Nilbog wrist, but by tensing his muscles at the moment of impact as he simultaneously twisted his upper body to the right, while adding forward momentum by stepping forward, Nilbog was sufficiently able to redirect the force of the blow. The Ghoul flew past him. Sliding to its left side, Nilbog brought his other knife up and slashed across its neck.
Penetration! Your strike dealt critical damage! You have dealt 69 damage! You have dealt Devastating Bleed Damage!
The knife went a good distance in, sliding halfway through its neck. The Ghoul¡¯s right hand instinctively attempted to cover the wound. He gave it a strong kick, throwing it in the path of the other charging Ghoul. The bleeding damage should kill it in a few seconds. So far most Ghouls had around 150 HP, and with Devastating Bleed damage hovering above 9% of MAX HP or greater per second, it should be enough. It was damaged as well, further helping him¡ªthat was all according to the plan. Now all Nilbog needed to do was flick his eyes again, feigning distraction, and the stupid beast would attack. What was not according to the plan, however, was that while the Ghoul Nilbog kicked was halfway to the ground, the second one did not step to the side, but rather stepped on it. It pushed off, jumping headfirst up a good half dozen feet into the air, claws and teeth out in equal measure. Nilbog was utterly surprised. He stood, face blank for a few moments. He then bent his body forward. The Ghoul missed him by a good distance, landing face-first into the marble floor behind him. An audible crack was heard. I haven¡¯t seen much, but that''s probably the stupidest thing I''ve ever seen Two notifications informed him of their death. Nilbog stood in place, letting his STM regenerate. With how low his Constitution was and his lack of Life Armor, one mistake was all it took for the Ghouls to rip through him. It did help that the Ghouls had the mental capacities of children--they might be able to easily bite his neck off, shred his bones, and toss him around, but they were still children. He¡¯d gotten through worse to get here. His A rank went beyond his stats and skills. He had an advantage in knowledge, instincts, and whatever else made monsters fight better. Provided he only fights low ranks, he should be able to win even if they had the level advantage. He wasn¡¯t sure about how much his stat scaling differed from the others. He should be able to learn, unlike other monsters. Maybe being stuck at level 20 wasn¡¯t such a death sentence. When he caught his breath, Nilbog continued his hunt. The middle of the Cafe was mostly vacant. Only two stuck around in the open field where they were surrounded on all sides by those Bruiser Ghouls. One was a tall man in tight-fitting black robes. Flames stuck to his long-sword, burning even brighter when he swung it around. He ducked, turned, and wove with his slashes, not once stopping. His strikes didn¡¯t penetrate the Bruiser Ghoul¡¯s Life Armor, and neither did he need to. The Ghouls he struck went flying, and the ones that were just outside his range were scorched by the flames that extended with his swings. Inexplicably, as slowly as he was moving, not a single Ghoul was able to land a clean hit. Elusive couldn¡¯t even begin to describe it. Each dodge put him into a position where only a single Bruiser Ghoul could swing at him. It fit Nilbog''s definition of "dancing." On the other circle was a blond girl dual-wielding daggers. A blanket of red and yellow aura enveloped her, leaving behind tracer as she dashed from one Ghoul to the next at a dizzying speed, turning tight angles while barely losing any momentum. The one for one monster rule did not apply to her either, but that hardly mattered. As quickly as they joined was as quickly as they fell. Wherever she passed a Bruiser Ghoul two to four slashes was left on its Life Armor. The fifth strike jutted blood in wild directions. Any Bruiser Ghoul that swung as she whizzed by received large cuts, and those that that struck her had their limbs fly by, Life Armor or not. She grew faster with each attack and kill, the red aura increasing in size and density. She turned the world around her in red, yellow, and purple as she danced. She was a painter, and the Bruiser Ghoul¡¯s were her medium.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Those two weren¡¯t caught in the Game. They were made for it. Instead of kitchen knives the girl had two fully-fledged monster-killing weapons with gems inserted into the bottom of their hilts. That wasn¡¯t to mention the glistening black leather that covered her from toe to neck. It was a full set, with torso, arms, and legs being made of the same material. While the human male barely needed it its defense, the girl¡¯s manic style certainly did. Slashes that would have separated someone¡¯s spine only left a shallow cut on her Life Armor. They added up, of course, but the fact she could tank damage so recklessly was ridiculous.
Unknown Human Male: Cub Human Raisin¡¯s Grand Daughter: Wolf
If the bodies littered around her was not an obvious enough indication, she was one of the reasons there was a big discrepancy in the level spread. More worryingly, however, was her Danger Rank. On average, Sentients went up a rank every 30 levels. Cub was 0-30, Wolf 30-60, Tiger 60-90, Dragon 90-120, and Disaster 120-150. The lower the level while the higher the rank was an indication of high potential. He might just be witnessing a Cataclysm in the making. Very few Sentients were supposed to reach that Danger Rank even when they struck the 150-level cap. The Game tried to even things out by sending more at her. Even while receiving attacks from all directions, it was not enough to mortally wound her. Bruiser Ghouls charged at her to no avail. Her Life Armor seemed to regenerate based on the damage she dealt, keeping her defenses up even as she invested every moment slashing and dicing. He could see the glow of her Life Armor glowing brighter with each kill, and that was what he could see. Who knew what else she gained from damage and kills. She was, unfortunately, an idiot. Not only would the slight damage she is taking eventually build-up, but her STM should be running out. Nilbog found it hard to believe she was able to gain Speed, Strength, Life Force, and STM. Completely opposite to most classes, "berserker" like skills grew stronger as they lost HP and STM¡ªthe issue was that they lost both very quickly. The experience and points gained were highly rewarding, but she was risking injury and wasting more resources than she needed to by fighting alone and surrounded. Skills that regenerated HP and Overall STM were rare and had limited effects. That old raisin was right¡ªshe could be mighty more useful if guided correctly, and that¡¯s accounting for the fact that Nilbog was one of the most clueless people in this caf¨¦. It wasn¡¯t even odd that those two humans weren¡¯t fighting together. The chaos that brewed around her was a direct contrast to the meticulous movements of the swordsman. They would just get in each other¡¯s way. The Bruiser Ghouls spotted him as he neared. Two ran at him, but with the girl running in circles around them, they were the ones surrounded. She did not let them escape. Before it got in range one of the Ghoul¡¯s heads slipped off its neck while the other lost everything below its right knee. It tripped and fell into his knife. Another came from the side. He dodged on thrust, and before he could even deal a single point of damage it retreated into the girl¡¯s daggers. By the time it swung around the girl was gone. She left crisscrossing slashes on its back that broke its Life Armor and gushed open its back, which easily allowed Nilbog to sink both his knives into the back of its neck. He kicked it away, jerking free his weapons. He fell on it, stabbing it at least a half dozen times before it stopped moving. It took more than 150 points of damage, and that¡¯s without accounting how much damage it already received. ¡°I¡¯m Iris!¡± Nilbog yelped, leaping backwards upon her sudden turning, which ended up with him tripping on the Ghoul¡¯s body. He fell on his butt, his weapons sliding out of his hands. The girl stood in front of him, her face a few inches away from his. Half of it was dripping purple. Faded crops of yellow hair stuck to it. ¡°Are you one of us?¡± she asked, tilting her head. A bitter lump of salvia, his own blood, and the rotten undead blood went down Nilbog''s throat. He turned towards the Ghouls, but froze when his cheeks touched the sharp tips of a dagger. ¡°My eyes are up here,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°You don¡¯t seem-¡° ¡°Do I look purple to you?¡± Nilbog said, finding his wits, then immediately lost it as the dagger pushed against his skin. ¡°Yes, yes I freaking am.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, snapping her back straight. ¡°Sorry about that. You can never be too sure!¡± She twirled the daggers in between her fingers as she turned around. All the Ghouls around them died with none of the holes which spawned them showing any movement. ¡°Where did all of them go?¡± Nilbog collapsed to the ground, finally catching his breath. Crazy girl, though she brings up a good point. Was it really a coincidence that the moment he joined in the endless flood of Ghouls ceased? This was likely another unnatural pattern The Game created. Being fair was the only positive thing that could be said about it. It will always provide a difficult challenge, but never an impossible one. By the time Nilbog sat up, the Ghouls once again began to climb out. Break¡¯s time over? Was that supposed to give me time to think, or for her to rest? Iris perked up. The red aura surrounding her was fading, but upon seeing an enemy it sparked to life. She took a few steps forward before Nilbog caught her wrist. She flinched, and then went completely still. ¡°Hold on, we shou-¡° Nilbog didn¡¯t know what drove him into ducking even before Sentient Killer activated. Maybe it was what The Game taught him, or maybe it was Seventh Sense, but apparently touching her was considered an attack. It activated a Retribution skill, a type of skill that activities whenever the wielder receives an attack. Even while she was facing the other direction, the speed at which she twisted back with her dagger swinging was just ludicrous. The metal whipped the air above his head, taking off a few hairs. If he hadn¡¯t moved a full second before she swung, his head would have been the one flying off. ¡°Seriously?¡± Was she really going to kill him for that? ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, flinching when she saw Nilbog. She scratched the side of her head with the hilt of her dagger as she nervously stepped in place. ¡°I get¡­too focused sometimes. I really didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, but good job on surviving!" ¡°Do you want to get through this without injuring yourself?¡± Nilbog quickly said. He should give up on understanding her or them. ¡°You¡¯re definitely going to get the first spot. Why waste more Overall STM that could be used later?¡± She pursed her lips, frowning. Her eyes bounced from him to the growing inferno behind them. Bright yellow, he noted. There were two branches to Life Force¡ªInternal and External. As the names implied, one focused on self-buffing while the other had various outside uses. Seeing Life Force enchant her eyes meant she was her sight and senses were buffed senses. If she attacks him, he should expect for her to have unnaturally high reaction skills. Time will move slower for her. ¡°If you have a grandmother around here, she told me to get you,¡± he said, and turned around, picking up his knives as he ran. ¡°Follow me if you want.¡± After a few moments, he heard her footsteps behind him. ¡°You¡¯re all too weak,¡± she said, staring at him with a blank look. Both red and yellow auras had completely faded, leaving her noticeably pale and short-breathed. Sometimes skills had side-effects, the berserker type more so than others. ¡°Shon said more will come than they could handle if I joined.¡± ¡°I sure hope so, Iris.¡± If Sentients were going to be selfish pricks, then so will he. ¡°I like your smile,¡± she said, her stiff face falling into a giggle. It caught Nilbog off-guard. Her laughter was so pure it sent the creeps down his spine. The heavy bloodlust she emitted vanished so abruptly it left an eerie void behind. Why is everyone so twisted? Nilbog thought, looking towards Doyan¡¯s group. Then again, am I panning out so differently? The Game said it would reward actions that got Ghouls dead, but it never mentioned anything about the lives that will be lost because of it. Soon, a large wave of Ghouls was on their heels. 9 That, Nilbog noticed as he got closer, was extremely odd. Were humans supposed to be this¡­bloodthirsty? They hunted down the Ghouls with little regard to anything else. The ones who lost limbs did not seem to notice. There was little dodging and no defending¡ªjust on onslaught of attacks that trampled apart the Ghouls in their path. Doyan lead the charge, stepping forward uncontested as his cleaver chopped whichever unfortunate limb was in range. Any Ghoul brave enough to get close was skewered by the crazed men and women, and any Ghoul which escaped the dancing blades was chopped down with an earth-shaking bellow. A Ghoul used one of its brethren as a trampoline, leaping through the air and above the short blades and daggers. It landed on top of some unsuspecting man who promptly lost half of his skull in its mouth. It jumped off before the body hit the floor, attempting to land on its next victim but was impaled by a wide variety of weapons. A spear was added to the fray from somewhere. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Iris said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°We can hardly stop!¡± The fact that she was scared worried Nilbog more than the needles that poked his skin by Seventh Sense. He didn''t see the dark spheres, but they hardly had a choice anymore. Running through the caf¨¦ caused at least a dozen of Ghouls to start chasing them, and their numbers were only growing. A few kept leaping him, barely scratching the ends of his shirt. ¡°Can we turn on them now?¡± Iris asked, scratching her forearm as she ran. ¡°My cooldowns are going to be u-¡° ¡°Doyan!¡± Nilbog yelled through the chaos. He didn¡¯t register her idiocy. Doyan turned. It only took a second for him to realize what was happening. His face sunk, then fumed¡ªliterally. He was a Thermal mage. The strange dark flames that were covering his body spiked up. He bellowed, causing everyone else to turn. ¡°Time to return the favor!¡± Nibog yelled, then ducked as Doyan swung his flame enchanted cleaver at him. Nilbog¡¯s Sentient Killer activated, giving him a respectable boost to his parameters, and granted him protection from the AoE damage. As he slide under his Doyan¡¯s legs, the top and bottom part of a Ghoul flew past him in opposite directions. Immediately following it was an explosion, then the loud crash of the Ghouls against the lines of humans. Nilbog didn¡¯t stick around. He squeezed himself through the tight crowd, watching the fight happen through the relative safety of 2 meters of humans on all sides. He caught a glimpse of Iris¡ªshe was already tearing at the Ghoul around her. Her power went up in tandem with the intensity of the red aura covering her body. She went from quick to blinding speeds after a couple kills. The more she killed, the more Nilbog will get. He did bring her, after all. She was his contribution to the fight. If she kills more than the number of Ghouls she would have otherwise killed if Nilbog had not intervened, then Nilbog would have a net-positive effect. For the rest of the fight, all he would have to do is stick to the sidelines and he would get one of the top spots. The top percentage in each round always got something a little bit extra. He suspected he would need all the power he can get. Finding Jack¡¯s allies was not going to be easy¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bet his entire plan on the old raisin being on his side. He needed to maintain his resources to both protect himself and find them. Then, through all the metal clashing against hardened skin and screams, Nilbog heard that sound returning. Now he could visibly see 3 black spheres with a fog-like appearance flying around him. Violent thoughts and emotions surfaced each time they brushed by him.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
A Siren offers you power. Do you accept? Y/N
It wasn''t the power Nilbog was scared of--it was how intrusive they looked. If they go inside him the Blind Mage might notice was a monster. No, Nilbog answered, clenching his teeth for the inevitable impact. After a short pause, as if they were processing his answer, the spheres crashed into him from all sides.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s power by 50%.
You have failed to resist a Status Affliction.
It coiled in tight ropes around his limbs, slowly itching itself into his skin. Nilbog snapped his head around, trying to hear the whispers, trying to see the moving things. He saw nothing, but the oppressiveness increased. He felt the high ceiling fall and the ground scoop up towards him. He turned away, his body straining itself. He needed to leave¡ªsomething was wrong him. She was after him. Suddenly, fighting out there seemed to be safer than being in here. The smell of blood was a coat in the air. It found its way into his mouth, its metallic flavor soaking his tongue. He spat it out, the familiar sensation sending shivers down his spine. He began to jostle his way out then, bumping from one person to the next, their elbows knocking him like a doll. Something heavy twitched, then, inside of him. He gasped as paranoid thoughts of him exploding from the inside filled his mind. He began to hear the piano again. Dizziness followed. Following dizziness was further loss of control. All the wicked thoughts he hid away began to surface. He felt it wiggling inside him. It crept towards his heart. It wanted more than to turn him into a crazed being like the rest of the ones around him. He should have never resisted. He would not have caught her attention if he just gave in from the start. They¡¯re all the same. Every one of them. They destroy for the tinniest bit power and wealth. Was there any point in not devouring such evil beings? Let them experience what they do on to others. He¡¯ll hunt them like they have hunted him, like they hunt each other. That was fair. Just like when you eat when you¡¯re hungry, little fairy, we fight because it¡¯s the only way to protect ourselves. Jack¡¯s words drove the numbness away. He held on to those words as he resisted against the wrath that was filling him. He willed away those unnatural emotions again, just like he had done previously, with all the conviction and minuscule power he had within his tiny body. He used everything to fight back, causing something to kindle within his heart. It sent warmth throughout his body, causing yellow aura to seep through the cracks in his skin. Then, as suddenly as it came, everything was gone. Sweat dripped down his forehead and his body. He was panting uncontrollably. He opened his eyes, too, unaware he closed them. He found himself under a pile of bodies, some alive, some not. His thoughts returned to normal. Everything will be fine. He will survive. One step after another, that¡¯s how he had done it, and that¡¯s how he is going to do it¡ªwithout becoming like them. He struggled to his feet, pushing aside the bodies that stacked on top of him. Doyan¡¯s were a few paces away. He jetted a sword jutted from one of the bodies, holding it with two shaking arms. He swung around, looking for the sound. Nothing. It was almost as if he imagined everything. Then he felt the claws coil around his heart. It was still there. Nilbog broke into a sprint. He couldn¡¯t trust his thoughts anymore, but he needed to escape it. He received the Terrorized status but he could not understand it. He ran through chairs and people. He fell but ran on with all his limbs, his numb hands making as much leeway as his dead feet. He escaped its clutches, but he still felt it hounding him. He felt it breathe down his neck with its teeth bared against his skin before he threw himself into the midst of the Ghouls, hiding in the mayhem. 10 Kara heard everything. The sound of a Ghoul¡¯s claws sinking into soft flesh, the knife cutting through rot and bone, and how the furniture broke under the weight of a fallen body, splitting in half. The vibrations in the air painted a picture in black and white. She still couldn¡¯t see facial features or color, but it was hundreds of times better than reading the flow of Kinetic Mana. Three dark spheres moved as if they were an extension of her. Notes, that was her power''s name. Time moved senselessly for her as she played the piano. Instead of simply creating music the sounds her piano made allowed her to control her Notes. They did more than simply observing. Each one of her Notes held power in them. Sometimes she used it to attack the Ghouls, driving them mad, but she found more joy in using it on the humans. She began to peer inside their Souls with her Notes, seeing their memories. Understanding their true essence. To them she gave a unique boon. Those who were unworthy broke. Kara was searching for someone. She had the capacity to grant much more power, but she needed someone sturdy to handle it. It wasn''t something she could freely give. There was the option to spread her power among many people, but that was not something she desired. She began to worry. She couldn¡¯t find anything concrete to place her weight upon. With each death her powers grew, adding to her voice, but her control lessened. It lashed out in hunger, trying to find a suitable host she could provide power to. Gentleness was never Kara¡¯s strong suit. Ever Soul she found faltered under her weight. Some did slip through her. One clever soul hid from her, dodging her net. She could not touch that one, and neither did she want to; it was an old, rotten piece that would not bear the strength of her Song. Another was strong yet devoid of any character. No desire or emotion was in her. Just a mindless killer, killing one Ghoul after the other for no ultimate purpose. Still she searched for a suitable host, leaping from one disappointment to another. At first, she chose the head chef of this very cafe. He was Kara''s first successful recipient. The name of the buff that was granted to him was called Life Seeker. Each successful attack regained 5% of his HP, STM, and mana. Each kill increased his Strength by 2%. Flames began oozing out of his body, enchanting his cleaver. The chef was an amateur in thermal manipulation, and was not aware how to use the flames to his advantage, but it made for quite the spectacle. Pride was the theme of his Song. He only grew when he had evidence of his feats. Conversely, mistakes would be harshly punished. Each missed strike took 5% of his HP. It was meant to be an enjoyable chase of life and death, but the fear of missing made the chef passive. He only struck when he knew with certainty he would succeed.Stolen story; please report. He was a disappointment. He did not have anything special within, neither in his fighting style nor in his character. All Kara saw inside was a man who desired power for power''s sake¡ªhe had no loved one to avenge, no dream that he sought to achieve. He did not resist, could not resist. He was no different than the mindless girl before him. Then, as if answering her calls, another prey wandered into her net. He dodged the chef¡¯s strike and was the herald of a wave of Ghouls that fed her. He was the one. What he lacked in power he made in character. She abandoned the chef then, and hunted for him. A Dancer. A part of her knew what he was, but she couldn¡¯t put words to it. The child simply felt right, as if the Notes had an affinity for him. Even without Kara¡¯s control they naturally edged closer to him. His emotion, his bloodlust, his anger, it was almost palpable to Kara''s senses. Her Notes tried to wrap around him, offering power, but he refused. Her Notes were considered a Soul Attack, and he was able to defend against her using his Soul Defense. So she struck again and again until she broke his Soul Defense. He wasn¡¯t just stubborn¡ªhe was a fool. Defending against a Soul Attack much stronger than the Soul risked the Soul''s destruction. Kara stopped moments before her Notes killed him. It was control she wanted, not destruction. Was she really going to kill him just for rejecting her powers? That left a sour feeling in her chest. This was not acceptable behavior. Kara changed her method. If she cannot get him to open the gates for her, then she¡¯ll just have to sneak in. Soul Defense can¡¯t be used if the person is unaware of the attack. Slowly, her Notes reached deep inside of him, unnoticed, coiling their invisible strings around his heart. The Notes reverberated within his body, allowing her to read his memories and emotions. Before she could grant a powerful boon, Kara needed to comprehend the person, but all she found was guilt, bitterness, and her old friend, wrath, budding inside his heart. She saw a glimpse of him holding on to a woman in his arm. Half of her body was gone, yet she still breathed. That wasn¡¯t enough¡ªshe needed to know why. Did he cause her death? Was that why the guilt was there? She went a bit deeper. He was vigilant, almost paranoid. Compared to everyone else, his Soul was¡­ different. It wasn¡¯t enough. She needed more. Her coils grasped just slight degree firmer, for barely a fraction of a second. It was a tiny difference, but at that moment a wave of grief washed over Kara. Ah, how sad and familiar. Kara pitied the boy. Almost felt sad for him. It made Kara lose her focus. He kicked her out and hurled himself away, running away like a madman whimpering, tumbling and crawling ungracefully. He ran straight into the midst of combat, where her Notes had difficulty reaching in. The chaos mangled everyone together, causing too much noise. Kara did not follow. She pulled her hands from the piano, letting them rest on her lap. The things she felt inside him, it reminded her too much of what she had felt when Shinkro killed her. The guilt, the helplessness, the anger. The desire for vengeance. 11 Nilbog rested his back against the wall as he bled. Covering his wounds should have taken precedence, but he could barely move. His hands fell limp beside him, covered with crusting liquids he could no longer distinguish. Several black screens crowded his vision.
Phase One Ranks 1. Iris The Ferocious 2. Shon Of The Enchanted Flame 3. Nilbog 4. Doyan 5. Syndra The Wrangled
You have been rewarded favorably for surviving the First Phase as one of the top contributors! Maintain a streak to earn unique rewards! You have gained 50 points!
General Stats & Parameters
Level 20 Strength 8
Species Shapeshifter Agility 17
Class Sentient Killer Endurance 14
Profession None Constitution 13
Age 1 Soul 12
HP 43/130(18.2/Hour) Life Force 93/120 (1.44/Minute)
STM 21/140 (+1.96/Second) Mana N/A
Overall STM 343/700 (+392/Day) Danger Rank Cub
Skills
Soul Siphon (Racial Skill) Shaper (Racial Skill) Shifter (Racial Skill) Sentient Killer (Class Epic) Lethal Strike (Class Epic) Murderous Lolie (Unique) Seventh Sense (Monster Unique)
Status Effects
Shape-Shifting Your flesh is altered. You are currently using Husk number 1. Warning, your Husk is incomplete. Experience gain is reduced by 100%. Vigorous Nourishment HP, STM, and Overall STM regeneration Increased by 20%. Deep Sleep Rest Bonus increased by 30%. Duration left: 2 hours 43 minutes.
Black Wine Black Wine is a difficult ingredient, requiring a highly skilled cook in order to bring out its virtues. The inexperienced cook was not able to remove the side-effects of such a potent drink. Increase the effects of Life Force and Energy skills by 25% for three hours. Decrease the effects of Life Force and Energy skills by 10% for two hours once the buff duration finishes. Duration left: 2 hours 43 minutes. Life Ent Juice The Ent''s condensed Life Force of planetary life flows within this juice, granting it regen properties. Increase Health, STM, and Life Force regeneration by 10%. Duration Left: 43 minutes.
A typhoon of words, numbers, and tables blocked everything but the wretched blackness. The only thing left was to see what rewards were available to him, though his mind was too mucky to think about anything, much less make future deciding decisions. In a or two day his injuries should heal, including most of his fatigue. Sleeping would help that. He¡¯d gotten many bad cuts, but surprisingly, nothing fatal considering how foolish Nilbog was in throwing himself into that dogfight. Those crazed men and women were as dangerous as the Ghouls were. He tried to wash away the memories of that wretched music. He felt damn violated. The people around him were no better. Iris was getting her ear pulled by the old raisin. Even though she took a few big hits she seemed healthy. Among her already overloaded arsenal she probably had some type of sustain skills. HP returned on kill or damage, if he had to guess. From her equipment, it was easy to guess she was a Ranker. Having a family to finance and train you made a world¡¯s difference. There was no competing with them. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.But most of all, one horrid existence remained. All he could see was her head against the piano, unmoving. Unconscious, hopefully. Dead would be even better, though he was far too young to be optimistic. Nilbog swallowed, his saliva mixed with blood and sweat. Not pleasant. That trail of thought doesn''t lead anywhere good. Wishing death on others was exactly what he fought against. The desire was true, he came to terms with that a few moments ago, but he wasn''t going to feed it. Nilbog tried to move, mustering all the little power he didn¡¯t have. He had some green in his STM bar, but that did not mean he could tap into it without a few groans and curses. Nilbog lifted himself halfway up, hands supporting him against the wall, before he fretted and fell forward. One caught him by the shoulders. Nilbog lifted his head up towards Doyan. ¡°Finally decided to give me a hand, ay?¡± Nilbog smiled. It was an obnoxious, ugly one. It was a wonder how quickly he learned to twist his childish face. ¡°I had my hands full,¡± Doyan replied, distaste in his tone. He wasn¡¯t the same. The big man was tired. He was changed. They all were. The haughty look that he first gave Nilbog was not there. Maybe this was enough to humble him. ¡°Bloody hands, these.¡± Nilbog clutched his teeth, slapping away the Doyan''s hands. Or at least, he tried to. They were too damn heavy to move, and he had no strength left in him. ¡°I do my part to rally others, while you sat back and kept safe." ¡°I should kill you for what you did,¡± Doyan said, his hold tightening. The numbness though was on his side now. There was no fear. Annoyance, fatigue, gloom, but not fear. Doyan was nothing compared to what he just went through. He let his hands drop to his waist, spitting to the side. ¡°Helping you back there might have killed us all, and you know it. It¡¯s your fault for going too far from the group.¡± ¡°Fixing people¡¯s mistakes is what we agreed I would do.¡± Nilbog spat too, more out of necessity than choice. It seemed to be a natural part of being a human. ¡°I did what I had to save my life and hers.¡± ¡°Horseshit! The first time you came for the weapons, and the second you came with a mob. I saw you cut the throat of one our own.¡± ¡°He swung at me. I will protect myself.¡± ¡°He almost grazed you? That¡¯s why you killed the poor boy?¡± Nilbog chuckled, holding one hand to his chest. ¡°Poor boy? Poor boy? And here I thought people like you only cared about yourself.¡± Was this a good time to spit? No, probably not. ¡°Intentional or not, I saved your regrettable life twice. Minus the fact I almost got you killed, and you still owe me one,¡± he said, walking away as Doyan¡¯s face turned red. Feeling somewhat pleased about himself, Nilbog turned around and looked for the old lady. His search started with her. Unfortunately, she was surrounded by guards in black and blue uniforms. They were not there in the Phase, which meant they¡¯re level was higher than 50. Their Danger Rank was hidden. While they were busy, Nilbog used the time to hunt for equipment. Sadly, all his options had substantially large holes in them. It took a bit of rummaging before he finally found a shirt and pants to replace his mangled ones. The only noteworthy thing was the coat.
Uncommon Rock Alligator Jacket Equipment Type: Medium Torso Armor Equipment Star Level: ¡ï¡ï Slash Resistance: ¡ï Thrust Resistance: ¡ï Thermal Resistance: ¡ï Reduce the effects of Armor Penetration effects by 30%. Requirement: Strength: 10
If the equipment was good enough, and the person had enough rudimentary knowledge regarding it, The Game would provide useful information on it. The jacket went all the way down to his knees, something Nilbog was pretty sure wasn''t supposed to happen. Not his type of fashion, either, but sadly beggars can''t be choosers of their style of exotic leather. While it was useful, damage reduction was less effective on Nilbog. He just didn¡¯t have enough HP for it to matter. Using 1nd Rank Life Armor, however, could provide around 30% of a person¡¯s HP as extra Armor plus its own damage reductions. A 4th Life Force ranked was expected to be around 60%, and that¡¯s just the normal person. That was why Iris could take so many minor hits¡ªthe combined pool of her Life Armor plus equipment significantly reduced the damage of attacks. Only high penetrating hits would put a dent on her before she recovered it. And, of course, Nilbog did not know how to use Life Force or Mana. Once again, it was likely because this body was incomplete. Because of that everything would penetrate him. Having his arm cut off would deal only about 20% of his HP, but the blood loss will finish him in a couple seconds. That¡¯s why preventing attacks from penetrating was more important than having flat HP. Having 50 extra Armor was leagues better than having 50 extra HP. The first could block bleeding, the other could not. He couldn¡¯t find any other equipment. Other than weapons that always dropped, the worn equipment is destroyed when the Sentient dies. Since that was the case, Nilbog guessed that it was probably more favorable to take prisoners rather than outright kill. With the limited amount of low tier drops, most of it was quickly claimed by the survivors. Nilbog didn¡¯t try to fight over any of them. From fifty people or so, fifteen remained, each getting a piece or two. On the bright side he found two decent daggers. His kitchen knives both lost a Star in sharpness from the rough use he gave them. That was typical for weapons with low Durability. There were swords around, but they didn¡¯t match his style. Direct combat was something he always avoided, and daggers provided the flexibility he needed. Hit and go was the only way Nilbog was going to get by.
Common Mass-Produced Steel Dagger Weapon Type: Dagger Weapon Star Level: ¡ï¡ï Slash: ¡ï¡ï Thrust: ¡ï¡ï Durability: ¡ï¡ï Just a dagger.
Uncommon Durable Steel Dagger Weapon Type: Dagger Weapon Star Level: ¡ï¡ï Slash: ¡ï¡ï Thrust: ¡ï¡ï Durability: ¡ï¡ï¡ï Just a slightly better dagger.
The star level of the weapon was the most important stat. The rarity, from Common to Legendary, was how hard it was to find stats and abilities that the weapon had, while the star level was how powerful it was. There are probably legendary daggers that were only three-stars, while some mass-produced common weapon might be a six-star. With all his equipment set, Nilbog resupplied himself with a large bag of food from the leftovers. With his insatiable hunger, it would probably last only a few days.
Sentient Killer Activated The Difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%
Nilbog dropped his bag and jumped forward, one dagger already out of his pocket. He led with it as he swung around. Walking towards him was the wielder of flames clad in Life Armor with such high density that its yellow color became visible. He''d also gone from a Cub to a Wolf.
Shon Of The Enchanted Flame: Wolf
On his side was Iris tugging at his coat with a bruised face. One lip bled down her jaws. ¡°You,¡± the man said, glaring at Nilbog. His side burst into flames, causing Iris to jump back with a yelp. He kept marching forward, the veins on his bald forehead sticking out noticeably. ¡°You did this.¡± Before Nilbog could what precisely he did, the man dashed forward, his arms lunging forward. Nilbog jumped back, slashing at it.
No penetration
Nilbog¡¯s dagger met his palm head-on, but his Armor was so high that Nilbog''s dagger bounced off his hands. It caught Nilbog''s face. ¡°Are you always such pest?¡± he said, stepping on Nilbog¡¯s foot just as he was about to kick. ¡°Do you have any idea what you have done?¡± ¡°Did I miss the part where you told me?¡± Nilbog said, struggling as he was lifted off his feet. The man¡¯s palm squeezed his face as it radiated heat. ¡°Stop it, Shon. It was my decision to¡ª¡± ¡°You be quiet,¡± he hissed. ¡°Do you have any idea how many more points you could have gotten? I told you the most optimal thing you oculd have done, yet you wasted it. ¡± ¡°Then he has nothing to do with it. It was my fault,¡± Iris said, looking down. ¡°I panicked. There were so many of them.¡± ¡°Now you lie straight to my face, Iris?¡± he said, his eyes widening. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have had the guts to do something so foolish!¡±
Lethal Strike Activated.
Penetration! You have done 4 Armor Damage. You have dealt 16 HP Damage. You have dealt Minor Bleed Damage.
Nilbog¡¯s other dagger went through Shon''s forearm. He jutted it forward until the tip appeared on the other side. Lethal Strike could only be used against Sentients. After a two-second charge up plus an obvious red aura that covered his weapon, his attack penetration increased by 75%. It ignored most of Shon''s Armor and dealt damage that would be unhealable for a minute. I should have gone for the head.Nilbog could have thrown it, but that would have killed Shon. Doing that will likely cause Iris to kill him. Nilbog went for the arm, expecting for Shon unclench his fists and yell in surprise, but all he got for his strongest skill was a really angry glare. Tiny flames sparked off Shon''s body as the heat went up. A few more degrees and Nilbog¡¯s face would start cooking. The same. Every one of them. ¡°You don¡¯t know when to stop, do you?¡± he said, raising Nilbog further up in the air. ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± Nilbog said, morphing his mouth into his Shapeshifter¡¯s. His lips vanished, leaving a flat line of skin. The insides of his mouth were replaced by a black void that would eradicate anything it touched. He never wanted to put any human flesh in it ever again, but he was not allowed to die just yet. Not until he brought those people down. ¡°Put him down, you fool,¡± someone said on the side. Nilbog flinched. Through the gap in Shon''s fingers, Nilbog saw the old lady¡¯s frowning face. ¡°My lady,¡± he said, the flames pausing. ¡°In all due respect, this pest should be punished for interrupting a ranker¡¯s training.¡± ¡°Guess who told him to fetch Iris you dipshit?¡± she said, raising her nose in disgust. Her cane was a blur as it smashed into his face. Shards of Life Force Armor flew into the air as it cracked. This time he did release Nilbog as he stumbled backward a few steps. Nilbog landed on his feet. He took deep breaths--he was able to morph back his face in time. ¡°You will start a war for this, my lady?¡± he said, immediately fixing his form. He reached over to his nose and cracked it back into place. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. ¡°Tell Barlom he can suck it. I¡¯m handling Iris¡¯s training from now on.¡± Shon''s face was unreadable. He looked from her to the guards standing in the background. ¡°Oh please,¡± she said, cackling. ¡°I can whop your ass back to the days when you wet your bed, with or without them, little Shon.¡± ¡°I believe we should let Iris decide,¡± he said, turning towards her. She flinched awake, quickly looking between the two. ¡°How would a child know how to make a decision? She looks surprised she even gets a say in this.¡± ¡°Then it is time we should let her ma¡ª¡± ¡°One,¡± she said, tapping her cane against the ground. ¡°I¡¯m well in my twenties, my lady. If you think¡ª¡± ¡°Two,¡± she said, taking tiny steps towards him. ¡°Two and a half.¡± This time, Shon did curse. He looked at Iris, but stopped short of saying anything when the old lady got to two and three quarters. He sprinted out of the cafe before she reached three. How terrifying,Nilbog thought, stepping back from the old lady. She counted the seconds before she would beat him. What a sadistic technique. 12 ¡°Ts, ts, what has our future grown to be. The weak get loud while the strong hamper down,¡± the old lady said, turning around and striking Iris¡¯s hand. Iris jumped up, rubbing her hand tenderly. ¡°Tell me woman, were you about to watch a person that helped you get burned alive?¡± Iris looked to her feat, her face turning red. She held one hand in the other as she fidgeted. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t. I was about to stop him.¡± ¡°Do you still want to train under his family with the way they treat you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Nineteen,¡± Iris said with uncertainty. The lady shook her head, clicking her tongue again. ¡°Such wasted talent. You have no character, no bone. Just a dishonorable killer, no different than your father. Scram, Iris, scram. Don¡¯t come back until you learn something other than slaughtering monsters.¡± Nilbog couldn''t identify the emotion Iris showed. She left without saying another word. The same. Every one of them. They use and toss each other like nothing. ¡°You got something to say, pip-squeak?¡± the old lady said, getting uncomfortably close to him. ¡°You¡¯re all the same,¡± Nilbog said, returning her glare. ¡°Every one of you use and toss each other like nothing.¡± ¡°Ay, what about it?¡± she said, bending her neck forward. ¡°You knew around here? That¡¯s how the world works, child. Better get used¡­to it?¡± she said, her words fading at the end. She reached forward, clutching Nilbog¡¯s face. She turned it from side to side, narrowing her eyes further than was humanly possible. ¡°Not only do you look uncannily similar to him, you also spout the same nonsense. You¡¯re not his bastard, are you?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Are you Barlom¡¯s enemy?¡± Nilbog asked, ignoring her groping. Sentient Killer did not activate when they meant no harm. She pursed her lips. After an unsatisfied grunt, she let Nilbog go. ¡°As much as I would love to tear that prick a new one for ruining Iris¡¯s chances of achieving the Cataclysm tier,¡± she said, fuming further with every word, ¡°I cannot say I am. He is far too valuable to toss away, as you so adequately put it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Nilbog said, nodding. He figured it out by now, but he still wanted to try the slimmest margins. ¡°Zion!¡± she cackled, waving her cane in the air. One of her guards steps forward. ¡°Watcha want, boy? Crystals? A decent weapon to keep your weak ass safe?¡± ¡°Information,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Ts, ts, you went after the most valuable of all. I underestimated you. Shoot. You got three.¡± ¡°What did you do to feel so much guilt whenever you look at me?¡± ¡°I can tell you, but I¡¯ll have to kill you,¡± she said, not hesitating for the slightest moment. ¡°What can I do to defeat you, Barlom, and the rest of your miserable kingdom?¡± That gave her a pause, though not the type Nilbog was expecting. Her face spread into something that might have resembled a smile. ¡°Revenge! I can smell it on you, child. Very well¡ªThe United Ranker¡¯s guild will remove us from the map if they find evidence of foul play. Using illegal skills or breaking the honor code is the most common ones. The last one you don¡¯t need to know about.¡± ¡°Tell me about that last one.¡± ¡°Prick,¡± she said, spitting to the side. ¡°Convince a Disaster Danger Rank to destroy us. Growing Iris into it is your best shot, though it will take time, knowledge, resources, and a shitload of charisma you don¡¯t have to get her there. The other, and you didn¡¯t hear it from me, is one angry Lordan that the United Ranker¡¯s guild failed to completely kill. That abomination vanished from Ascender¡¯s End last year. She either died as she should have 40 years ago, or she somehow got herself together. She''s probably out for revenge, just like you sweety, and wouldn''t mind adding a kingdom or two to her list." ¡°Thank you, Lady Ovalia,¡± Nilbog said, nodding. Her arrogance likely meant she was honest. He¡¯ll need to digest this later. ¡°Don¡¯t die before get to you.¡± He picked up his bag, the dagger that Shon disregarded, and walked out, expecting to have a sword rammed through his back at any second. ¡°Give it your best shot, nameless one,¡± Lady Ovalia said, waving. ¡°May you perish in agony as Jack has." 13 Zion waved forward one of his attendants. ¡°Sir Ron, go¡ª¡± ¡°Fetch me coffee,¡± Lady Ovalia finished. ¡°Cupcakes and brownie too, this non-sense depleted my sugar stocks.¡± ¡°Lady Ovalia, I don''t believe it is wise to do so." ¡°Of course, not you dipshit, but we can¡¯t do anything about it after I gave Iris that mouthful. Either that bastard is a dunce, or he got the biggest balls I¡¯ve ever seen. Ha! To taunt me in my face.¡± ¡°How do you think he is related to Jack?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest clue, old friend. All I can say is that he¡¯s unnatural, both in the aura he gives off and his looks. Abnormal, I tell you, how identical they look. We¡¯ll see more of him later." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.¡°Very well. What was your opinion of the Blind Mage? Can she be of use, or do kill her now, while she is unconscious?" ¡°Kill? That? Please. She gave me the same vibes that Sayrina The Marauder did, well before she became the 44th. I would rather not poke my butt in a bee¡¯s nest and find it to be a wasp." ¡°Lady, the 44th has perished by her brother''s hands. A Shade is not a Sentient being. No matter what might have happened, for her to be this Mage, a human, is impossible." Lady Ovalia shook her head. ¡°You''ve only read of it, Zion. You didn''t see how she fought, how she destroyed, how she killed. There have been tyrants that attempted to conquer the surface, that were powerful enough to fight nations on their own, yes, but out of the 44 Games that have occurred no one has truly succeeded. No one but her. She harvested this world''s resources for herself, and thus the world killed her before she made her wish." ¡°If that was true, then why are we still alive? It''s no secret that your father participated in the ambush." ¡°A limit,¡± Lady Ovalia said, locking arms with Zion as she walked out of the wrecked cafe. ¡°Pray that she has a limit. Pray that she''ll overlook this tiny land, and most of all, pray that I am wrong." 14 Scratching the side of his head, Nilbog kept surveying the city as he limped forward. Blood of all colors sprayed the overturned stone blocks. Some buildings were missing chunks of their walls¡ªsomething no normal Ghoul could do. Those that were outside fought something different, and from the looks of it, something much more powerful. The smell of corpses filled the air with the ravens and flies already feasting upon the never-ending pile of food. It wasn¡¯t the most pleasant scene Nilbog has seen. Find a Disaster. No problem. Nilbog didn¡¯t have any doubts about her information¡ªshe was too prideful to lie to someone as weak as him. There was just one issue with that, of course. Never mind convincing them to do his bidding, just how was he going to find one? Those things don¡¯t exactly lay around in the open. As far as he was aware Disastor''s were a rarity. The Games have just begun, and people will get stronger faster thanks to the experience boosters and skills, making them more common, but NIlbog wasn''t familiar with how fast. Plus, even if he did find one later, Lady Ovalia will probably have her own. It was now or never. At first, Nilbog thought the United Ranked guild would be the best option, but considering he had no evidence, he''ll probably get the same reaction he got everyone. You''re a lier. They are great people. It was sickening how well they got everyone fooled. Then again, I was no different until I saw them put that sword through Jack''s back. It was understandable that they doubted him. Iris was the second option. She seemed to have a trek of being used for one purpose or another, and Nilbog wasn¡¯t about to add his name to that list. It just felt wrong to take advantage of someone so clueless¡ªeven if he could that is. That being the most likely to succeed was relative to his other improbable options. Still, unlikely wasn¡¯t the same thing as impossible. He knew his options---now he needed to survive long enough to execute one of them. That should be his priority. Which brought him to the Games itself. If today was the First Phase, then when was the second? Things were not good. Not only his HP was low, but his STM wasn¡¯t doing well either. Endurance worked in two ways¡ªSTM and Overall STM. It takes STM to move in a short period of time, and those points were siphoned from his Overall STM bar. His body won¡¯t recover after that, as his STM leeches off it in a 1 to 1 ratio. Even though his STM was recovering at a decent rate, his muscles were still sore and his body still battered. He walked with a limp, putting most of his weight on his left side. It wasn''t a zero or nothing. The lower STM and HP bars went down, the worse Nilbog felt. His Shapeshifter skills negated the effects of organ damage, allowing him to fight at full capacity even at his last few HP, but being mentally fit was a whole different subject. He was stressed, anxious, and scared. Whenever that happened Nilbog noticed his decision became a bit more irrational. The city itself was in chaos. Most handled it in two distinct ways; there, near the entrance to a different store, Nilbog could see a group of men and women, as well as a few kids, huddle together as they left their dungeons. They were lead by fully equipped humans. Having armor and weapons made all the difference. Having an experienced group among them made things easier. The Phases called with levels, not Danger Tiers, which meant a low level but trained human would perform better than a higher level, but less trained human. It looked like the group was competent enough to protect everyone else as well. There were 4 Wolves and 1 Tiger. The Tiger, in particular, wore a full set. His armor was a smooth dark blue made of some type of turtle shell-like material. It covered every bit of skin, from his fingers to his shoulders, where it was curved up to protect the back of his neck. His helm had a single, half-moon slit to see through. It had to be Soul Equipment, otherwise, it would have been impossible to wear. All the pieces were welded together, leaving not a single conjunction. It was virtually waterproof from the neck down. It was slightly stretchable as well, something typical metal armor can¡¯t do. It must have been crafted from a high-ranking monster.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. That type of equipment did not drop on death, could be equipped in a few seconds, and took up residence inside a person¡¯s Soul in the allocated spot. A person could only have one Torso equipment stored inside. The difference between a full set and a mismatch of equipment was enormous. A typical full set could grant a variety of unique and powerful buffs when wearing the same kind for five spots¡ªHead, Torso, Arms, Legs, and Boots. They can only be crafted from the material of high ranked monsters, or be won from the most dangerous Phases or Missions. ¡°Citizens of Dlar!¡± he yelled, smashing the bottom of his shield on the ground. The half hundred people among the streets snapped from their daze. ¡°Do not panic! Once the Phase finishes, we will be taking action to protect everyone!¡± he yelled, his voice breaking at the end. He took a deep breath and started again, this time his voice a bit clearer. ¡°Follow us to Balk Square!¡± He said and marched on, stragglers joining him as he walked. Even as he crossed the block, Nilbog could still hear his bellows ring across the city. Nilbog did not join them. Maybe it was the smarter choice, as sometimes Phases occurred in closed-off spaces, scaling with the number of people bound together, but he did it mostly because he grew tired of human interaction. He wanted some alone time. His nose was ready to call it quits. Those people took too many showers, preventing the dirt from concealing their stench. As he walked through the streets aimlessly, Nilbog noticed how others reacted to The Game. They were the less fortunate who were looting the more fortunate stores in preparation for the next Phase. Nilbog noticed a slightly tall man enter a jewelry store that four others had already entered. After a racket, one of them crawled out. Seeing that convinced him to make haste. Thus, he limped with extra speed. He needed a small room to sleep in that could be easily defended. The alleyways, if not safe before, were not an option anymore. Losing so much HP in such a short time certainly hurt him, but he¡¯ll be fine as long as he could stay out of trouble for a day or two. By then, calm will return to the kingdom. He¡¯ll figure things out then.
The Second Phase Begins! Hue and cry, a riot astir, a revolt afoot! Patriotic citizens of Dlar, take up arms, for a civil war is nigh! The two royal factions battle over the throne. Pick your side, swear your allegiance, and ready your weapons.
Anima The Anima is the public administration of Dlar, consisting of traders and warriors. They pledge to train, protect, heal, and pay those that fight for Dlar. Military servitude is required. Non-combat citizens will be allocated to their respective professions. Faction Leader: Barlom, The Guardian Of Dlair. Animus The Animus is the royal bloodline of Dlar, consisting of nobles and Mages. They pledge the freedom to pursue your own goals. Faction Leader: Ovalia The Iron-Eyed
First Law The city will remain locked for the duration of the Phase. Second Law You possess one hidden contribution bar with the two factions on each end. The more you contribute towards a faction, the more difficult it will become to gain a positive rating with the other. Betraying your home faction will mark you in purple. Those that kill purples will earn additional rewards. Third Law You may gain experience for killing Sentients. Damage done to anything 30 levels lower than your own will not provide any rewards or experience. Instead of red, those will be shown in gray. Capturing grays will allocate rewards but at a reduced rate that decreases with the more grays you capture. This rule does not apply to those who turned Purple. Fourth Law The death or surrender of a faction leader will cause the immediate victory of the other faction. Fifth Law The Event will end if neither factions lose within a seven day period with, the victory going towards the faction that controls the most territory. Each member of the winning faction will receive a skill with the most powerful skills going to the highest contributors.
Ah, Nilbog stopped dead in his feet, his face crumpling. Of course. He was already haggard and beat. It would have been unreasonable if something didn¡¯t try to kill him for a day or two. 15 Nilbog resumed walking, ignoring the prompt for a few moments. If the first Phase gave an advantage to those with battle-oriented builds, then this one relied on how resourceful you were¡ªboth in a tactical and resource way. Those that could rejuvenate their resources at an expedited rate could fight more. HP and STM weren¡¯t the only resources¡ªMana and Life Force were the most common ones, though there were others Nilbog was not specifically aware of. Whatever someone needed to use their skills, really. Someone that only focused on fighting and did not bother cultivating skills that restored these resources would be at the disadvantage here. Like Nilbog, who had little skills in the first place. Currently, both factions sought to recruit the population into their ranks. They enticed people with pledges, which were basically contracts backed by the Game. The Anima pledged more, but their pledges were exactly what Nilbog wanted to avoid. Battle is what he sought to escape from. Enlisting in the army and being sent from one death Mission under the command of his targets was the opposite of what he wanted. On the plus side, it didn¡¯t matter to Nilbog. There is only so much a person locked at level 20 could do. With each Phase, the vast increase to experience gain will cause everyone to power up much faster than him. Fighting was just pointless. The Anima, while their victory was not preferable, would have the most numbers considering the ¡°perks¡± they offered. He just had to count on people being dumb enough to fall for it, and from his limited time in civilization, Nilbog was confident they would not disappoint.
You have chosen the Anima! You have become a soldier of the people!
Your faction is currently in control of the Third District while fighting for control of the Second District. You have little control in the First District. To increase your contribution bar, you may: 1. Battle Ovalia The Iron-Eyed. 2. Battle Animus followers.
He left the shopping district, escaping what he hoped would be an influx of people seeking plunder. He needed to stray away from any contested areas. The city was split into Districts. There was the Third, Second, and First District. Each subsequent District was smaller than the last, separated by heavily garrisoned bridges. That left the First District, the smallest and the center of the kingdom, to be the safest from any outside threat. It was probably where the wealthiest lived. For Nilbog the Third District was the safest. He would have gone there if he could, but he got to the Second District through a bridge. If Nilbog''s hunch is correct, then they probably either Anima or Animus controlled by this point. They¡¯ll draft him into their service and will probably imprison or kill him if he refused. He was getting the hang of their behavior¡ªfalling for that one would have been silly. He just had to find a corner to pass the storm in. As he stuck to the sides and alleyways, Nilbog spotted a couple of groups moving together with an animated, blazing blue t-shaped helmet over their heads--the Anima symbol.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. They had swords, spears, daggers, maces, and bows. It was unlikely that they spontaneously decided to travel together with a perfect set-up. They looked like the sort that trained together for The Games, having already gathered a party well before it even began. They were all Cubs, however. Ordinary people with common weapons that spent their lives making a living than training. How would they even compete with rankers? While the experience and skill gain was significantly lower in the Pre-Game, rankers that had twenty years to grind would have built an advantage that would only grow further with the beginning of The Game. Nilbog gave those playing-believers a wide breath, sticking to the sides and alleyways whenever he could. The only thing people like them could do well was craftsmen jobs, not fighting. This knowledge was so basic even Nilbog knew it. He received a few sour glances for it, but the few contributions points he might have received for it was not worth the risk. He did not want to be drafted. Besides, they stunk. A boom made Nilbog jump to the side in an attempt to climb the walls. When he realized he wasn''t in the forest anymore he looked up to the source. Chunks of rocks, flames, blue beams, lighting, and tornadoes light up the dark skies. The scene fit the definition of "fireworks." Mages used Kinetic Energy to fly, causing the sky to become a heavily contested field. Those who didn''t dodge the other side''s projectiles bombarded the ground under them. With a big nope, Nilbog altered his course. He quickly made his way from one building to the other, making sure to always remain under cover. Fortunately, his sense of direction did not fail him this time. He found giant, identically proportioned rectangular structures of stone-lined side by side. He went into the second one he found. Its door was broken, which hopefully meant it was already looted for anything of worth. He peeked around the corner, glad to see signs of battle. It was unlikely that a place would be looted twice. Finding no one, Nilbog walked in. He bent down, touching the dark and purple blood on the floor with his fingertips. Sticky but cold. Considering the time of day, most of these apartments were filled when the Game began. Each building probably became a dungeon. Those that stayed were mostly injured Anima followers, but the chance of Animus rogue groups praying on them was always present. The point value for the injured would be reduced, but a kill was a kill. With that in mind, Nilbog tenderly stood up, wincing as his thighs burned. He walked past the corridors, glancing into the open and broken doors. He stayed away from the closed ones. He spied a few clean beds that his legs cried for, but he resisted the urge. The second floor seemed safer. Not the first, where if anything bad happens he¡¯ll have little time to react, and not the third or above, were he wouldn¡¯t be able to jump off in-case things got really bad. The biggest issue was that there was only one staircase, and it was all the way on the other side of the building. He heard movement around him, but none of it seemed threatening. He did see a few people with tagged Anima icon. He nodded towards them, seeing them to be as badly injured as he was, but otherwise retained his space. Half-way through, the line of rooms stopped, and instead, a large dining hall filled with people stretched out. ¡°Hey kid," an old man called to him from the side. He was a small, hunched Cub with a sword at his side. Nilbog¡¯s hands reached closer to his daggers, hidden in the pocket of his coat. His opponent was a Cub, the lowest rank, but that did not mean he was harmless. ¡°Easy there,¡± the man said, stepping back, putting a hand up. He smiled, too, raising his eyebrows in feigned surprise. What could a kid like you do against me? He almost seemed to say. Two people being Cubs did not mean they were equal. Significant differences can still exist, especially between those that just became a Cub, and those that were just about to become a Wolf. ¡°Animus scum still roam these rooms, trying to kill the injured,¡± he said, nodding to a group of bodies in one of the rooms. Behind him, the old, young, and the injured were huddled around the room. A few of them went around bandaging and feeding those unable to eat on their own. They had weapons of various kinds, some brooms from sticks, and others chipped swords and spears. ¡°If you would like, you can join us,¡± he said. ¡°We have food and healers. It¡¯s safer in numbers." Nilbog shook his head. The man shrugged and walked back to his group. ¡°He didn¡¯t wanna,¡± he said to one of the older ladies ¡°What?¡± she said, putting down her pot. She quickly glanced from Nilbog to the man. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look old enough for me. Tell him we have food.¡± ¡°If he don¡¯t wanna then he don¡¯t wanna,¡± the old man replied as Nilbog walked up the staircase. They didn¡¯t seem like bad people, but big groups made for large targets. Whatever they could do, he could do, and without the reliability or risk that came to being with humans, or having to deal with their hideous presence. Just being near them made his skin crawl. The railing broke off, a few steps missing large chunks of concrete. Gritting his teeth, Nilbog began to climb the stairs, taking one at a time. It was good that monster¡¯s corpses disappeared after a while, otherwise this entire place would have been smelling purple. After a quick peek, Nilbog entered the hallway. Its layout was identical to the one below him. He walked down the hall, taking a left turn at the end. The further he went the safer it was. A woman''s scream resounded in one of the rooms he was about to pass. No, Nil, no. We¡¯ve done this many times, and none of them turned out well. Keep walking. I have no business opening other people¡¯s doors. He lasted a whole three seconds before but he peeked through the ajar door. 16 There were three men surrounding a bed, the Animus icon floating above their heads. Purple. Two of them seemed in their 30s, with the last being in his twenties. All three were Cubs. If they were that old with only that Danger Rank, then it was likely they didn¡¯t have anything special. They were burly, with wide shoulders and straight backs. A woman laid on the bed, her arms wrapped around her. She seemed like a noble, with a tightly worn blue dress that split at the chest, revealing a large gem resting in between her breasts. Her shoulders were covered with golden ornaments that went stretched behind her head, holding her a dark bun of hair. The dress slit off when it reached her hips, making Nilbog unsure of whether it was fashion or an attack cut that made such a large opening in her clothing. Her mascara was smudged below her eyes, almost like a few tear marks, but it had the smoothness of a tattoo rather than makeup. Her eyes were bright, almost neon-like green. The fear on her face was seemed¡­comical, to a degree. More importantly, however, a red circlet glowed above her head. Animus. Her Danger Rank was supposed to be next to the circlet, but instead there were only three question marks. Nilbog stepped back. It was a trap--it must have been. A defensiveness Animus follower roaming Anima controlled territory with her Danger Rank hidden? Ridiculous. He turned his back, taking a step away, but paused momentarily. What if those were her guards, and they betrayed her? What if she was unfortunate enough to get caught? Not everyone who hid their Danger Rank was secretly strong--some did it for safety, to scare off hostiles. They were purple, making them worth even more than normal Animus followers to take down. It would give him a large number of points to buy something decent with, but to fight three men, in his condition? Nilbog shook the thought off. The risk was too large. There were too many unknown variables. Even if she was just a normal person, she was the enemy. Even if he did try to save her, for whatever reason, the chance of success was too low. They were distracted, letting Nilbog getting the first strike in, possibly killing one of them, but by then the rest will have enough time to cast their Life Force Armor. Two had axes while the third had a spear. Best case scenario, two versus one in such a closed area was a death sentence for him. His high Speed meant little if there was no place to maneuver. That lady didn¡¯t appear to have any weapons either, so he wouldn¡¯t know if he can count on her. If she really was just a poor girl, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to help. If this was a trap, and her Disguise skill hid the fact that she was a Wolf or higher, then he would have foolishly wandered into her arms. If he got himself involved in every single fight, Nilbog would never see the light of day. Every rational thought pointed him towards the other way. Besides, she was a human, too. She has probably also committed her own fair of atrocities. Let them equal each other out. Sighing, Nilbog walked into the next room. He dropped his warm, but the cumbersome coat on the ground, laid his pile of food next to it, and took off his boots. He rubbed his soles, the calluses growing a red and purple puddle under his skin. After a deep breath, he returned to the room. He crept forward, creaking the door inch by inch, his daggers reader in both hands. Killing wasn¡¯t always required them to receive contribution points. Stab one, throw the one dagger at the second at the second, and then book it. This was an investment for the future. It would make his life easier then The risk was low that way, and at least he gave her a fighting chance, whatever it turned out. He had a personal vendate against those that betray others¡ªThe Game did, too, otherwise, it wouldn''t have made them such rewarding targets. It was the only reason he was doing this. Fortunately, the three men were too distracted to notice Nilbog tip-toeing in, and the woman herself did not unwittingly alarm them to his presence. Nilbog crept directly behind the man in front of the bed, hiding in his shadow. He took each step as quietly as he could. ¡°I think its time to pay us our free, Lady Viss," one in the center said. ¡°I believe we agreed to a silver a day for each of you,¡± she replied, looking out the window on her side. ¡°I don''t believe the day is over." ¡°You don''t get it, do you?¡± he said, spitting to the side. ¡°Spoiled brats like you, stuffing themselves as we starve. Then when the monsters come they finally decide to pay us somethin'' for slaving away." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Reeeeeeeeally?¡± she replied, slowly, placing one hand over her lips. ¡°This rather sounds like jealousy rather than justice, purple doofus. Trying to wash away the guilt before you commit a wicked crime? This wench got it coming to her, I ain¡¯t no bad man, harm no good lady?¡± she said, raising the pitch of her voice. Why would she provoke them! Her personality made Nilbog question what he was doing. He didn¡¯t disagree with her, but Nilbog wasn''t in position yet. He needed a few more steps before he would be in range. ¡°We would have just killed you if you gave us your Inventory Ring¡± he said, stepping towards her. ¡°But it looks like we''ll have to chop your toes until you unequip it for us." The two men at the side jumped forward, both swinging their weapons. Stab this one with both knives and then boot it. Nilbog stepped forward as well, his two daggers prepared to strike at the neck. It was too late to back off now. "4th Rank Life Force Charm Gush," she said. In mid-air, everyone froze in their spot.
Lady Viss: ???>Wolf
A pink Life Force wave resonated from Lady Viss, striking all of them still. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lady Viss said, glancing at them. ¡°You look like you were struck by a Charm skill! Don¡¯t tell me you''ve let your guard down. Only spoiled brats do that, you know.¡± ¡°Y-Y-Yo...B-B-¡± ¡°Yo? Yo?! How dare you address me with such boyish honorifics, young man!¡± Lady Viss said, clicking her tongue. One of her rings on her left hand began to shine. White particles gathered in front of it, transforming into a dagger. The hilt of the crystal was made entirely out of yellow crystal. ¡°Considering you attacked, and insulted me, I really don¡¯t mind if I defend myself,¡± she said, whistling. She reached over to the man on the side, held his cheeks with one hand, and split open half his neck with the other. Muted sounds came struggled out of his throat. Blood began to drop in buckets, but the man did not budge an inch. Before the blood touched the ground it turned into a yellow fog that flew towards Lady Viss, the hilt of her dagger, and body. She sighed, letting her shoulders drop as her skin glowed. ¡°I expanded a lot of Life Force in the First Phase, you see,¡± she said, crawling to the man on the other side. His eyes followed her, and though he couldn¡¯t move a limb his face still crumbled. Sweat began to drop down his brows as he shivered. ¡°P-P-P,¡± his mouth finally opened, but all he could utter was one letter. ¡°Pee? You want to pee?¡± She shook her head as the dagger made the cut. She shook in place as the yellow fog was absorbed into her. ¡°Not bad. A man¡¯s terrified Life Force, while not my favorite, mind you, does occasionally suit the mood." She got off the bed this time, dusting off her clothes. A large grin appeared on her face as she walked towards the last one in front of Nilbog. She placed one hand over his cheeks. ¡°Ah, the big mouth. You see, I usually send my last victim fan off with a kiss, maybe an extra treat,¡± she whispered, pressing a hand against his cheek, ¡°but even monsters have their standards, sadly.¡± This time, Nibog heard the dagger making the cut. It made him glad that he could not see the expression on his face. All three men died on their feet. , and not even one of them dropped. Even in death, their muscles refused to budge from their position. ¡°Yum. Aroused Surprised terror. Now this is favorite!¡± She walked past, humming pleasantly, but then paused when she noticed Nilbog. ¡°Oh right, you were caught in the skill radius, weren¡¯t you?¡± she said, raising an eyebrow, and then looked down on her now bright red dress. Blood dripped down her neck and dress, making the smell of iron heavy in the air. Nilbog stood was frozen, beads of sweat going down his eyebrows. She was much, much stronger than he took her for. Having guessed this might happen did not make Nilbog feel any better. ¡°I do apologize for the fright,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t hunt little ones, and considering you haven¡¯t attacked me, I would sure get a penalty for killing you, so...um...really sorry you had to see that." She ruffled his hair, smiling. ¡°How very courageous of you, however, to try to save a maiden in distress. As a reward for your heroic efforts, you may loot whatever worthless valuables they had,¡± she said, and then walked past. ¡°The charm should end in a minute or two, depending on-¡± Her knees gave out. She dropped to the floor as her upper body fell backward, the back of her head hitting Nilbog¡¯s chest. His hand pushed up her chin while the other pressed the knife dagger tightly against her neck. ¡°Oh my,¡± she said, eyes widening. ¡°You can move.¡± Just barely. The fear had his muscles moving like stiff rocks. After a pause, Lady Viss¡¯s smile returned. ¡°Game Born,¡± she said, her lips spreading further and further. ¡°Sometimes we call you Dungeon born, but most of us natural monsters call you Game Born.¡± 17 Nilbog nearly fumbled the daggers out of his fingers in his fright. This was the first time someone noticed he was a monster, much less that type. He figured there would be a difference between him and normal monsters, but Nilbog didn''t think anyone would find out. ¡°Most fascinating! This is the second time this happened, if you would believe me. Charm Gush does not work on things, you see, if you would forgive my noun usage. How did you escape your Dungeon?¡± Nilbog didn''t respond this time either. He thought it was Sentient Killer''s mental defensive bonus that protected him--one of the buffs vastly improved his mental strength. Then again, none of that activated. That only meant one thing¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a Sentient. ¡°Ah, even so,¡± she said, nodding even with the knife against her neck. It made a thin cut. The blood that dripped was dark blue. ¡°Just a Cub? I can''t think of any monster with a skill that could fool me at that rank. An unknown skill, then. Unfortunate, though fitting.¡± She closed her eyes. Her smile did not waver. ¡°You¡¯re using a Disguise skill.¡± Nilbog said, swallowing. He did his best to stop his hands from shaking. ¡°Mhm,¡± she said, shaking her head. Another line of blood began to drip down her chest. She must have been a glass-cannon if her Armor was that low. ¡°You gonna eat, or are you just gonna stare?¡± The incentive to do it was real. The stronger monsters that monsters ate the quicker they evolved. Their evolution tree was locked to what monster race they were born as, but they could still be influenced by the quality of their kills. A wolf that ate goblins will not become a goblin, but it might become a Gnoll. Shapeshifters were the only exception Nilbog knew of. That was the extent of his knowledge on this topic. ¡°Not appetizing enough,¡± Nilbog said, and moved his knife back. He let go of her chin and stepped away, causing Lady Viss¡¯s eyes to widen even further. She leaned backward until her back touched her feet. ¡°Oh my! Surprised. Twice. In the same day!¡± she said, flipping herself onto her stomach. She placed her chin on her hands with her elbows propped against the ground. Swinging her feet behind her, she stared intently at Nilbog. ¡°What?¡± he said, falling back onto the bed. ¡°The rewards for killing me are quite high, you know.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said, avoiding her eyes. ¡°Out with the juicy stuff! Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t eat monsters,¡± Nilbog replied after a pause. The instincts to devour was unrelenting, but so far, it has been absent as he spoke her. It wasn¡¯t a joke¡ªshe really didn¡¯t smell appetizing. ¡°I¡¯m a fairy, excuse you. This body will revert to my original, much more gorgeous, and glittery form when I meet death, or worse, run out of Life Force. Significant damage will also do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t eat fairies, then,¡± Nilbog said, whistling, though it didn¡¯t feel as cool as when she had done it. ¡°How heroic and kind of you,¡± she said in monotone. ¡°No really, why? Tell or I¡¯ll eat you.¡± ¡°Eh. Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously,¡± she said, and Nilbog felt like she was serious. It was hard to read her, and she didn¡¯t seem any type of moral code high on her list of priorities. Nilbog looked at the shriveled men around him, still frozen in their last sequence. ¡°I hate humans, obviously. You did me a favor by-¡± ¡°Second, and last chance,¡± she said, standing up. A wave of Life Force emitted from her, sending all three corpses flying against the wall. They didn¡¯t crumble into dust, as Nilbog thought would happen, but they did collapse into a gray heap of bones and skin. It looked bad enough that even Nilbog felt pity for them. Monsters are not so different, I guess. Did every living thing treat one another like this? Nilbog sighed, already feeling the embarrassment filling his cheeks with warmth. He scratched the side of his head, unsure of the answer himself. ¡°All I''ve done the past few months was run or fight, from both Sentients and other monsters, and I just thought I could just...talk to you." ¡°Oh my,¡± she said, placing her hand over her lips. ¡°That is the cutest thing I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± She bent towards Nilbog, bringing her eyes level with him. Her marry face flattened into a frown. ¡°You have played human for far too long. Loneliness comes second to eating, dear.¡± Too long? He just became human. ¡°Why eat when I can just use you, though?¡± Nilbog said, returning a treacherous smile of his own. Besides, you would have killed me. He was a fairy before he changed into a Shapeshifter. The head or upper chest didn¡¯t matter too much¡ªbehind the belly button was their weak spot. In fact, she didn¡¯t even need the head. Fairies were more liquid than flesh and bone. As long as she stops the bleeding, then losing limbs and organs wouldn¡¯t deal a fatal blow. ¡°Pfft, let¡¯s be friends!¡± she said, and wrapping herself around Nilbog in a heavy fit of chuckles. She pressed Nilbog against her. "We¡¯ll conquer the world together!¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I think you''re skipping a few steps,¡± Nilbog said, struggling fruitlessly. What is this attack? He didn¡¯t think she¡¯ll attempt to crush him. Her words and actions did not match. But Friends. Was that what he wanted from her? Nilbog only had one purpose to fulfill. Was he even allowed to have friends? Lady Viss stepped back, placing her hands on his cheeks as she studied his face. "Show me your Disguise skill! It''s impeccable, from the smell down to the bone, there is not a single fault.¡± ¡°I would rather not,¡± he said, twisting his head out of her grasps. He didn¡¯t want people to make a habit out of playing with his face. Not that she cared. Lady Viss stared intently at him, her purple iris turning bright yellow. ¡°Nice,¡± she said, folding her arms as she looked him up and down. She circled twice and was distasteful enough to slap his behind both times. ¡°Most Disguise skills create a false shell. Decent ones go as far as altering the surface, but in all cases a powerful Scout skill will see through it. The Life Force flow of Sentient races is not easily replicated by monsters.¡± She reached over, pressing her hands around his biceps. ¡°But yours? This is no illusion. Every molecule seems to come from humans. That¡¯s terribly inefficient, unless your skill stores rather than transform the organic matter. But where is your actual body? This one is incomplete. Your Life Force Source is not fully built, and I don¡¯t sense a cultivated Mana Source in there either.¡± ¡°Not telling,¡± he replied. So that¡¯s why I can¡¯t use Life Force. He didn¡¯t fully understand, but he got the gist. This body¡¯s status as an incomplete husk went further than the experience reduction. Fixing that was going to be a real problem. ¡°What¡¯s the skill?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Race?¡± ¡°Na-uh.¡± ¡°I told you mine!¡± she said, pouting her cheeks. ¡°How unfair of you.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Try me,¡± she said, folding her arms. ¡°I¡¯m a monster in human flesh,¡± Nilbog said, shrugging. Lady Viss laughed until tears fell down her cheeks. She fell back on the bed, holding her stomach tenderly. Then, without warning, she leaped out of the bed and leaned in uncomfortably close, looking left and right. ¡°Wanna see my real form?¡± she whispered, a nervous smile spreading. Nilbog did, but he shook his head. "I want to, but I really can''t show you mines. It''s unfair to you." He didn''t have a real form. This wasn''t a disguise--Nilbog''s real form was the body he had on. ¡°Bummer,¡± she said, and Nilbog felt like she meant it. She was the first monster he ever spoke too¡ªall the other ones he met tried to eat him. It might have been the same for her. ¡°What can I do to help you out?¡± Nilbog frowned at that. ¡°I don¡¯t want-¡± ¡°Oh stop it, it¡¯s not about that. It¡¯s my duty as a senior Sentient consumer to pass on my skills to my juniors,¡± she said, placing one hand over her chest and raising her chin. It made Nilbog scratch his own chin. He would have to find something to remove the hair with, otherwise, the itch will drive him insane. ¡°I just need information,¡± Nilbog he said quietly, though Lady Viss instantly brightened up. She quickly shook her head, prodding him on. ¡°Will I be unable to use Life Force if can¡¯t fix my body?¡± Lady Viss flinched. ¡°Interesting, you sound like you have a choice in the matter,¡± she whispered under her breath, then looked back to him. ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated. For most creatures, the heart is where the Soul resides,¡± she said, placing her hand over her chest. ¡°Setting aside Mana, Life Force travel through a couple of those veins that are connected to the heart.¡± ¡°And I can¡¯t use Life Force because I¡¯m missing those?¡± ¡°Considering you''re still alive, I would say got the normal veins down, but I can¡¯t see any veins brighten up with Life Force. I mean, it¡¯s not impossible, but it¡¯s like comparing water dripping out of a tiny straw to a waterfall. On the other hand, you can defend against mental attacks better than most. There are fewer ways to get into your Soul. Did that ever happen to you?¡± ¡°No¡­Actually, yes. My Life Force didn¡¯t activate on their first attack, though. It was only when I was desperate that it did.¡± ¡°Life Force, and especially Mana, are all a matter of imagination and desire. Imagine how you want the skill to manifest, and desire for it to do so, and you¡¯ll have the skill.¡± An explosion resounded in the distance, closer than the last ones. Lady Viss perked up. "I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help, and I wish I can stay,¡± she said, and this time looked towards a different side of the room, ¡°but I need to leave soon. My loot is flying away.¡± Nilbog followed her sight, but all he saw, unsurprisingly, were spider webs in the corner. He looked back at her, feeling more nervous by the second. It was the same feeling he had when he was in a fight, except here he was just searching for the right words. He knew what he wanted to ask for, but he didn''t know how. "Aw, your blushing," Lady Viss said. She placed her hand over his cheek, but instead of pulling she just...held it. It felt nice, but he could feel his head turning hot. "Friends," Nilbog said, looking down. He was horrified. What if she was just kidding? What if he was just being an inconvenience to her? He knew he was weak. He couldn''t offer her anything. "Friends? Do you accept my proposal?" she said. Nilbog nodded. "If it''s alright with you. I mean, I don''t need anything, and you don''t have to pro--" "My name is Lady Viss," she said, taking a step back. She bowed forward, placed one leg in front of the other, and raised her skirt likely. "What''s your name, friend?" she asked, raising her head towards him with a smile. Nilbog liked the way her "smile" looked. Smiles were scary and confusing on others, but for it only made Lady Viss look friendly. She looked so happy with it. "I''m Nilbog," he responded. He took step back like her, bowed, and placed one leg over the other. He didn''t have a skirt on, so he just pulled on his pants. Lady Viss fell into laughter. She dropped to her knees and held onto her stomach as if she was in pain. Nilbog reached for her, confused again. Was she hurt? Was she happy? "I''m sorry, oh god, oh god. You were acting so mature I forgot you only had what knowledge The Game gave you," she said, wiping more tears. "Sometimes it can lead to amazing misunderstandings." But tears are supposed to fall when someone is sad. Was it even Nilbog''s fault at this point? She reached over left finger again. After a short channel a small, pebble-sized gray gem was attached to a silver chain. Lady Viss held it in her palm. "3rd Rank Life Force Infusion," she whispered. Almost immediately Life Force gathered in her hands in visible concentrations, creating a small flash. Once the Life Force disappeared the gray gem had turned into a bright yellow. Lady Viss placed the necklace on Nilbog''s neck. "A screen will ask you whether you want to Soul-Bind this item. Go ahead and do it."
Rare Topaz Necklace Equipment Type: Necklace Equipment Star Level: ¡ï¡ï¡ï Any Life Force inserted into the gem will boost the regeneration power of its holder¡¯s HP, STM, and Life Force by 20%. The stone has a high affinity with Life Force, naturally replenishing itself from its surroundings. Lady Viss has infused her Life Force with the crystal. Life Force: 100/100
Do you wish to Soul-Bind Rare Topaz Necklace? Y/N
"But this is so valuable," Nilbog said, guilt welting up. "Weren''t you low on Life Force, too?" "Oh this is nothing. I wish could give you more, but my inventory ring doesn''t have anything but gems. I used up all my potions in the last phase." "I...I can''t accept this." He couldn''t even return it if he Soul-Bound it. Soul-Bound items never drop. If he binds a different necklace than Lady Viss''s necklace would just disappear. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for friends," Lady Viss said. She stopped smiling, making Nilbog feel even worse. "And sometimes, you have to accept your friend''s sacrifices." "But this isn''t a fair friendship. I don''t have anything to sacrifice. I might die before I even pay back the favor!" Lady Viss smiled. "You said it yourself, Nilbog. It''s hard to find friends, so I want to keep you alive. Once you are all-powerful and handsome, then I''ll depend on you. Alright?" Nilbog clenched his teeth. She didn''t know he would never grow stronger. "Don''t pout!" she said, flicking his forehead. "We''ll talk for hours once I get back, so stay around here, alright? The necklace will help me find you, just in case something happens. Soul-Bind it so nobody takes it." Nilbog didn''t want to answer, though the intent look Lady Viss gave him forced him to. He reached forward and clicked the accept button.
Rare Topaz Necklace has been bound to you. Binding a different item in the Necklace spot will cause Rare Topaz Necklace to disappear.
"Alrighty," she said, standing up. She dusted her coat, though the blood still stayed. "Anything else before I bolt out of here?" "Uh, yeah." It was a long shot, but he still had to try. "Do you know any Disasters for hire?" 18 Nilbog rested his back against the wall in the corner of the gloomy room. He could not sleep on the bed, its soft cushions a foreign oddity to his back. The ground was hard and cold but felt more comforting than the exposed bed. The door was to his right, leaving him in its blind spot. It felt safe. After he finished talking with Lady Viss, he had made his way into one of the more far off locations on this floor, though activity still echoed around him. The streets were abuzz with combat. He looked at his hands, the skin on his palms peeling horribly. The back of his right shoulder pulsed with pain, and a small piece of flesh on the side of his stomach was missing. It burned badly. All in all, Nilbog was in a fine condition. His Status Effects screen did not show any injuries, meaning with the recovery of his HP his body will heal naturally. Sleep, if he''s cunning enough to catch any tonight, will apply a Rest bonus, increasing his body¡¯s base regeneration by 50%. His base regeneration was his Constitution over the duration of an hour. He had Constitution of 13, with half of that being roughly 6.5. So in total, I would have... somewhere around 24 HP per hour, when he added all of his other regens. The necklace Lady Viss forcibly placed on him also helped. The gem was an orange-yellow pebble in the shape of a tear connected to a thin silver chain. It rested deep within the heavy layers of his clothes, its coolness a comfort. He Soul-Bound it when he received it. It allowed him to equip and unequip it in seconds, letting him hide it in case he gets captured. Got to prove myself to her, I guess. That wasn¡¯t too surprising. Currently, he had a more imposing problem--what skills was he going to get with his 50 points.
General Stats & Parameters
Level 20 Strength 8 (8)
Species Shapeshifter Agility 17 (17)
Class Sentient Killer Endurance 14 (14)
Profession None Constitution 13 (13)
Age 1 Soul 12 (12)
HP 61/130(20.8/Hour) Life Force 93/120 (1.52/Minute)
STM 21/140 (+2.24/Second) Mana N/A
Overall STM 343/700 (+392/Day) Danger Rank Cub
Skills
Soul Siphon (Racial Skill) Shaper (Racial Skill) Shifter (Racial Skill) Sentient Killer (Class Epic) Lethal Strike (Class Epic) Murderous Lolie (Unique) Seventh Sense (Monster Unique)
Seventh Sense (Monster Unique) Skill Slot: Extra Sense
Your body has learned to react before your Soul. This skill scales with the rank of your Internal Life Force.
Murderous Lolie (Unique) Skill Slot: Reward Modifier
The reward boost to killing enemies higher level than you is increased by 50%. The penalty for killing enemies lower level than you are increased by 50%. In addition, each Danger Rank you have on your opponent will decrease the rewards by 20%, while each Danger Rank your opponent has on you will increase the rewards by 20%. The drop rate of unique, blessed, and cursed rarities is increased by 30%. You are not allowed to opt-out of the Games while you possess this skill. Having been proven victorious against unthinkable odds at such a young age, your future is sworn to be littered with conflict.
From the basic information Nilbog was born with, The Pre-Game was a period that lasted around half a century, give or take. There were no Phases, but people could still gain experience and attempt Dungeons. There was nothing beyond that, however. No one could buy skills, and the experience gain was significantly lower. Plus, only the basic skills were learnable, with the higher rarities needing an absurd amount of training. Only people that dedicated their lives to growing stronger could become powerful during the Pre-Game.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. There were also people like Lady Ovalia, a survivor of the previous Game. The Game automatically transfers the victories to the ¡°Abyss,¡± a place that Nilbog knew nothing about, but some with special skills are allowed to stay. The skills and limitations of that were something Nilbog did not know either. What he did now, was that things were just going to keep getting harder. You can run away from people and monsters, but you can¡¯t run away from the Phases. Rooms would become Dungeons and entire cities would be locked, if he wasn¡¯t straight out transferred into another dimension. There was no way about it--he had to prepare himself for battle. The issue, of course, was always his Shapeshifter race.
Shapeshifter (A-Rank Race)
Your sole goal remains to be the death of all Sentient life, but as a monster hybrid you have gained the unique ability to participate in the Game as a Sentient rather than a monster. All critical modifiers to your Husk¡¯s vulnerabilities are removed. Damage to your Heart, however, will cause significant damage. You will not be able to use your Shapeshifting skills to recover damage done to it.

Siphon Soul (Racial Skill)

You are now able to Siphon Souls. Souls will reside in corpses for up to 24 hours. You may only Siphon Soul creatures with a higher rank than you if you played a major role in their death. Siphon Soul will allow you to either store or use it to heal. Healing Power Per Heart: 25% of your MAX HP. Healing Uses: 4/4 (5/Hour)
Shaper (Racial Skill)
You can create Husks though the use of Souls. You will gain the race¡¯s Racial Skills, but you will not be able to change your stats. You may only medium-sized husks. To create a Husk, you must use 5 Souls belonging to the race of the Husk you chose. You may create specific Husk by only using its Soul, but you will not be to gain EXP or its Racial skills until you fulfill its Soul requirements. You can store 1 Husk(s). Stored Souls: 0/5
Shifter (Racial Skill)
You may use your stored Souls of equal Rank to your current Husk to either Heal or Morph. Healing Power Per Soul: 25% of your MAX HP. Healing Uses: 4/4 (5/hour) Morph: You may alter your Husk with parts of different creatures. To gain a part of a race you must use a Soul belonging to it. You may close wounds through this method, but you will not be able to regain HP. Morph Uses: 4/4 (5/hour)
Without fixing his body, Nilbog will never get experience. To do that, he needed to Soul Siphon 4 more humans. It didn¡¯t matter if there were corpses¡ª It wasn¡¯t just about killing Sentients. He could Shapeshift into a different monster, if he wanted. All he needed was to Soul Siphon five corpses and to create the ¡°Husk.¡± The issue was the Shapeshifter¡¯s powers itself. The way he got it, and what it does and what it meant, it was everything Nilbog was taught against. Justice would be meaningless if he used such a corrupt power. Setting that hopeless issue aside, Nilbog next opened dreadful class, as the issue went hand in hand. A large screen opened in front of him. At the bottom was the Sentient Killer title, connected to three separate paths.
Sentient Killer (Class Epic) Type: Sentient Killer Passive
Where others cower as Sentients wreak havoc upon the world, the Sentient Killer is a hyper-specialized monster class solely dedicated to wiping them off the map. All Sentient Killer skills will activate as one skill in combat unless it is an activation skill, or unless stated otherwise. Any effects which target Sentient Killer will target all the skills connected to it. Facing Sentients a Danger Rank below you will reduce Sentient Killer¡¯s effects 25%, while facing a Sentient one Danger Rank above you will increase Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%. This bonus caps out at 50%.
Lethal Strike (Class Epic) Type: Sentient Killer Passive/Active
You have an extra 25% Armor and Shield Penetration against Sentients. Any type of damage you directly cause will be unhealable for two seconds, after which it will have 50% healing reduction for 10 seconds. Charge your weapons with a bright red aura for two seconds to use the skill¡¯s active effects. For one attack, your weapons will gain triple the Armor and Shield Penetration, Crowd-Control immunity, and damage done by Lethal Strike will be unheable for a minute. The active effects of Lethal Strike will go on a 30-minute cooldown upon usage.
Enforcer¡¯s Beliefs Type: Sentient Killer Passive
Gain 50% Soul Defense. Gain 25% to all Parameters. Gain 20% Damage Reduction.
Hunter¡¯s Sight Type: Sentient Killer Passive
The power of all unlocked senses is increased by 40%. Crowd-Control effects on you are reduced by 30%. The power of debuffs on you is decreased by 20%.
It was by no means poor; in fact, it was quite an amazing class. The buffs it offered were astronomical, with an offensive, defensive, and utility branch. Enforcer¡¯s Belief was useful in every situation, Lethal Strike guaranteed major damage if he could connect with it, and Hunter¡¯s Sight kept his guard up and reduced effects such as stuns, slows, blinds, roots, and whatever else tried to immobilize him. Debuffs were also weaker on him. He was like a mini-boss when fighting Sentients. The only issue was that he wasn¡¯t a psychopath. Going around murdering people for no good reason wasn¡¯t something he was planning on doing. He didn¡¯t know how Sentient¡¯s gained their classes, but as a monster he had no choice. He had it ever since he became a Shapeshifter, and he didn¡¯t know if he could even change it. Should have asked Lady Viss about it. He could hardly ask anyone about this sort of thing. He motioned over the blue reticle, opening the Shop. Other than the settings blinker, which had a cog turning, and held simple settings such as the way tables showed information and his notification preferences, the Shop was the last button open to him. After he pressed it, another screen opened. The only available option was the Skill Acquisition tab. Four separate options were available once he pressed that.
General Class Life Force Mana
Nilbog started with the easy ones. The Mana button was grayed out, and there was only a single available skill in the Life Force category.
(Uncommon) 1st Rank All Or Nothing Life Defense Type: Soul Defense Active Cost: 15 Add-on Cost: 5 points
Use all your Life Force to defend against Soul attacks. Each 10 Life Force will provide 1 Soul Defense. If more Life Force is required to defend against the attack than what you have, then you will die of Life Force deprivation. (Owned) Add-on: For each Danger Rank your opponent has on you, your Soul Defense will increase by 25%. (Unowned) Add-on: You may spend HP instead of Life Force. For each 5 HP, you will gain 1 Soul Defense. (Unowned) Add-on: You may spend STM instead of Life Force. For each 10 STM, you will gain 1 Soul Defense.
Nilbog has never used Life Force before. Today was the first time, and it was by blind luck. Surprisingly, it came with an Add-on. Usually, he needed to buy Add-on for skills, but sometimes they come bundled depending on how the skill was unlocked. In his case, defending against someone much stronger than him caused The Game to deem him worthy. That was generally how skills were unlocked, as far as he knew. If someone threw a single rock to kill a monster, the experience gain from that will increase the chances of the Game providing a skill that increases the power of throwing a single rock. If they killed the monster by throwing multiple rocks, then they might gain increased Speed and lower the STM cost. If they tried to infuse it with Life Force for increased durability, then an option might be to make add an explosive element to their Life Force. That was a large reason why rankers had an undisputable advantage¡ªtheir family¡¯s decades of knowledge allowed them to train towards specific skills. This posed another problem Nilbog. People were born with 1st Life Force. The higher their Life Force went, the higher ranked skills they could use. Nilbog having no Life Force rank meant he didn¡¯t meet the requirements for any of them¡ªEven if he did need All Or Nothing at some point, it might not even function correctly. Because of that, and the fact that Sentient Killer provided more than enough Soul Defense against Sentients, he left it aside. That only left only his Class and General skills.
Sentient Lover Skill Slot: Sentient Killer Passive Skill cost: 5
Reduce all parameters when fighting Sentients by 70%. In addition, whenever you use a Disguise skill, letters in neon pink will appear over your head spelling I¡¯ll Be A Monster For You. For your severe lack of enthusiasm in killing Sentients, consider this a gift to further improve your active efforts in failing existence.
Nilbog wasn¡¯t even mad¡ªthis was genuinely hilarious. Apparently, the Game did not like his general policy of not murdering people and consuming their Souls with relish. Considering he did not make good use of his class, no other skills became available to him. 19 After a good chuckle, he got down to business. Nilbog had a feeling people spent most of their points on their Class and Life Force or Mana, but all he to work with was his General Skill tab. He pulled up the menu and began scrolling through them. Though the rarity of skill was a great indication of its power, some common skills were more useful than rare or epic skills, mostly because of their simple and wide-ranging effects. Generally, the stronger the skill the greater limitations it had. The first skill Nilbog saw was a perfect example of this.
Lesser Bleed Resistance (Common) Skill Slot: Bleed Resistance Cost: 10 points
Gain 10% Bleed Resistance.
Most of the damage Nilbog had taken was because of bleed damage. It was a must take for Nilbog.
Moderate Terror Resistance (Uncommon) Skill Slot: Terror Resistance Cost: 15 points
Increase Terror Resistance by 20%
That was because of The Blind Mage, no doubt. Though picking it would probably remove the shivers that went down his spine each time he thought about her, it didn¡¯t seem like a common effect. It made the afflicted lose control over themselves, either collapsing, running away, or even attacking their own allies. Powerful, but too much of a rare Status Effect to waste points on it. Terror was considered a Crowd-Control ability, so his Hunter¡¯s Sight already helped him in that department.
(Uncommon) Fighter¡¯s Adrenaline Skill Slot: Offensive Accumulation Cost: 15 points
For every 5 seconds or successful penetration in battle, gain a 2% increase to Strength and Speed for a maximum of 20%. The buff will decay by 1% for every 5 seconds passed without landing or receiving a strike. Attacks do not need to penetrate. Fighter''s Adrenaline will go on a 2-minute cooldown if it reaches 10% and then falls below 5%.
The Game offered common builds that people could build for. A Berserker, an Archetype that went up in power prolonged fights, was another common one. Iris most likely leaned towards this style.
(Common) The Outnumbered Skill Slot: Battle Condition Cost: 10 points (Common) Duelist Skill Slot: Battle Condition Cost: 10 points
Gain a 5% increase to all parameters for each additional creature that out numbers you and your allies. Creatures that are a Danger Rank below you will only grant 2.5%. Creatures that are more than 2 tiers below you will not count. The maximum buff is 30%. After 3 seconds of entering single combat, you will gain 10% Strength, Speed, and Armor. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Some skill trees branched off, such as focusing on large battles or duels. The Outnumbered was hilariously bad. Having a skill which rewarded being in a severe disadvantage did more harm than good for people like Nilbog. Bosses probably had it, and it probably didn¡¯t hurt for some Sentients that would always be outnumbered to have it either, but Nilbog could barely win a one versus one, much less a group fight. If he was going to pick any of the two, it was going to be Dualist.
Short-Breath (Uncommon) Skill Slot: Breathing Technique Cost: 10 points Add-on cost: 5 Long-Breath (Uncommon) Type: Breathing Technique Cost: 10 points Add-on cost: 5
Grants 20% Speed for the first five seconds of combat. Reduce STM costs by 10%. This effect can only activate once every minute. --- (Unowned) Add-on: each Penetration increases the duration by 2 seconds. (Unowned) Add-on: change the skill from a passive into an active. Grants 5% Speed for the first 20 seconds of combat. Reduce STM costs by 20%. This effect can activate once every minute. --- (Unowned) Add-on: each kill increases the duration by 20 seconds. (Unowned) Add-on: The STM reduction will stay active for double the duration Long-Breath was active.
This was an easy choice. Nilbog didn¡¯t know much about skills, but one could never have too much STM or Speed. Someone could stay alive without Strength, Armor, or Soul, but being unable to run-away or dodge will always lead to death. Investing in it was not a choice¡ªit was a requirement. The only question was what type to choose. One leaned towards a more burst Archetype, which he quite liked, while the other leaned towards a more drawn-out battle, which was unfavorable for Nilbog. He stayed alive through tricks and a stark willingness to run the hell away¡ªthe longer the battle went on, the less those mattered. He set aside 10 points for it. The Add-ons available to it were not particularly attractive, though more could unlock if he puts the skill to good use.
Basic Dodge (Common) Skill Slot: Dodge Cost: 10 points Add-on: 5 points Accumulative Dodge (Common) Skill Slot: Dodge Cost: 10 points Add-on: 5 points
Increase Dodge Speed* by 10%. *Dodge Speed only increases your Speed when you are being attacked. For each successive Dodge* you will gain a stack of Accumulative Dodge for a maximum of 4 stacks. Each stack increases Dodge Speed* by 5%. Being hit by a single attack that takes more than 10% of your MAX HP, or not Dodging within the next 10 seconds of the last Dodge, will remove all stacks. *Dodge is counted when an attack would have struck you had not made aversive maneuvers. *Dodge Speed only increases your Speed when you are being attacked. This does not apply when moving with any intent other than to dodge.
Another non-choicer. Getting hit less equated to surviving more. Once again, there were two branches, focusing on either short or long battles, with him leaning towards the first. Other than that, he had a couple skills that Nilbog did not give much thought about. Minor Slash Resistance (Common) and Minor Pierce Resistance (Common) providing a 10% Armor increase against those damage types. Nilbog didn¡¯t need protection against getting hit¡ªhe needed to avoid getting hit. 10% of non-existent Armor won''t help him. The last skill available was useful yet unusable.
Agile Hunter (Uncommon) Skill Type: Active Offensive Enhancer Skill Cost: 15 Add-on cost: 10
Upon activating the skill Agile Hunter is attached to, the said skill will have 25% increased Strength and Agility for 5 seconds. If your attack deals HP damage, increase your Agility by 10% for 5 minutes. Agile Hunter will go on a five-minute cooldown upon activation. (Unowned) Add-on: The cooldown is removed if your target dies. The Agility bonus may stack up three times. Each stack resets the total duration of the buff to 5 minutes. (Unowned) Add-on: Double the increased Agility.
For each type of skill, there was a Skill Slot and a Skill Enhancer. A person couldn¡¯t gain two Dodge skills, but they could get a Dodge skill and then apply a Skill Enhancer to it. They were much rarer, could be put on different skills, and most often were vital builds. They could even be turned off or get switched to different skills to adapt to the environment. An Offensive Enhancer applied to any skills that dealt damage. The issue with it is that he had no skills that dealt damage. Lethal Strike only targeted Sentients. In the end, Lesser Bleed Resistance (Common), Short-Breath (Common), and Basic Dodge (Common) cost him 30 points in total, leaving him with the 15 points he needed for Agile Hunter (Uncommon). It wouldn¡¯t be useful now, but he needed to spend most of his points. Getting captured would waste them. Plus, this round was against Sentients. Just because he didn¡¯t like to fight didn¡¯t mean he was going to be a push-over. Well. As much as a level 20 pip-squeak can try. He attached Agile Hunter to his Lethal Strike. With all his chores done, he snuggled himself, each side of the wall a comfortable barrier, and tried to sleep over the rattling outside his window. 20 Kara turned her attention upward as a black cloud spat lightning across the sky. The rain caused by that unnatural phenomenon spread around her in a dome, blocked by a shield of Kinetic Mana. The Tiger¡¯s mana kept distracting her. Electricity Mana was quite a rare spectacular, if not in is sight then in the way its mana moved so breathtakingly quick. Only a lucky few were born with enough talent to use that special mana type. The rest of the kingdom¡¯s mana presence was even denser. She could make sense of the mana 30 meters around her, but anything beyond that was pure chaos. It was like trying to take separate liquids that already combined¡ªphysically possible but realistically impossible. Kara added being sniped from beyond that range to her endlessly growing list of ways to die. Again. She could sense Life Force for up to 60 meters, but that hardly helped. Any decent assassin would hide their Life Force. Speaking of finding people. Kara was not able to find the one that has resisted her Song. By the time she regained consciousness, in fact, nearly everyone was gone. And wasn¡¯t there a third abnormality? The old lady made no effort to hide it. That kid was an odd creature but he wasn''t an Anomaly, which left only someone that was powerful enough to escape her sight. It wasn¡¯t unlikely, with the things that sought her attention back then. Without any leads, Kara pushed that issue to another time. Her Life Siren profession needed all her attention. Because a Life Siren is a profession, learning how to use it was the only way to advance and gain skills in it. Points could not be spent on it, which worked just fine for Kara¡ªit¡¯s not like she had any points to spend, anyway. Other than the core skill, The Life Siren¡¯s Song, which she used to grant buffs to a person, her profession came with the skill Life Notes. It referred to three black spheres that acted as an extension of her senses. Somewhat like bat¡¯s sonar, they would release waves of sounds, and the way those waves interacted with the environment painted a rough black and white picture of it. The third skill was Life Siren¡¯s Web. A Note had to be within 20 meters of her, but using Siren¡¯s Web she could connect the Notes together. As long as one stayed within her range, and all others were connected, Kara could see up to 80 meters. The color legend was simple. White and black were for physical objects. Orange for temperature, Life Force yellow, and Mana was blue. While she couldn¡¯t see any specifics, the holistic point of view her senses gave her was a lifesaver. It was incomparably superior to sensing the movement of the fucking air. A few blocks away, a large battle was ensuing with at least thirty people on each side. Beams, arrows, rays, torrents, and just about every skill type was exchanged over the lines. The Life Force was dense in the air, signifying several Wolfs and some Tigers. This kingdom didn¡¯t seem to have any Dragons yet. A group of archers was drunk on a killing spree. They fired indiscriminately, striking foe and friend, regardless of faction. They were quickly put down with the concentrated fire of both factions¡¯ aerial and roof forces. Pieces of shingles and concrete were exchanged above the heads of the ground forces alongside beams along side Kinetic Bolts and Soul Arrows. Right. Wasn¡¯t I an officer or something? She¡¯d completely forgotten about it, though she kept walking anyway. Her level was too high for her to gain any points fighting against¡­well, most things on this side of the world. Besides, it¡¯s not like fighting was a pleasant activity. She was in a broken shell, after. It could only handle so much mana before blowing into smithereens again. Mana¡­that¡¯s right, how could I not notice. Other than Life Force and Mana, other classes had their own resource bars, such as Rage for berserkers, Balance for Monks, or her own class¡ªEquilibrium. All of them were fuel. But where did the buffs her Life Siren Song granted come from? It was strange. She had never seen something come from nothing. Understand the self to understand the world. Discovery began in the inside. Placing her finger against her cheeks, Kara swiped down, making a straight cut. Her flesh parted, letting a few drops of blood drip down her jaw. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Nothing. Shaking her head, the blood began to move up and back into the wound as it closed. Nothing was physically different about her body. The change was entirely in her Soul. It was an important distinction. She turned her attention to the right. More battles occurred around her. Luckily, she was past the line of battle--or at least, she hoped she was. A person that did not make any sound did not cause a ripple in her web. Kara had a lot of learning to do before she could spot those sly bastards using this method. She did have Sixth Sense and Metaphorical Dodge to fall on, at the very least, but both had their limits. The same could not be said for the thugs around her, raising their bows from the cover of shadows. There were five in total, two on the roofs to her left, and three on the right in an alleyway. Neither parties seemed to be aware of each other. She assumed all of them were Animus. The arrow was loosened with poor accuracy. The rain and winds threw it off course. It wasn¡¯t even Life Enforced¡ªthey couldn¡¯t be higher than Cubs. Did they not see the question marks above her head, or were their eyes just for show? Considering their aim, actually, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. The thugs on the ground, seeing a different group having the high ground, scuttled off in pursuit of easier prey. At least those three aren¡¯t as stupid. Back to the issue at hand¡ªher predicament, and whether the Life Siren profession offered a solution. First, the problem¡ªshe was pretty dead. She was stuck casting Flesh Mender to help her body handle the stress of containing her Soul. Without it channeling Mana would just cause everything to go boom. Mana traveled through bone, while Life Force traveled through her bloodstream. Both needed to be sturdy enough to handle the large stress they are placed under. The sight of a mage exploding when channeling Mana beyond their capabilities was far much too common. Using Life Force for any other purpose was uneconomical. She needed to maintain the shape of her body above all else. She used Mana for everything else¡ªmovement, senses, defense, and offense. It was not simple, to say the least. Even dodging an arrow required intense concentration. When the archer fired his arrow again, Kara had to sense its Kinetic Mana and calculate its speed and trajectory. It was like trying to dodge attacks from the vague descriptions of a badly written book. Ironically, that made powerful attacks substantially easier to defend against. It was the weak ones she had trouble tracking. Her Notes, however, made the process much easier. It was slower than sight, considering she was sensing things through the power of sound rather than light, but anything faster than the speed of sound wasn¡¯t something she could dodge in her current state. Once she knew what she was sensing, things became just a bit simpler. All that was left is to predict the trajectory of the object in relationship to her own. Mana could leave the body where bones pushed against the surface of the skin, but some places were better depending on the task. For maximum accuracy, she made 40 points of Kinetic Mana at the tip of her index finger. Blue mist gathered from her skin into a small marble. Now that she created the Kinetic Mana, she could pick the skill that was going to use it. 3rd Rank Kinetic Mana¡ªRam. The Kinetic Mana transformed into a ram¡¯s head and flew, leaving blue mist behind it. It smashed the arrow to pieces and struck the archer in one go. The force of the blow sent them flying a couple meters off their feet. They tumbled down the roof and fell to the ground, taking 92 Armor Damage and 51 HP Damage.
Kara The Blind Mage: ??? > Wolf*
40 Mana was certainly an overkill, but she hoped it would deter anyone else who watching. Sometimes Unknowns were just weaklings using Concealment skill to avoid combat. It was easy to tell the moment they used skills, however. The stronger the skill they used, the more likely It was for their Concealment skill to either break or leak. Dealing with low levels was no issue, of course, but it was a waste of time and effort. They were stupid to attack with no knowledge, but their stupidity was the reason Kara gave them an extra chance. With this they could at least live for a few more da-- The archer fired another arrow, causing ripples to spread throughout her web. With a growl Kara snatched the arrow from the air, the friction tearing apart the skin of her palms. She placed the arrow in between her index finger and thumb, yanked it back, and then swung forward with enough force to blow the water around her. It struck the target in the chest. He flew over a couple buildings before he shattered against the bricks. She dealt 110 Armor damage and 230 HP damage. Kara¡¯s dislocated shoulder hung limply by her side. She popped it back in place as her ripped tendons stitched themselves together. The splinters in her ribs followed it.
Kara The Defier: Wolf* > Tiger*
¡°I gave you a warning,¡± she said, shaking her head. They don¡¯t deserve mercy if they were foolish enough to attack even after seeing the obvious difference in power. She wasn¡¯t so nice to let herself get attacked twice without retaliating. There is always a way, huh? Kara thought, chuckling, but not too much, lest she break another rib. From fighting on-top of the world to¡­this. Dealing with Cubs and Wolves that don¡¯t know any better. It was just humiliating. If she was offered to start over, to offer all seven decades of grueling grinding and ceaseless monster hunting, of creating one ineffective body after another, then she would gladly take it. There was more hope in starting as a level 1 than this dead-end state. But that¡¯s too much to ask for, isn¡¯t it? A fair chance? 21 Nilbog sprang awake. He pressed his back against the wall with his daggers perked up. He swallowed a bitter lump as he paced the room, glancing around, and at some point, even looking under the bed. Explosions sounded in the distance, their bright colors lighting up the sky. A moment later, the gusts of winds and heavy rain reached the windows, rattling them out of their hinges. It sparked movement above him and around him. He saw shadows move past his door. Nilbog felt the walls closing in on him. The air felt horribly heavy in his lungs. His skin itched, and uncomfortable shiver sent his hair crawling. He paced the room quicker, clutching his teeth together. Every part of him was irked. The way the bed was set, the way clutter was all over the floor. Everything felt wrong. I need to leave. Seventh Sense was going haywire. He only felt like this when he was in grave danger. Nilbog pocketed one of the daggers within the pockets of his coat, keeping one hand free. He stepped out of the room, holding the handle of his dagger with enough force to bend the wooden handle. Little sounds in the corner of the hall jabbed at his shoulders. Was The Blind Mage here? Did she finally him? He placed the knife in front of him, staring at the reflection. They stared back ragged and red, becoming more foreign with each passing step. He snapped his head up, searching for any lurking monsters. It was too soon. The fear was still entrenched in him. Not just of her destroying him, but of the sorrow he felt when he heard her song, of the memories he recalled because of her. She brought him back to the day that started all of this. That cursed scene kept playing in his head, becoming more vivid the more he listened to her. Rather than a noise that drew Nilbog¡¯s attention, it was the lack of it. The explosions ceased and people above him no longer moved. It became ghostly quiet. Most people were asleep now, deep within their rooms, or other people''s rooms, but Nilbog still felt like something was glaring at him from some gloomy corner. Just him and a nearing sensation of doom. It got closer, and though he could not hear it he swore he could feel its pressure pulsing in all around him. He cursed, realizing he left his food in the room, but did not stop to fetch it. As quite as he tried to keep himself the entire hall seemed to react to him. The building creaked with each step he took. He could already feel the walls collapsing around him, the dust falling on his heels. He got half-way through the apartment complex before turning a corner to meet face to face with four humans. He squealed while his body did the moving. It ducked below the first swing while the rest of his senses caught up. He tried dashing through the space in between them, but the second sword caught him at the hips. It didn¡¯t penetrate but it did tip him off balance. He struck the cement with the back of his shoulder and rolled with the momentum, evading the final thrust. The sword missed him by inches and broke itself on the floor as Nilbog sprang up, his quads nearly ripping as it propelled himself forward. Sentient Killer, Short-Breath, and his Dodge skill all boosting his Speed. They did not give chase once he escaped their range. When Nilbog glanced back, he saw that the icon above their heads was the same animated helm as the Anima but purple. They went around knocking down the rooms one by one. More of those filth. How did they pass the ones below? Did they let them go, or did they somehow sneak by? Nilbog gathered his breath, preparing himself for whatever laid there. Worst case scenario the entire floor would be overrun. A staircase later, he found himself in the hallways of the first floor. He was alone in his panic. People were huddled together, covered by blankets and snoring peacefully. There were no signs of struggle. The old man Nilbog had talked too was in the same spot, except this time he stood at the ready with his sword. ¡°Ya back? Don¡¯t be kid, you need to lea--¡± Nilbog sucked sharp breaths, his heart still beating rapidly. ¡°Did a group recently pass by?¡± ¡°A group? Nah, one or two harmless folks. Hav¡¯ya been up from there¡ª¡± They turned purple upstairs. One mystery down, but the danger wasn¡¯t. ¡°You need to¡­ leave,¡± he said, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s not safe here.¡± ¡°Kid, it¡¯s not safe anywhere. You hear that?¡± The explosions came back. He didn¡¯t even need to hear them when he could just feel the vibrations in the ground. ¡°You need to keep moving. You can¡¯t stay still.¡± What else was he supposed to say? That his gut-wrenching told him it was dangerous? That skill called Seventh Sense vaguely told him something bad might happen?Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The old man sighed, shaking his head. He looked back from Nilbog to the others, fatigue heavy in his eyes. ¡°Youngsters nowadays. Don¡¯t got a second to listen. All they do is yap yapping. Yeah, I got that lousy Sixth Sense,¡± he said, hunching down in a whisper. ¡°Things about to turn bad from worse, but we got injured. Anyone that can move I sent away.¡± On a closer look, the old man was right. Those that were left were in no condition to breathe, much less walk. ¡°And you? What are you still doing here?¡± ¡°Me? Oh, you flattering young man. I¡¯m an old, old thing,¡± he said, plopping back on his chair. ¡°If I¡¯m dying, I don¡¯t wanna die tired.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Shaun The Easy, but didn¡¯t I already tell ya?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m Nilbog. I¡¯ll remember you,¡± Nilbog said, walking past him. ¡°Remember me, ay?¡± He held his sword with both hands in front of him, it¡¯s tip balancing on the ground as he held his forehead against the hilt. ¡°That''s a comfort." Nilbog left Shaun with an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. Why didn''t he escape? Why was he so calm? Nilbog had so many questions, and all of them will forever be unanswered. The moment Nilbog pushed aside the doors a blanket of rain smacked him, instantly drenching him to the bone. It was rather lukewarm and would have felt rather nice if they didn¡¯t fall on him like nails. He had to fight for each step. He spotted a few others running in the opposite direction. He looked at the structure behind him. It was tall, nearly six stories high and wide, and not much different than all the concrete blocks near it. Whatever was going to happen in this area, those walls had a good chance of protecting the ones inside. He felt ridiculous, and for a second, he pondered whether he should return to his shelter inside. It might just be safer. His food was there, too, and Lady Viss did tell him to stay. Hearing shouting, Nilbog bent his head upward in time to see someone being hurled out of the second floor¡¯s window. They fell a short distance away from him heads first, making a disgusting squish sound. Wretched. With a shudder, Nilbog walked away from the building. He¡¯d had enough for today--more than enough. His stomach began to irk him, the irritating thing begging him for food again. He got a decent amount of sleep, five maybe, from the way his HP regenerated to 87, but more would be pleasant. He only needed to sleep an hour or two a day, but it did greatly help the regeneration of his HP and Overall STM . Blood began to rise to his cheeks. He began to hear some type of whistling sound. It was an odd, high pitched noise that rose with intens--
Sentient Killer Activated The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 50%. You have received 8 damage. You have failed to resist a Stun Status Effect.
The bricks found Nilbog before he found them. He groaned, his eardrums ringing themselves out of his head. He reached forward, surprised to find the ground pressing against his cheeks. He pushed himself up, glancing behind him as the world danced on its heels. A couple of the buildings were missing their sides. A dust cloud had risen from all the debris, covering the streets in it. The one on his side screeched as the fracture spread throughout the foundation, spitting bricks, sofas, people and entire floors as it fell apart. People ran away, dodging chunks of concrete and kitchen sinks. The ground kept quivering. Lightning flashed from an abnormally close cloud, hitting one of the nearby buildings. Another one quickly followed its tail, spiking from above and crashing down at the same location. More gray dust flew into the air. Blue beams and fireballs followed. ¡°For fuck''s sake, I just want to sleep!¡± Nilbog yelled, his voice a flicker in the heavy storm. Another flash brightened up the sky, revealing a woman''s silhouette within the clouds. The rubble she had struck began to move. Nilbog glanced suspiciously at the dust as a large figure rose from it. It was at least 5 meters tall and nearly just as wide. The smell of burnt skin oozed out of him as he roared viciously, his boom on peer with the thunder¡¯s own cry. It cut the dust in half, giving him a glimpse of his grotesque nature. He was clad in a half-destroyed black and red armor. A good portion of his helm melted way, leaving one horn sticking up from the side. Underneath his skin was melting off. Blood seeped off from the cracks of the dense Life Force that covered him. It¡¯s color alternated between red and yellow. The giant bent down and lifted a piece of concrete nearly twice his size. With a grunt, his red aura infused itself into the stone, causing it to emit a dull red aura. He tossed it at the clouds the same time a bolt of lightning plunged his way. The bolt struck it, doubling her problem when it split into halves. The two pieces kept flying towards the cloud, their red blinking faster. More lighting came down but by then it was too late. The concrete exploded in the sky, hurling small stones like sharp knives through the clouds, spreading them thin. A shriek was heard, followed by an increased barrage of more ferocious lighting. The very sound of those two monstrosities exchanging tossing lightning and stones at each other began to lower Nilbog¡¯s HP. His bloodshot eyes glanced at his status screen, feeling the familiar sensation of power in his muscles. He read the status screens.
Unknown Lightning Mage: Tiger Unknown Giant: Tiger
Not monsters. Sentients. The ones he was supposed to ¡°kill.¡± This was the type of power he was supposed to beat. Barlom and Olivia would be no different. No, by the time he got to them, they would be even stronger. Nilbog began to limp away. No, not yet. It could still get worse. He couldn¡¯t imagine how, but he knew it could, and it would, because that¡¯s just the way things worked. He didn¡¯t need more than a few months to figure that out. He gave a quick glance to the building he had exited, but dust was everywhere. He didn¡¯t know whether it had completely collapsed. He turned back and dragged himself forward. One step at a time, one step at a time, he whispered to himself as pieces of bricks landed around him. One of them might have struck a part of his body, but he could not tell. Everything was so loud that he could barely see. Left leg, right leg, Nil, keep it up. You¡¯re doing great. Just. Fucking. Great. 22 As Kara roamed the streets, dodging ambushes and people that might prove troublesome, a small group entered her Web. She focused her Notes there, finding one young man attempting to escape the pursuit of two larger ones. They were a couple of blocks away, and would soon intersect her path. She was about to avoid them, but strangely enough, her instincts urged her forward. The sound one of them was creating in her web--it seemed familiar somehow. He turned the corner, the men gaining distance on him. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, but she felt like she had met him before. Until she heard him speak, she wouldn¡¯t know for certain. Her Notes couldn¡¯t identify him, either. They bounced off as they clashed against his Soul Defense. Not only did they fail, but they also seemed to activate some buff, as he became noticeably faster. Much faster, actually. The Speed itself wasn¡¯t high, but relatively speaking it was a strangely high buff. She frowned, folding her arms as he neared. He was part of her faction, while his pursuers were Animus hovering around the low levels. All three were Cubs. How could someone of that caliber defend against her Soul Offense? Even stranger, the kid wasn¡¯t using any Life Force but he still out sped the Life Empowered grunts behind him. ¡°How fortunate of you to meet me, mate. Wait here,¡± she told him as he wheezed by her. She was curious. Maybe he was one of the soldiers under her? Kara never did pay attention to those. It was an honorary position, anyway. The kid, not realizing how generous she was being, did not wait. In fact, he seemed to run faster than ever. She shook her head and turned towards the other group marching towards her. They were two old men, dirty and not entirely pleasant on the eye. A couple of thugs who went in from the Third District for better loot and prettier women, no doubt. Upon seeing her, a wide grin spread on their face. One of them opened his mouth, revealing a set of mostly broken teeth. Kara didn''t need a functioning nose to tell they probably smelled of dirt and muck. ¡°We¡¯ll take you instead!¡± he yelled, switching to her.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Kara curled her lips, more disgusted by another showing of stupidity rather than anything else. Why did no one respect the question marks? 2nd Rank Gravity Field. Once again, she turned her Mana into Gravitational Mana. This time, it went out through her heels. A purple shadow shot from her feet in the form of a ray.
Kara The Defier: ???>Wolf*
By the time they noticed it crawling towards them, their faces were against the ground, the rain crashing on top of their like tiny rocks. Everything in a five-meter circle was pressed down. The channel ran out of Mana by the time they lost consciousness. There was no point in finishing them. Killing those much weaker under you was extremely discouraged with a set of nasty debuffs by The Game. She turned one shoulder towards the kid. He had not stopped running. ¡°I just want to ask you¡­and he¡¯s not even listening.¡± She tapped her heels, casting the same skill. The ray shot across the ground, but before it activated the kid jumped to the side, escaping its range. Kara raised an eyebrow. He must also have Sixth Sense or a way to sense Mana¡ªhe didn¡¯t even turn around to see it crawl towards him. She cast the spell two more times, both being dodged moments before the barrage of rain went down. She stared wordlessly for a couple of seconds, utterly baffled. This elusive feeling¡­. It¡¯s him! He got away once, but twice was something she was not willing to accept. Not only some of her pride remind, something about him pulled her in. Maybe it was her curiosity in understanding how he could have possibly defended against her Soul Attack, or maybe it was something her new powers wanted to explore. Whatever it was, she wanted to use Life Siren¡¯s Song on him. There was no more fooling around. Gravity Field was a skill that required a minimum rank of 2nd Gravity proficiency and went up all the way to rank seven. Each rank doubled the Mana cost while increased the speed, range, area of effect, and power. She would have to be careful not to kill him. She changed it from 2nd to 3rd, hoping it wouldn¡¯t severely injure him. The shockwave threw Kara¡¯s hair back and ruffled her clothes as a purple circle shot across the ground. Barely a moment later it exploded right below him. The air and rain yanked him to the ground before he could react. For starters, she needed to understand why he could do things that did not match his Cub Danger Rank. His body was practically devoid of Life Force¡ªit was as if he never used it before. The veins connecting his Life Source to the rest of his body were largely absent. His Mana Source did not show any signs of usage, either. So just how did he successfully defend himself against her? And how did he out-run those behind him? What type of power did he use? She couldn¡¯t think of a single skill or class that could do this. ¡°What in the spirits is going on¡­¡± Kara began, her words fading as the kid struggled to his feet. He limped for a few steps, fell, got up, fell again, and finally crawled out of the gravity zone. 23 Kara couldn''t understand how he could do that. He couldn¡¯t possibly be a human Cub, yet even when she studied his body again, she found no discrepancies. It was a human body, at the very least. Mother always said: If you don¡¯t know something, just ask. She pumped more Life Force into her bone, making it sturdier. It was more to handle the stress of movement rather than for the extra Armor it provided. She couldn¡¯t show Life Force usage outside of her body¡ªit would be a dead giveaway of her identity, and people were looking for her. Not many Sentients were able to Dual-Wield Life Force and Mana. Using Puppeteer, she hurled her body towards him. There were too many unknowns to use skills on him without causing permanent damage. Whatever was boosting his defense could run out if she used more power. She needed to understand what he was without risking hurting him, in the case he would prove useful, even if it meant she had to risk getting closer. Considering how strange that kid was, however, Kara made an extra precaution. She spent 50 mana to use 2rd Rank Kinetic Shield. A 200 hundred hit point worth shield covered her clothes. Anything more than that would be an overkill. He turned around just as she swung her cane. One injury was probably enough to calm him down for a little talk. Instead of retreating, he stood his ground. He had two daggers--he needed to get close, and there was no escaping Kara. He was about block with one and stab with the other, but once he saw the speed and Strength behind the cane, he immediately brought both daggers together to receive it. It still wasn¡¯t enough--the difference was far too large. He buckled as the enforced wood met his daggers, the impact nearly crushing his wrists. He received the cane at an angle, however, and instead of pushing back he pushed to the side, redirecting some of the force away from him. For a Cub, he¡¯s certainly proficient. Parring was a great close combat technique, but even with the right skills exceptional timing was still needed. Most didn¡¯t risk it and fought with a shield instead. Once the cane bounced off, Kara felt one knife beginning to leave contact with the cane¡ªthat was a mistake. He should have kicked. It wouldn¡¯t have worked, but it was better than thinking she was using her full strength. He obviously did not have experience fighting against people a hundred levels higher than him. The cane, even though it would have been difficult to swing it from her position, was made wholly irrelevant by the sheer difference of her Puppeteer. She only needed to spend more Mana to move faster. Even at the worst of times, the laws of momentum did not apply to her. She pushed, immediately forcing him to guard with both weapons again. This time, not being able to deflect it to the side, he jumped back. The sheer strength of Kara¡¯s swing he flew half a dozen meters into the air. Bummer. Most wouldn¡¯t have guarded with both daggers the second time, but that one was strangely, and rightfully, paranoid. She dashed after him, aiming for his legs while he was in the air. Every movement cost her precious Mana and risked his death. He spun in the air, doing a backflip, and returning upright with a dagger flying straight towards her. He was desperate. The dagger wasn¡¯t even Life Force Infused. Kara sprinted on, ignoring it. She cast a 2nd Rank Kinetic Wind. A gust of air launched from her forehead, striking the dagger. Even if the attack was highly resistant to Crowd-Control, her shield could still take a good hit. She brought her cane up. It probably wouldn¡¯t hurt him too much. She still wanted to ask him a couple of questions, maybe do a little experimentation, and give him a few silver for his troubles if she was wrong. Some monsters were highly intelligent, self-aware creatures. It didn--
Time Metaphorize Dodge Activated.
Time slowed to a crawl, and all Kara could do was widen her senses. She searched for any abnormal Mana, Life Force, or sounds.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She was in critical danger, but how? Who? No one was in the near vicinity--she did not turn off her Siren¡¯s Web, and Sixth Sense would have made bugs eat the inside of her skin if someone prepared a sneak attack. His last attack? Kara checked for the dagger. It was a few inches away from her forehead. It was going to connect the moment time resumes. What¡¯s that doing there? How would a normal dagger penetrate her Kinetic Shield? She didn¡¯t completely power it up, but it should hold itself against a Wolf. Should she let it strike her? Even if it would penetrate her Kinetic Shield and then her Life Force Infused skull, it would take more Mana to repair the wounds that would be caused by her dodging it then if it would if it pierces her head. It wouldn¡¯t kill her, of course, but it will force her to stop using Mana while she fixed her bone structure. But if that was the case, why did Time Metaphorize Dodge activate? It was an Epic rank, activating whenever critical damage was about to occur. The Game did not make mistakes. It would never misinterpret something like this. If she does nothing then severe damage is inevitable. Two accursed words echoed in her mind: Healing Reduction. Assuming a Cub could have an upward of 70% Shield Penetration and unnaturally high Strength, then why wouldn¡¯t it have another absurd effect? Using Life Force to up her Armor was still out of the question, and without knowing the true danger, using Kinetic Blast to blow it away might not even work unless she upped it to the 4th rank¡ªbut at that point, the kid would also get caught in the radius. Time resumed at its normal speed. Having little else, Kara used an extra burst of Kinetic Mana to push her head to the side. The dagger dealt 50 damage to her Kinetic Shield, ignored the rest her shield, slid across her cheeks, cut through her teeth, and took off an earlobe as it flew by. Her fragile spine snapped from the abrupt movement, forcing her to stop moving mid-lung. She immediately converted a couple of hundred Mana into Life Force to prevent it from splintering. This was the consequence of cheeping out and only using 3rd Empowerment. It would be a nightmare if the bones got into her blood circulation¡ªshe would have to spend days if not weeks separating them before she could channel Mana safely. The kid rolled a short distance before he leaped to his feet, one dagger up in guard. He stared at her for a few seconds. Now that Kara stopped moving, he probably began to wonder whether to retreat or to attack. Things became dicey. Kara could pull from the 75% of Mana she locked away, but with her spine in that condition, the risk of her spine bursting became even higher. It was one of the most heavily taxed bone structures that Mana traveled through. At most she could handle a skill or two before the risk of having her body explode would become real. Could she use her Siren Song? No, it had no offensive capabilities. His Soul Defense was impossibly high. She needed her full attention to have a chance at it. She would have to risk hitting him with a 5th rank Kinetic Blast if he attacked, damn the penalties and her instincts not to, but after a few hesitating steps backward, he booked it in the other way. He kept glancing behind him until he fully rounded a building. Kara did not move for some time. Kinetic Shield soon ran out, causing the rain to drench her in a few short seconds. There was a rhythm in how the droplets fell on the roofs, how it went down the sides of her nose and dripped from her chin. She lifted up her head, trying to imagine how water felt, but even the cold was difficult to recall. She leaned on her cane with both hands for a minute, slowly and delicately putting herself back together. It took much more than usual to close the wound on her cheek. A minute of complete healing reduction. That was some monster rank A non-sense. The rest of the math did not make sense. 75% Armor Penetration didn¡¯t mean 75% increased Armor Damage¡ªit just meant it bypassed 75% of the Armor and the damage reductions it had. Considering that the shield only blocked 50 damage, his attack must have ignored 75% of the shield¡¯s value, which was exactly 50. Dealing that much damage was difficult but doable. Absurd skills weren¡¯t unheard of¡ªUnique and Legendary rarities weren¡¯t valued just because they sounded appealing. No, the real absurdity here was that a Cub that must have been lower than level 30 could have such a ridiculous skill. Even if he was a Wolf it still didn¡¯t make sense. This type of unbalanced power was only possessed by the most bothersome bosses, and even then, there was always a telegraph that a powerful effect was about to occur. An increase in Life Force, Mana, or at least a¡­ a color change. If the telegraph for that attack was just a color change, then it was impossible for Kara to see it. Even after completely healing her body, Kara found it hard to walk. It always was chore, but this time it was even more arduous. She almost didn¡¯t have it in her to keep the act up. Tossing her body with Kinetic Mana would have been much easier. She stuck with it, though. She moved the leg forward, supporting it with Kinetic Mana at the sides, enforcing it with Life Force to prevent it from breaking, and moved the opposite shoulder forward. The other leg was next, followed by its opposite arm. That was how the Puppeteer skill worked. It was how she was able to move her corpse. Every part needed to be moved with individually if she wanted to maintain the illusion, both to her, and to others. She stepped past the two unconscious men, pausing. She whacked one of them with the end of her cane, denting his head. She pulled it up into the air, ready to do the same for the other, but gave up half-way when she realized it wouldn¡¯t change anything. The First Ranker, Sayrina The Marauder, Kara The Defier, Kara The Blind Mage, was unable to capture a Cub. She wouldn¡¯t have died if that dagger had penetrated her brain, but the damage to her skull would have been an issue. The pelvis, sternum, spine, and skull were vital to using Mana. It was especially more so for Kara¡¯s fragile body. It almost made her chuckle how backward everything was. She tilted her head sideways out of habit. ¡°What do I do now?¡± she said out loud. ¡°Just what can I do when I¡¯m this weak?¡± 24 Kara rested on the velvet sofa as she twisted her hair into six braids. They pressed against her scalp and fell to her shoulder blades. The rest of it was pulled towards her back. Finally, Life Force with a sticky imbued quality seeped out of her skull, coating her hair in its dark green hue. A few seconds afterward, the braids kept still against her head, with only the bottom half swaying with her movement. Kara''s original body had dreadlocks. She quite liked them, though since she was made of stone, she didn''t have much of a choice. She''d been experimenting with different styles in this body, and in the end, braids remained supreme. Dreadlocks were a good second. It wasn''t just fashion, either. Because of Kara¡¯s ability to sense each individual hair, it was mandatory for her sanity that she kept it tight. Did playing with her hair get her any close to avenging herself and her family? Not really, but it did calm her down. As a mage, and as a ticking bomb, taking care of her mental well being was as important as her physical being. After her recent failure, Kara figured rest would help. It wasn¡¯t too hard to find one an empty house in the well-off section of the Second District. From the slash marks and the countless holes sprawled about, as well as the living room that was missing large portions of its floor, Kara could easily tell which side lost. At that point, the corpses stuck to the ceiling were just a dead giveaway. They didn¡¯t bother her enough to remove them; she could neither see nor smell them, after all. It was a good time for a break, but her mind refused to rest. She had so many problems, so many things to sort out, that relaxing her restless thoughts proved to be impossible. One issue, really.
General Stats & Parameters
Level 150 Strength 90 (90 Total)
Species Lordran Agility 90 (90 Total)
Class Sky & Earth Weaver Constitution 90 (90 Total)
Profession Life Siren Soul 180 (180 Total)
Age 72 Danger Rank ???
HP 0/0 Life Force 0/0
STM 0/0 ManaReading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. 1330/1800 (+18/ Minute)
Overall STM 0/0 Equilibrium 5/5 (+1/minute)
Skills
Dual Source (Racial skill) Stone Skin (Racial skill) 8th Rank Internal Life Force (Epic) 6th Rank External Life Force (Rare) 11th Rank Kinetic Mana (Divine) 6th Rank Thermal Mana (Epic) 10th Rank Gravitational Mana (Legendary) 5th Rank Electromagnetic Mana (Rare) Major Bleed Resistance (Rare) Major Poison Resistance (Rare) Major Kinetic Mana Resistance (Rare) Major Blunt Resistance (Rare) Major Pierce Resistance (Rare) Major-Burst Resistance Overwhelming Blood-lust (Rare) Supreme Sixth Sense (Epic) Extreme Outnumbered (Epic) Killer Flow (Rare) Time Metaphorize Dodge (Epic) Sky & Earth Weaver (Legendary) Unstoppable Carnage (Cursed Epic) Enduring Resource Conservation (Rare) Murderous Lolie (Unique) Insightful Grasping Eye (Epic) Supreme Multi-Caster (Legendary) Endless Flesh Mender (Unique) Immortal Puppeteer (Epic)
She wasn¡¯t 72, damn it. The last four decades that she spent crossing the lines between death, life, and consciousness did not count. Other than that, she was dead. All senses other than sound did not function. Its heart didn¡¯t even beat. It did house her Soul though, and for that she needed it to maintain its form. Losing her arms and legs weren¡¯t an issue¡ªall she needed were the bone to use Mana and blood for the Life Force. She used Mana to hear, speak, and move her body through Kinetic Mana. She was like a puppet on a string¡ªhence the Immortal Puppeteer. Feigning walking took her a good year while she was in seclusion, and that wasn¡¯t even the hard part. Her Soul could hear just fine, but how would she communicate with the rest of the world? For a few years, Kara truly understood why Souls scratched the ground or just pointed. Talking without a throat was hard. For all the thousands of hours she put in studying how Kinetic Mana worked, she never bothered to figure out how sound works. After a few years, The Game probably took pity on her and gave her an add-on for Flesh Mender to include speaking. Setting aside the loss of sight, taste, and touch, she also had to permanently maintain three skills. The First Movement: Equilibrium, Flesh Mender, and Puppeteer. If she wanted to attack, then she also had to channel a fourth skill. The Game did not like that. Each non-class skill after the first increased the cost of all multi-cast skills by 50%. The first skill would cost 100%, the normal amount, while adding a second would make both skills require 150% of their original cost. Kara on the other hand, because of the ludicrous amount of work she had to put in every second of the day, had learned the Supreme Multi-caster skill, turning the 50% coefficient into 25%. The penalty for casting 4 skills in Kara''s case was 175% instead of a horrifying 250%. Class skills did not increase the penalty, but it did make it practically hard to juggle so many skills. But wait, that¡¯s more! The very purpose of her class, dual-wielding Life Force and Mana skills simultaneously was no longer possible. She needed 2 points of Mana for 1 Life Force point. It was too inefficient. Not to mention, because of the whole being dead thing, Kara was only able to meet the requirement for 3 of the 10 skills her class provided. Those were problems. The solution? There wasn¡¯t any, as far as Kara was aware. In raw power, she was actually stronger than ever. Even with the reduced chance of gaining skills someone of her level had, 40 years was still a long time. Learning how to navigate the world, amongst a few violent outbursts, through Kinetic Mana finally broke through the 10th Rank Kinetic Mana, reaching an unheard-of Divine rarity, gained Flesh Mender, Immortal Puppeteer, and the strongest multi-cast skill known. Really, though, what did any of that matter for? What was the point of all that power if using it meant forfeiting her life? Her body can barely take 6th Rank skills before starting to crumble, much less 11th. She hasn¡¯t even seen what a skill of that magnitude could do. The Game offered no alternatives. Why would there be? Kara was supposed to be dead, or at least teleported to the Abyss. Her existence was questionable at best. Even if there was a way, she had no way to gain points. For her to receive rewards, she had to fight and enter Dungeons that were around her level. Monsters hunted outside of Phases, Dungeons, Events, or Special Areas did not provide points and had a large experience penalty. She rubbed her eyebrows out of habit, exhaustion and hopelessness giving her a chance to sleep. Dying is the reason I received the Life Siren profession, and goodness what requirement that is. Her siren skills did not cost anything, as far as she was aware, and were not difficult to use. Most importantly, profession had no penalties when used on low-levels. They were generally support skills anyway, such as blacksmiths, tailors, enchanters, or tacticians. There were a couple of Sirens in history. Soul and War Siren were the ones Kara familiar with. A Soul Siren was able to converse with Souls, and a War Siren cast various unique buffs and debuffs, but not much else is known. Information about their number, origin, requirements, and skill effects were all lacking because of their extreme rarity. Playing support solved none of her problems, but the chance of an unknown skill was the only thing that can get her out of this hell-hole. It was her only option forward. She received the Life Siren profession for a reason, after all. It must have something that Kara could use. Worst-case scenario, she would become an over-glorified children¡¯s bard. She¡¯ll roam the world, spreading stories of how Shinkro wetting his bed until the age of 6 was her idea of revenge, or how comically scared he was of fish. Yeah, she could finally rest in peace if she could accomplish that. 25. Kara grabbed the cane at her side and swung at the floor, striking something squishy. The rat barely let out a squeak before its spine was smashed in half. An abnormal amount of Life Force left its corpse. Kara rose from the couch, feeling even more irritated. There were no Life Force or general skills that controlled animals to this degree, meaning it was likely a class that was able to do this. Considering that classes were gained based on the persona and actions of the individual, a person who thought rats were a useful information gathering tool must have lead a peculiar life. Oh, and speaking of rats. The United Ranker¡¯s Guild. She¡¯d killed some of the ones that attacked her forty years ago, but most got away to the other side before she could get her hands on them. The reason behind their ambush wasn¡¯t a mystery¡ªganging up on those stronger than you was a common enough tactic. It was dishonorable and discouraged by the United Ranker¡¯s guild themselves, but she never once believed those values would hold when their prosperity was in jeopardy. How the ambush was a surprise¡ªthe act wasn¡¯t. Their children will no doubt want to finish the job, if not for revenge, then for their own safety. Most of them they thought she completely perished until last year, when she regained consciousness and left Ascender''s End, the spot where she originally died. Appearing in public was a risk that she had to take. The only thing that could get her out of this predicament was learning what her Life Siren profession had to offer. Unfortunately, singing to the rats and the spiders just won¡¯t do. For professions, gaining the skill was half of it; the other was learning how to use it. The skill¡¯s description was the limit to the power it grants, not the rule. A master blacksmith isn¡¯t just a master blacksmith because of the skills he had. Knowing how to use them effectively was just as if not more important. Kara left the bedroom. She jumped from the top of the floor, floating down the steps. The doors snapped open, letting her meet the fresh dew of the morning sun. The air was wet, and the bitter chill had diminished into a fresh breeze. A period of calm after a night full of Sentient-created storms and chaos. Remnants of dawn could be seen on the horizon. At least, that¡¯s what she imagined. She hummed as she walked, letting her Notes scout ahead. Finding an outpost was a good place to start. She could hardly miss it, considering their useless walls went up to the skies. That¡¯s where most of the fighting will happen, and where Kara needed to be. The more people she could find, the higher chance she had at finding out more about her powers, and whether was any actual hope. Ha! Hope. What a joke. A sound from the side caught her attention. The air floated from an opening in between two physical structures¡ªthe alleyways, she guessed. A moderately powerful Life Force pulsed from that direction. It was roughly what a pack of Wolves would have. Kara took a ceremonial breath. This would be a good test. After making sure no one was in earshot, she focused in on her Notes. Just like any other skill, the Notes followed her command to the best of their ability. They created a pathway that extended her senses as they traveled, automatically creating a Siren¡¯s Web. A Note stuck in place every 20 meters. They acted as beacons, connecting the web together. Once in place, the range of her Siren¡¯s Web was set. Her Notes were now able to move freely within it. She sent them forward to study the Life Force signals. Three humanoids fought against the third. Two others were on the ground, crawling away. A couple more bodies did not move. The closer she got the clearer the feedback became. The Game wouldn¡¯t let her see their factions until she was in direct line of sight, but the messy black and white ink outline of bodies became sharper. The three males were covered in a murky yellow aura, while the female had a high amount of blue. One was Life Force, while the other was raw Mana. There were a few others with fading Life Force pulses laying on the ground. A Mage, Shieldman, and Swordsman fought against a heavily armored Shieldman. The entire alleyway was riddled with holes, slashes, and missing chunks. The fight had gone on for at least a minute. Surprisingly, the one cornered was slowly losing the fight--Kara expected for him to die in the first few seconds, but at least 30 seconds had passed. He didn¡¯t seem to be much physically stronger than them, but his skill with his shield and positioning kept him on the edge. His sword kept the enemy swordsman at bay while his shield defender against the other, preventing them from surrounding him as he stayed on the move. The Mage couldn¡¯t hit him without risking damaging her allies, but she did make retreat impossible. Still, in the end, he was a fool for not surrendering¡ªno amount of points or equipment were worth losing your life for. Yet despite his madness, the more she watched him desperately struggle for victory, the more she began rooting for the poor guy. There is just something strangely familiar about someone trying to beat absurd odds. Each blow he received lowered his Life Armor. A few more and it seemed like it would break. The dents on his equipment also seemed to be on the verge of shattering. Soul Equipment could regenerate, but they were still breakable. Other than help arriving, there was no realistic way for him to survive. Most of his party seemed to be dead or about to die. Well, Kara was on her way, but she could hardly be considered help. Depending on the luck of the draw, one of them were going to receive her Song, which still didn¡¯t specify who she was helping. As she turned the corner, Kara understood what had happened. The lone knight had the helm of the Anima hovering about his head¡ªjust like the other three. His was blue, however, while theirs were a disgusting purple. There was no point in surrendering. They wanted to kill him, not get his points or equipment. Hired ones, probably. Killing a promising ranker before they become powerful a common tactic among rival families. This was probably what was happening here¡ªthe fact they were still having trouble beating him likely meant they launched a surprise attack. They got his teammates, and as the tank he was the last to go. Kara calmly recalled all her Notes, canceling her web. She was going to deal with this differently. ¡°Unknown Enemy!¡± The Mage yelled, turning towards her. ¡°4th Rank Fire Bolts!¡± Everyone immediately jumped back to survey the situation. Four balls of flames formed beside her. It took her another second to condense the flames into balls of highly concentrated fire the size of a fist. Concentrating the fire Mana increased the skill¡¯s stability, preventing a Kinetic Blast from detonating them early. ¡°It¡¯s The Silent Mage!¡± the Swordsman yelled. ¡°Retreat!¡± The Mage launched the fireballs with a motion of her staff. Each different one turned into a bolt as they zig-zagged towards Kara. ¡°I can take her,¡± she said, calling another set of 4th Rank Fire Bolts and a 3rd rank Fire Ram. Fire Mana began gathering in front of the mage. By the time the bolts reached Kara those skills, her channel would have finished. For a Wolf, it was an overwhelming amount of attacks. With the support of her two allies, they might give a new Tiger a run for their money.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Kara pointed her cane at the Mage, firing a 5th Rank Black Hole. It was a gravity skill that pulled in mana and physical objects towards it. After a duration the Black Hole would explode, causing its total suction power to double for two seconds. That meant any additional power that was added from other skills would also double.
Kara The Defier: ??? > Tiger*
A black dot pulled the dust in the alleyway towards it as it went forward, gaining size and power as it traveled. With the 5th rank Black Sphere the Fire Bolts would have changed direction, striking the walls, but by itself it was not powerful enough to send Fire Bolts straight back at the enemy Mage. Third Movement: Deviation, Kara whispered. It was the second class skill Kara was able to use. Using one Equilibrium she was able to change the momentum of all non-organic objects towards the direction she chose. Four invisible dots shot forward, striking the Fire Bolt just as the Black Hole passed in between them. The direction of her Deviation was the Mage. Combined with the suction force of the Black Hole, the four balls curved around, passing each other as they followed the black sphere back towards the enemy mage. The Mage did not have enough time to yell¡ªshe immediately canceled her skills and yelled a 4th Rank Kinetic Shield at the same time that she jumped up with the help of a 3rd Rank Kinetic Boost. Fourth Movement: Amplification, Kara cast on the Black Hole. It was the last class skill Kara was able to use in her condition. It was simple, but powerful. It increased the effects or speed of a non-organic object by up 50%. In this case, Kara chose to increase the suction power of the Black Hole. When it exploded below the Mage, the skill¡¯s suction power doubled. The Mage was yanked from the air and fell straight into the Black Hole.
Black Hole has dealt 186 Tearing damage to Mage¡¯s Shield. Fire Bolt has dealt 120 Fire damage to Mage¡¯s Shield. Fire Bolt has dealt 94 Fire damage to Mage¡¯s Shield, and dealt 26 Fire damage to Mage¡¯s HP. Fire Bolt has dealt 119 Fire damage to Mage¡¯s HP. Fire Bolt has dealt 120 Fire damage to Mage¡¯s HP. Fire Bolt has dealt 32 Burning damage to Mage¡¯s HP¡­
It was not enough to kill the Mage, but the residual flames began to burn her alive. The moment the Black Hole¡¯s duration ran out, the Mage cast 2nd Rank Kinetic Burst, causing a wave of Kinetic Mana to explode from her, removing all the flames instantly, and then getting hit by Kara¡¯s 4th Rank Fire Ram. It dragged her a couple meters back before blowing apart her body. For a moment, the only sound that remained was Kara¡¯s footsteps as she walked towards them. ¡°3rd Rank Priority Target!¡± The Shieldsman yelled. He charged forward, an extra burst of Life Force covering him. He cut half the distance between them in two quick steps. The swordsman ran a moment after him but was stopped in place by the third human. ¡°4th Rank Kinetic Arrows,¡± Kara said. Five blue balls formed on her side. The shieldsman brought his shield up. He didn¡¯t plan on dodging, and typically he wouldn¡¯t need to. Assuming he was around level 50, he could have up to 100 Constitution. That meant a thousand HP plus 100 Armor, not including any other skill. If he had a 4th Rank Life Force Shield unlocked, then he would gain 40% of his Maximum HP as an extra shield, giving him a net total of 1400 HP and Shield. Each 4th Rank Kinetic Arrow dealt around 150 Pierce Damage at close range with 80 Armor Penetration, meaning in total each Kinetic Arrow would deal 130. She would need at least 10 arrows to deal significant damage.
Critical Hit! Damage +50%! You have dealt 230 Blunt damage to Shieldman Shield. Critical Hit! Damage +50%! You have dealt 64 Blunt damage to Shieldman Shield and 91 to HP. Critical Hit! Damage +50%! You have dealt 234 Blunt damage to Shieldman HP. Critical Hit! Damage +50%! You have dealt 232 Blunt damage to Shieldman HP. Critical Hit! Damage +50%! You have dealt 230 Blunt damage to Shieldman HP.
Why would the Silent Mage bother to speak out loud her skills? Before they struck his shield, each 5th Rank Kinetic Bolt zig-zagged past his shield and struck his head. Any hits to the neck, head, lungs, and heart were all automatic crits. With the Five resounding booms on the shieldman¡¯s skull, a stun effect was guaranteed. He fell to the ground and rolled towards Kara. She swung her hand, using 6th Rank Kinetic Claw. A blue hand twice his size swiped him aside. He broke through four walls before he died, taking 310 damage.
Kara The Defier: Tiger > Dragon*
¡°I surrender,¡± the swordsman calmly said, tossing aside his weapon. He kneeled and pressed his forehead against the ground. ¡°Mercy.¡± It froze Kara in place. She tilted her head, genuinely unsure of what she heard. She stepped past the third human. She crouched, leaning her head towards him. ¡°Mercy?¡± she whispered, speaking the word with wonder. ¡°Mercy,¡± she said again, rolling the word in her tongue. It was a strange word to hear. ¡°For who?¡± He barely moved an inch with his before a 6th rank Gravity Field forced him to prostrate. It pressed him and the ground down. A crater started forming as he began to squish. She blocked both his screams and the damage notifications as she fed the skill mana. She looked to the side, where the two bodies fell. One was scorched, while the other was decapitated. The Mage and the Archer died instantly. Mercy, he said, right in front of their bodies. She didn¡¯t need to try hard before remembering what it felt like to have venom instead of blood run through her veins. Where was the mercy in that? What type of mercy would someone who did that deserve? ¡°Hey,¡± someone by her side said. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Kara snapped towards him. ¡°You want me to let this filth go-" ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s¡­are you okay? Did you know Ten and Lenna?¡± Kara focused back in. All that was left below her was a small iron ball the size of a pebble. The skin on her face had peeled off, revealing the lair of pure Mana beneath. Either one of her bones must have broken, causing her mana to leak, or the Life Force shell she had woven around her Soul was widening. The mana turned into a white flame when it touched the air. It was harmless until a stray thought ignited it into a different mana form. Fire would turn her into flames, Kinetic into a bomb, and Gravity into a black hole. Any of those would eradicate her body and the block. ¡°No,¡± said replied, dousing the flames and reforming her skin. She looked inward to find the problem. ¡°Just venting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± he said, and walked back to their bodies. He straightened the mage¡¯s body, placing her hands on her stomach rather than stuck raised towards the sky. He stopped when he looked from the archer¡¯s body to his head. Kara couldn¡¯t see his face, but she did hear the cry he stifled. Kara walked towards it, doing what he could not. She picked up the head and stitched it back to the archer¡¯s body with Life Force. She stepped back as he quietly kneeled next to them. He placed his sword and shield on the side. My condolences, Kara thought, though she didn¡¯t say it. The words wouldn¡¯t come out. They wouldn¡¯t change anything. What did I feel like when it happened to me? Kara thought, recalling her emotions. It came to her easily. ¡°I apologize for taking away your chance at revenge,¡± she said. Her temper got the best of her. She should have left one for him. He turned towards her, the eyebrows under his helm pressing together. ¡°Revenge? No¡­no, that¡¯s not it,¡± he said, each word quieter than the last. ¡°Not it? What do you mean?¡± Kara asked. He neither moved nor responded. It made Kara want to use her Notes to know what he was feeling, but better judgment held. It wasn¡¯t right to him. She checked the vicinity for any stalkers instead. When she didn¡¯t find anyone, she fully turned her attention back to her body. A few bones fractured and the Life Force Seal around her Soul was leaking 20 mana a second, dropping her to sub thousand mana points. Fixing the seal only required more Life Force and a minute at most, but removing the bone fragments from her blood was going to take quite some time. After doing some quick first-aid kit on her body, Kara decided to leave the stranger to himself. He neither took his sword and shield to hunt for the ones responsible nor did he destroy the area around him in rage. She didn¡¯t understand. What was he going to do? 26 Nilbog sprinted into the labyrinth of alleyways, ducking below the Life Infused arrow. It struck the concrete walls, causing rubble to explode in all directions. He covered his face with both of his arms, letting his coat taking the brunt of it. The shards were reduced to a dull drumming throughout his body. It was surprisingly pleasant. Without missing a step Nilbog kept sprinting, zig-zagging at every few intervals. Another arrow narrowly missed his head as he made a sharp turn, the explosion ringing behind him a second later. He passed another corner before he jumped to the side, hiding behind a couple of trash-bags at a dead-end. One hand covered his mouth, trying to hide his breathing, while the other went over his heart. He wasn¡¯t sure if their Life Force skill was up, or whether covering his Life Force Source actually did a thing. The archer and by four others ran by without a pause, their Scouting skill not finding him this time. Swallowing the fear, he got down to the floor. Ignoring the muck that began to cover him, he stuck his head from the bottom, glancing both ways. No one was chasing him¡ªfor now. That makes four. Five if you included the Silent Mage. Why did everyone think he was easy prey? Just because he was a single Cub wandering in the middle of a civil war-- Nilbog stopped there. Going solo was a mistake, but it¡¯s not like he had any choice in the matter. No place was safe. Even if he found a tidy corner to hide in, Scout skills could still pinpoint his location. If they could find him, they could also find out that he was alone. Countless groups hunted around, those with the best Scout skills finding the best prey to hunt. Not being able to conceal his Life Force made him easy prey. His STM had suffered for it, too. For the entire day, all Nilbog had done was scramble from one hole to the other, taking damage here and there. His HP fell to 73 while his Overall STM returned to a painful 256. At this point joining an Anima group might just be the better alternative. Another chase, and even if they don¡¯t kill him, the STM deprivation will. Nilbog¡¯s stomach twisted, bubbling as it howled for substance. Or the starvation.

Hunger HP, STM, and Overall STM regeneration decreased by 10%.

Being a monster meant that he could sleep a lot less, but it also meant he had to eat more than normal. He hadn¡¯t hunted any rabbits or squirrels since he¡¯s been in the kingdom, and non-meat food barely satisfied his hunger. All the running for dear life made it worse. The more resources he spent the quicker the debuff would evolve. He had even forgotten the stash of food that was supposed to keep him alive through this Phase. Searching for food and water was not easy. If the factions did not hold control over them then it was already looted by rogue groups that Nilbog had no business contesting with. Rats scuttled around him right then, almost as if to taunt him. As Nilbog aimlessly wandered the alleyways, that option became more likely. The city was locked¡ªthere was no foraging for food. Just how else would he fin-- Metal rang a short distance away. This time, he was too tired too even attempt at refuting his curiosity. He crept his way forward, sticking his head out from the bottom of the corner. Two parties of Wolfs were battling it out in the narrow alleyways. Archers could do little in this situation. Barely three men were able to fight side by side. The archers tried to weave one through their friend¡¯s sides, but that had a higher chance of hitting their own rather than the enemy. Fire Balls, bolts, and grenades were tossed from the other side only to be shot down by arrows. Nibog took a few steps back before a deadly, but ingenious idea, struck him. The two parties fighting were Anima and Animus, with Nilbog behind the Animus group. In the end, what that meant for him as he scuttled behind the two Animus Archers, was that there was a chance that they carried supplies with them. Crystals, potions, or food¡ªanything that he can put in his mouth, really. The thought of attacking them from behind did not even pass his mind. Just because they were Archers it did not mean they could not use the swords at their sides. They might have skills that will activate if he gets close. Sixth Sense was the most common one, though the list was presumably long. Be very, very quiet, he told himself as he tip-toed. Other than the tendrils that covered every Life Force user, giving them a slight glow in various different intensities of yellow, the flames were the only other source of light. It was too dark to see anything without Life Empowerment to boost sight. The moon was hidden by the tall walls. What his eyes couldn¡¯t see, however, his nose certainly could smell. The trash and rotting rats were atrocious, but it was not as nauseating as the smell of humans. All Nilbog did was backtrack the path the Archers had taken, and surely, a short distance away from the battle, a black duffle bag was hidden under a coat. A quick look showed potions, bandages, sharpening stones, and most importantly, dried meat.
Unidentified Red Potion x4 Unidentified Yellow Potion x2 Unidentified Purple Potion x2
There were no labels, unfortunately. HP potions were made from melting Crimson Crystals. As the name implied, they were always red, but the issue here was that it might have color dyed poison.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. An enormous amount of Mana suddenly flared up behind Nilbog. He spun around, staring wide-eyed as the alleyway turned orange. The Anima Mage had launched a large fireball right as his frontline ducked. The flames flew inches over their heads, exploding right in between the enemy front line. The explosion smashed them against the stone with enough force that the building shook. Their Life Armor held, however, and they quickly recovered for the follow-up attack. Nilbog saw it, but the two Archers didn¡¯t. Right as the flame exploded, a bright orange crystal the size of a fist was thrown through the smoke. It landed in between them. Orange crystals. A finger of it blows the hand, a fistful of it blows the body. That was the measurement he was given. The Archers noticed it far too late. One jumped forward while the other attempted to scale the wall, but neither could escape the fiery explosion that erupted when the crystal cracked. A river of flames spread so fast that the sound itself lagged behind the expansion. The first one escaped mostly intact, but the one that attempted to scale the wall lost his balance as the shockwave blew him against the wall. He fell into the flames in a fit of panic and screams. His Life Armor protected him from the intense heat he attempted to scramble his way out, but they were not able to protect him from the follow-up attack of the Mage and archer. With no counter-fire to stop them, a volley of fireballs and explosive arrows landed into the fire. Time to book it. Nilbog snatched the duffle bag, grunting as the straps dug into his shoulders. He darted the opposite way, taking two steps before running head-on into a wall. He bounced off, falling on his butt. Rubbing his forehead, he got up, cursing. The light of the flames must have blinded him. He stretched out one hand while the other held the straps of the ba. His fingers touched metal. A pipe on the wall? A Garbage disposal? Nilbog took a few steps to the right. The piece of metal did, too. ¡°Hello there,¡± Nilbog said, looking up. Two glimmering yellow eyes looked down on him from below an Animus insignia. ¡°Sorry about that, didn¡¯t see you there,¡± he said, stepping to the side. He had no chance against a Wolf. No need to fight, really. ¡°I did,¡± he said, his voice heavy and unamused. He stepped in front of Nilbog again, folding his arms. ¡°Nice bag you got there.¡± ¡°This?¡± Nilbog said incredulously. ¡°It can¡¯t be. It was tossed away like trash!¡± ¡°I see,¡± the man said, nodding. ¡°You know what they say, one man¡¯s tra-¡± Nilbog leaped back, one knife out while the other held the bag. ¡°Your friends need you,¡± he said, breathing heavily. ¡°Is killing me worth the time?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said, and before Nilbog could react an iron gauntlet caught his neck. It lifted him into the air without a struggle. Nilbog gasped, his feet kicking the air. The bag slipped off his shoulders, falling to the ground. He stabbed with his knife, hoping it would find a joint, but all he struck was impenetrable Life Enforced metal. Sentient Killer didn¡¯t make a single difference.
No Penetration! No Penetration! No Penetration!
Blood filled his head like an overripe tomato, threatening to burst as the pressure built up. Nilbog could see the bastard¡¯s eyes through his helm. They watched him with a tinge of curiosity in them, studying the way the agony twisted his ugly face. If he¡¯s enjoying this, then¡­ Against the instincts of his body, Nilbog stopped struggling. He held the knife at his side, and just glared at the two glowing eyeballs hidden within the helm as the air in his lungs ran out. If he¡¯s gonna die to a sadistic bastard, then so be it. At the very least he won¡¯t allow him the pleasure. It was just an instant. The man lessened the force of his grasp, and in that tiny moment, Nilbog got half a breath. It was enough to return the sensation of his arms to him. It wasn¡¯t enough to charge Lethal Strike, but it was enough for one attack.
Critical Damage! Minor Penetration! You have dealt 16 Damage! You have dealt Bleed Damage! You have Inflicted a partial Blind Effect!
The blade went halfway through slits of his helm, wedging itself against the metal. ¡°Got some fire in you. More than the Mage, at least,¡± he said, startling Nilbog. No reaction. Not even a finch. He wrapped his hands around Nilbog¡¯s, crushing it and the knife¡¯s handle in a single squeeze.
You have taken 8 blunt damage! You have received a major hand injury!
Broken Right Hand Your Maximum HP will be reduced by 5% until the injury heals. Using your Right Hand will cause great pain. Time left: 27 Hours.
¡°What are you,¡± Nilbog wheezed. He bit his lips to prevent his cries from escaping. ¡°Not very smart, though,¡± he said, and tossed him a few inches in the air. His hand wrapped behind, clutching the back of Nilbog¡¯s skull. ¡°Look.¡± The flames dispersed, showing the Mage''s party laying on the ground. A separate group was roping them in. There were two parties against one... ¡°Uriel, what¡¯s that you got there?¡± one of the newly arrived men said, walking towards them. The darkness concealed his face, but like Uriel, he was in full plate armor. Nilbog couldn¡¯t tell if it was Soul Equipment, though it hardly mattered. They were too strong with or without it. ¡°A rat.¡± ¡°Looks a bit big to be a rat.¡± ¡°A very large rat,¡± Uriel said humorlessly. ¡°A very large rat with a knife. Why is it wandering alone? Better yet, why is it still alive?¡± ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Nilbog said. A strained smile spread on his face. It took a moment until he was able to speak without letting his emotion seep into his voice. ¡°It seems there has been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Might be a fox,¡± Uriel said. ¡°We¡¯ll find out if we take the skin off.¡± ¡°More like a goblin. Think we¡¯ll get something if we bring his ears to one of the City Guilds?¡± ¡°Don, we destroyed most of that one in the last raid. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be too happy to see us again.¡± ¡°Can I offer a suggestion?¡± Nilbog said, finding the glimmer of hope. ¡°No,¡± Uriel said. ¡°Sure,¡± Don said. Nilbog went with the second one. ¡°I heard capturing rewards you with points.¡± ¡°How many points would I get for a rat?¡± Don said, tugging at Nilbog¡¯s coat. ¡°Nice. Mind if I borrow it?¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Nilbog said, shrugging as best as he could. ¡°Was too big for me anyway, but more importantly, I heard there are penalties for killing low levels.¡± ¡°Uriel, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but did he, or did he not, try to rob and then kill you?¡± ¡°He did, Don, he did.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that, and I say this according to the rules, that we have been sufficiently provoked?¡± ¡°Yes, Don, I believe we can. The evidence is dripping down my helm.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Clearly though, seeing as how your eye has completely rejuvenated in a matter of seconds, you wouldn¡¯t dare say that my meek needle was enough to pose a danger to you, does it?¡± ¡°No danger,¡± Don said, shaking his head. ¡°More of an annoyance.¡± ¡°And do you know, little thief, what we do with annoyances?¡± Uriel said. ¡°You give them a nice meal and send them on their way?¡± Nilbog said, raising one hopeful eyebrow up. It¡¯s not like he had anything else to lose. ¡°Close,¡± Uriel said, and tossed him into the air. When Nilbog came down, Uriel¡¯s fist plunged deep into his abdomen. It held him in the air as his body gave out. The lights were so knocked out of him that he couldn¡¯t even read how much damage he took. He couldn¡¯t resist the Stun status affect. ¡°Could have just tied him up,¡± Nilbog could hear Don say as his vision faltered. He struggled to stay awake. Everything began to dim, including his thoughts. ¡°Felt like we were being made fun of,¡± Uriel said. Nilbog began swaying as he was carried by the cuff of his coat. ¡°He thought we wouldn¡¯t hurt him.¡± ¡°No,¡± Don said. ¡°He was taunting the hurt. Can¡¯t hurt the man if he¡¯s dead, Uriel. We got a fox on your hands.¡± ¡°Ah, should I prove him wrong?¡± What bad acting, Nilbog thought as his consciousness faded. Another day, another chance. Just you wait. 27 Kara flew around the narrow halls of the armory, ducking and weaving as swords and spears reached for her. Her feet slid across the ground as she pushed her body with Kinetic Mana. It did well to conceal her flight. As hard as she tried, however, she was not able to avoid every attack. Either she was not able to sense it in time, or more frequently, she failed to time her movements with it. The spatial distance of her body in relation to other objects were difficult to track. She didn¡¯t bother attacking, and only resorted to whacking people with her cane when they really got on her nerves. She desperately needed the practice, even if it was just against Wolves. In fact, it was because they were Wolves that this was immensely helpful. It allowed her to accumulate to this cursed condition of hers on enemies that were barely noticeable. Compared to higher levels, they were much harder to fight. Their Life Enforcement was weak, and they were so slow that she could hardly pick up on their Kinetic Mana when they moved. It pushed Kara to the utmost limit to track. Sensing body heat or Life Force signals was much easier, but it would have defeated the purpose of her training. More proficient foes will be able to hide both, but they¡¯ll never be able to hide from air. She needed to master this technique before she met one of them. It was the same for her Siren senses¡ªthe sound was one of the first things assassins concealed. Being here, of course, had bothersome repercussions. The confusion on the general''s face she spoke with was clear. Dlar probably thought she was a Tiger, which was the reason why they let her roam freely, but upon hearing she was fighting Wolves their behavior towards her might change. After all, no sane ranker would waste a Phase. That would lead them to believe she was low-enough level to gain rewards from fighting Wolves. In terms of the actual Phase, most of the fighting happened in the Second District to control strategic positions that provided extra points, buffs, and increased healing, though none of it mattered in the grand scheme of things. The winner of the Second Phase will be decided by how the faction leaders will force a surrender from the other, not by which faction destroyed the other. The longer the Second Phase went on for the more severe the damage became to the kingdom¡¯s power. Every death on any side would mean that Dlar would become weaker. If half the city dies, the other wouldn¡¯t survive for long. Besides the waves of monsters The Game brought with it, Dlar couldn¡¯t let themselves fall behind the two neighboring human kingdoms, and there were other races to watch out for, like the neighboring Vandrans or just about any of the Free Tribes. Rounds in which kingdoms were bided against each other were after the 5th Phase, where the kingdoms would be open to each other. It meant that after this Phase finishes, Dlar will need to pretend they did not spend the better half of a week murdering each other. The Game wasn¡¯t entirely responsible for this type of Phase¡ªthe in-fighting in the kingdom caused the main spark. While other kingdoms typically got stronger each time they did well in a Phase, Dlar will come out weaker regardless of who wins. This likely led to behind the scenes negation in. Most fighting happened in small quarters that allowed a limited amount of direct combat. It made fights last longer and reduced casualties. They fought in alleyways, buildings, and straight-out avoided each other in open fields. Even Kara was told to do her best to avoid killing or maiming her opponents. This was basically an over-glorified training exercise. Though, of course, there were always some that wanted to earn a bit more, even at the cost of their own team. Kara had troubles of her own. The constant fighting began to wear down on her body by mid-day, dropping her Mana below a thousand, and it was only getting worse. The Life Force seals she¡¯d woven around her Soul were waning, letting her Mana slip out, while her bones began to melt into her blood. Making more bone to replace the ones she lost wasn¡¯t the problem¡ªthe bone itself in her blood interfered with their skill casting. The total mana cost increase was around 30% currently, and it was only increasing. The fights were within corridors where she had partners to switch positions every so often, but it was not at a rate in which her regeneration could keep up with the enormous cost of Puppeteer, Flesh-Master, and Life Force Conversion. Her Mana sunk at a horrifying rate, and she was not improving as fast as she had hoped. She would need a couple days of uninterrupted rest to sort through everything. Even with all of the effort she¡¯d put into this, close combat still seemed impossible. One decent assassin to hide from all her Detection skills was all it took. It was discomforting that she won¡¯t even see her death coming. Embarrassing, really. Not the epic end she¡¯d imagined for herself. All of those were temporary precautions¡ªthe real progress being made was with her Siren Skills. This environment was a perfect opportunity to learn more about her profession. Life Siren started with three core skills.
Life SirenUnauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. There exists a power source only Siren¡¯s can reach with their voice. Voice: 100/100 (+5/hour)

Life Siren¡¯s Song Sing with your Soul for powerful effects to occur to those who are willing to listen. This effect can only occur once every 10 minutes for each individual target. Songs: Wrath (30 Voice)

Life Siren¡¯s Lesser Notes Notes are an extension of your senses. You may only control three at a time. Creating a Lesser Note requires 50 Siren points.

Life Siren''s Web You can only control Notes that are within 20 meters of you, or if they are connected to a Note that connects to you.

It didn''t help that the information was sparse. The skills didn¡¯t even have tags, forcing Kara to find out for herself. The skill descriptions were updated when she figured it out, at least. Once Kara learned the limits of her Notes, Kara began to test her Siren¡¯s Song. One Note was needed for a single target Song, while all three were needed for an area of effect Song. Each target person must accept the Song, either by forcing them to or by their own choice. No effects happened until then. Even if they did accept, not everyone received beneficiary effects. Those unable to handle it received the Terror status effect. Wrath, when it was successfully, provided offensive buffs that became stronger the more aggressive the target was. Sometimes the targets were especially respondents. One Wrath Song had the rare effect of not dying even when striking 0 HP on the condition that they must deal melee damage every 2 seconds. The success rate and power degree of buff weren¡¯t predictable. Level, Danger Rank, classes, and races did not seem to be the deciding factor. Kara did get a feel for the person, however. Some she felt were inherently resolved, while others, though physically powerful, seemed to be weak of mind. It wasn¡¯t a stat as much as it was of personality. In the end, Kara determined that Song effects changed based on personality, while the success rate depended on the mental fortitude of the person. During her break time, Kara found a room within the building she had been practicing at. With a bit of privacy, Kara moved on to the experimentation phase. Her previous profession, Grimor Keeper, allowed her to create skills. She lost it, but she neither lost the skills gained nor the knowledge that came from it. The most reliable way to create new skills, simply enough, was to just combine them in creative ways. Her most powerful skills were created this way. Cast a Kinetic Burst inside a Black Hole, send it forward, and when the Black Hole''s duration finishes, instead of suction it will release the Kinetic Burst. That was how truemagic was created--the combination of skills was where the true power resided. To Kara, the basic skills were only ingredients. Of course, because of the multi-cast penalty Kara always had, most of her skills were too costly to cast. With professions, however, there was no such penalty. Both the theory and rules applied here as well. All Kara had to do was prepare in case things went wrong. Instead of spreading her Notes, Kara tried pushing two Notes together. When that didn¡¯t work, she tried three. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was expecting, but the Notes just dully combined into a larger Note. Not only was it visibly larger, but the feedback from it was vastly improved. It also had more space inside it. Well, that was fast.She''d thought this will take days, but all it took was two tri--
You have unlocked all the core skills of the Life Siren

Life Siren¡¯s Greater Note You have learned to concentrate the power of your Notes. Life Siren¡¯s Greater Note has a much greater capacity than a typical Note.

Life Siren¡¯s Soul Rather than power, you have learned to insert your Soul into your Notes. You may only cast Siren skills in this state. The range is equal to the number of Lesser Notes used to create the Greater Note multiplied by 20 Meters. If you have encountered an entity with the potential to become a Life Dancer, you will be able to travel towards them up to 15 times of that range. If you have bonded with a Dancer, you will be able to travel towards them up to 30 times of your typical range. You may travel an additional 10% of that range for each 10 Siren points you use.

That happened automatically¡ªKara didn¡¯t even think of going inside it. Her Soul was taken out of her cursed body and inserted into the Note. Her Soul, with all her overabundance of mana, was moved out of her body. She no longer needed to maintain Fleshmaster or Life Force Conversion. For the first time in a year, Kara did not use a channel a single skill. Obviously, she panicked. 28 Kara was able to think clearly once she realized what had happened. She was floating in front of her collapsed body. Her senses remained dysfunctional, however. Only her point of view moved. Nevertheless, the peace that came with it was stellar. Kara was able to concentrate on her thoughts instead of her skills. No one was able to see her as she moved through walls. It also allowed her to use Life Siren¡¯s song without attracting attention. Besides the buffs, there was another effect Kara was extremely interested in¡ªseeing the memories of her targets. The more she focused on them, the more she was able to see glimpses of... interesting scenes. Gaining recognition, the death of a loved one, or even finding a memorable item. In a few cases she felt the same emotions they did. Time was condensed as she experienced these visions. There was a single pattern for this--the more emotional the memory, the more power the owner gained from her Song. Her targets resisted this, of course. Some completely shut down the Song, while others could not. After forcing her way in a couple of dozen times she received her next skill.
Life Siren¡¯s Requisition You may battle to gain limited control over creatures affected by your Life Siren¡¯s Song. Only Dancers are capable of being completely possessed. Using Requisition on non-Dancers will cost 10 Siren points.
It was by far the most impressive skill. If she could reach in deep enough in someone¡¯s Soul, she was able to control their bodies the same way she controlled her body--like strings on a puppet. Her powers were like the necromancers of the old, except where they were said to be able to control the dead, she was able to control the living. Life Siren.The name began to make sense. Light is often associated with life, but for Kara, black fit the theme just fine. This skill did seem reliant on how strong her target¡¯s Soul Defense was. The more interesting part, however, was the mention of a Dancer. The part where she could completely possess them piqued her interest the most. Could she possibly use their bodies as if her own? If that were the case, then wouldn''t that be a way to escape this body? Could she use their Life Force? Their Mana? Dare she dream of being alive again? That might be her way out, but just too fitting. Kara couldn¡¯t hope but be suspicious. The Siren profession must grant powers based on the individual holder, otherwise, there was no other explanation as to how she was offered the perfect skill. The rate at which she gained skills was also too rapid. Or it has to do with how I got the profession in the first place¡ªby dying. A specific solution for a specific problem. Anyone that lost their body would want a new one. Kara returned to the battlefield the morning after, throwing herself into the fray with newfound excitement. She jumped from one fight into the other doing her best to dodge strikes with the narrowest margins. A part of her roamed the battle searching for a Dancer, while the other simply found relish in her fluid movements. More than seeing damage numbers pop all over the place, avoiding and dodging held a certain fineness to it. The stakes were higher, the difficulty of it all too impossible, but a winnable fight changed everything. She stepped back, turned sideways and curved her back, letting one spear brush her tailbone while she caught the other under her arms. The tips were Life Force charged--both caused an explosion behind her. She swung around her upper body, using a Kinetic Burst to twist, and lifted one of the spearmen off his feet. Before he could let go his head crashed against the other.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Is that why I am so fascinated with that kid? Something about him... just ticks.She had a couple of dozen theories why that was, but no real method to confirm any of them. In the end, the most important variable for Dancers was likely motivation. Desire.It might have been no coincidence that his quest for revenge aligned with Kara''s own. If a connection was truly required between the Siren and Dancer, then revenge was the connecting thread. Finding the opportunity to switch off, Kara tapped out, letting one of the soldiers behind her fill in the spot. She exited the melee and began to retreat towards the backline, hoping for a small nap. Things began to make sense. She could see the dots connecting, the path towards-- "Um... ma''am?" someone said, stepping beside her. Kara focused in on him with her Note. His hands were awkward and worried, one motioning for her to stop while the other reached for her. His shape seemed familiar, but Kara couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. He was a Wolf, though from how strong his Life Force Source was he as likely nearing Tiger. "Yes, soldier?" Kara replied but did not stop walking. The faster she got to the beds the more Mana she''ll save. "Your... uh, your knees," he said, becoming even more nervous. "What about them?" Kara said, focusing in on the other direction. A large amount of fire mana was being converted on the enemy''s side. A quick check on friendly Mages showed that they were now focusing solely on Kinetic Mana. Ha! Those fools won''t know what hit them when their flames get pushed back. Mage battles were as much a battle of wits as they were of power. Being able to sense the entire battlefield made things even more entertaining. "They''re...pointing the wrong way," he said, gulping as the sweat dripped down his brows. "Oh," Kara replied, turning her senses downward. Half of her leg faced backward. The knee itself did not shatter, but the bone above it did crack. "That''s not good." She sent Life Force towards-- "HEALER!" he bellowed, lunging forward. Before Kara could utter a word she was lifted off her feet. He darted before Kara could gather her Mana, his shoulders grazing the walls as he turned the corners at hazardous speeds. If her heart still beat it would have burst. Kara herself wasn''t in danger--her Kinetic Shield would protect her even from a head-on collision. It was her Notes that scare her. She hadn¡¯t yet tested what would happen if they were forcefully removed from her range.
4th Rank Healing Zone Increase the total regen of HP, Overall STM, and Life Force by 30%. Increase Sleep Rest bonus by 100%. Increase the recovery of Injuries by 50%. You may only benefit from this zone for a maximum of 6 hours. Each hour requires 35-hour cooldown. This is a shared cooldown with all Healing Zones.
"We need a healer!" he yelled as he entered a larger room rich with Life Force. Lines of soldiers laid on the edrolled tended by the healers. "What is it, Ron," a hunched man stepped forward, groaning with each step. "Sergil! This lady has a--" the soldier began, moments before the lady smacked his face, sending him twirling in the air and crashing through one of the walls.
You have dealt 343 blunt damage to Unknown''s HP! You have dealt a major blow!
Kara The Defier: Wolf > Tiger*
"That fucking idiot over there," Kara said, landing on her feet. She ran her hands through her hair as she sucked in the air sharply. He gave her a real damn fright. She finally recovered all her Notes. Unless they were within feet of her the speed at which she was able to move them was inadequate. The healer glanced at the wall as it collapsed on top of him. Groans could be heard under the rubble. "Nope," he replied, chuckling with a hoarse throat. "300?" "343," Kara replied, resisting the urge to finish the job. That was not a fun ride. "Nope," he said again, laughing in the same monotone voice. "Not wasting my Life Force on that. He''ll be sent away to recover. You may leave," he said, then turned towards her with a frown. "In fact, please leave." Kara studied his figure. The Notes showed him in rough ink with barely any color. Those poor healers were always milked for every drop of Life Force in their bodies. "If you get injured, you may leave, correct?" "Yes, but you must be inspected by a--" "Is this enough?" Kara said, pointing to her knees. "Yes, that is enough,¡± he replied without missing a beat. "I''ll be resting then," Kara said. She flicked her leg, letting the Life Force mend it. That saved her some time. Just leaving wouldn''t do well with her already strained relationship with whoever was in control of Dlar. Her not doing anything was outside of their expectation. "Wait," he said, sighing. "Yes?" Kara said, turning back. "Drag that fool with you," he said, and hobbled away. He collapsed on the nearest bedroll. Kara looked from the doctor to the rubble. That¡­ that might have been a mistake. 29 Kara stood on the Second District wall, overlooking the kingdom. The night did not hinder her. She extended forward with her sight. Being such a large distance away and at a vantage point, the different Life Force and Mana signals painted the battlefield in Kara¡¯s head She could easily imagine the ones that would use this chance to take out a business rival, or the soldier that would be able to feed their family if they did well enough. Growth, progress, desires. They were fighting for someone, for something. It was a beautiful sight. By the time she fully repaired the Life Force Seals and purified her blood from the bone fragments, the Second Phase would be over. Considering she made some progress of her own with her Life Siren profession, she didn''t feel too bad about leaving it early. ¡°Would you like a hot cup of tea?¡± Kara tilted her head slightly, seeing Ron striding towards her. He held two cups in his hands, their steam clashing against the bitter air. ¡°Is that a question or statement?¡± Kara replied, sighing. Ron smiled so widely that even she could sense it. ¡°How goes the night?¡± She''d thought things would get awkward, considering what she did to him, but apparently having three quarters his HP shaved off, not to mention the Injuries he got, wasn¡¯t enough to get on his bad side. ¡°No sign of hostiles,¡± she replied. The emptiness in front of her made reading Mana much easier. Anything oddly shaped or that moved with an irregular speed would be sensed well before it reached them. Ron paused, cup half-way up, before giggling quietly. ¡°I meant how you were looking up." Kara¡¯s eyebrows straightened. Weird kid. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Careful, it¡¯s hot." ¡°I can see that,¡± Kara lied as she promptly proceeded to burn her tongue on it. Instead of nerves, she begun using her Notes to feel more sensations. It wasn¡¯t temperature, but it was something. The Note itself was the size of a fist, but after some practice, Kara was able to stretch them all over her body. It was a more accurate method to sense deformities in her body. Injuries, such as her knees, will become obvious once she tries to channel Mana, but it was better to know before she got to that point. Blowing off her limbs was not a fun way to find out. It was not a perfect system, however. Notes couldn¡¯t be damaged but the feedback did overload her senses. For a moment her Life Force and Mana became hazy. It made her flinch. ¡°I tol-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t finish that,¡± Kara said, resisting the urge to toss him over the battlements. Sounds of battle could be heard far away. Her proficiency in Kinetic Mana allowed her to hear further than any creature could. The way sounds mixed and combined held its own beauty. After a moment passed, Ron began to wiggle in place. It took a few more moments after that until he spoke again. "You have a lot of spirit, you know.¡± "180 of it," Kara said, the words coming out faster than she could catch them. "Huh?" "Nothing. Why do you say that?" Kara quickly said. Her stupid jokes would be the end of her. "You...had such a painful injury, yet you didn''t make a squeal," he said, leaning over the battlements. He looked down at the depthless darkness before them. He was unlikely to see anything.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "I''ve seen a lot of strong rankers quit the grind because of it. You are a ranker, right? You¡¯re too strong not to be." Ah. Kara realized. There was a skill for just about everything¡ªeverything but pain reduction. There were status effects that removed sensations, such as Berserk, but it was more of a loss of consciousness than anything else. This fact was one of her favorite things about The Game. Ranker or not, everyone suffered the same. They could always choose the route Kara went and die in agony, become a grumpy shade, and then revert into something that was a reminiscence of their old selves, but most people wouldn¡¯t prefer that. "And you were even able to blow me away!" Excitement filled his voice as he leaned in. "To channel such a large amount of Mana under those conditions in such a short time! Oh, and sorry about that. You must have been in shock and all but I was the one that was panicking," he said in quick succession, stepping back when he noticed how close he had gotten. Kara resigned herself inwardly. The misunderstanding kept growing, and she didn''t even know where to untangle it. "It''s alright. I overreacted... a bit," she said. After she had calmed down, she found her actions were slightly overboard. He lost on a great number of points because he tried to help. He was wrong to butt his head into other people''s business, of course, but still. Almost killing him for it was a step too far. "I¡¯m Ron The Iron Will, by the way. What¡¯s your name?" he asked. Oh boy. Introductions among rankers was a peculiar thing. Most were quick to perish, if not during the Phases, then during Dungeons. Because of the risks they must take to keep up with the pact, their fatality rate was actually higher than commoners. There were a thousand different ways to die, and very few to live. Every day of breath was a victory. It was a sadistic, cruel form of life that Kara had fallen in love with. Asking for someone¡¯s title was a sign of respect and admiration. Giving yours was a show of infamy. Doing both was an extension of comradery. "Kara The¡­¡± The blind mage? The silent mage? None of them fit. ¡°Defier. Kara The Defier.¡± ¡°I like that,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°May I ask how you got it?¡± ¡°I defied something I wasn¡¯t supposed to,¡± she said. ¡°You?¡± ¡°I¡­it¡¯s not that good, honestly.¡± ¡°Try me,¡± Kara said. Titles were obtainable upon performing amazing feats--they were always good. Her previous title, The Marauder granted her a guaranteed drop from killing Sentients that were within 30 levels of her. When people found this out, most of them surrendered when she hunted them. It was better for both parties. She took all their items, and they kept their lives. It was a fair trade. ¡°When I was a kid, my father thought I couldn¡¯t run 10 laps around the kingdom¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± Kara said. Did he double that to prove his abilities? It wasn¡¯t life or death, but that would be impressive. Maybe his title allowed him to move or use Life Force even when they ran out for a duration. ¡°And I did¡­3,¡± he said, quickly sipping on his hot chocolate. ¡°That¡¯s not even close,¡± Kara said, genuinely baffled. ¡°That¡¯s actually stupid. You could have calculated the distance you can run.¡± He sniffed, muffling his whimpers before they came out. ¡°I wasn¡¯t very smart.¡± ¡°Well, it could have gone worse. At least you didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I passed out.¡± ¡°Never mind,¡± Kara said, giving up. It was amazing to do such a stupid thing, in a way. "I told you so--again!" Before Kara threw him overboard, a Game nonfiction interrupted her.
Defeated. The Anima king has surrendered. The Second Phase ends with the victory of the Animus!
You have gained a grand total of 0 points. Interesting score for the self-declared most powerful Sentient of the world.
¡°Well, that¡¯s the end of that,¡± Kara said. She ignored the second notification--she spent enough decades agonizing about her mistakes. A couple mean words from the Game could do little harm to her at this point. Instead, watched intently as the kingdom calmed. In mere moments, the turbulent flow of mana and Life Force died down. In a year or two, most people will forget this civil war ever occurred. After all, this was just child play compared to what horrors and wonders the Game is truly capable of creating. 30 ¡°You blasphemous traitors! Release us this instance!¡± the goblin-like creature bellowed, rattling the iron bars. Men around him groaned in pain. They were badly beaten and tossed into the narrow confines of the overpopulated jail-room. Only a day had passed since their capture and the rot has already made its home in the dungeon. The lucky ones seated themselves in the far-left corner of the jail near the gates, while the unlucky ones were in stacks in the far-right corner. Their corpses began to release their foul smell. Even while underground, the flies somehow found their way in. The guards made no effort to remove them. They feared the risk of disease as the rest of them. The only difference was that they were on the other side of the bars. ¡°Shut up already, it¡¯s been ten fucking hours!¡± another one called out from the crowd. ¡°Traitor this traitor that, the RNG gods will curse you and RNG will curse that. We¡¯re not deranged followers of your cult. Don¡¯t dirty our reputation, freak." The old man whipped his face around, revealing a set of two mismatched eyes, one dead white and the other brown. Each eye looked in different directions, but neither towards the person it was addressing. ¡°You dog fornicator! Have you no honor? No faith? They have failed the trails by allowing greed to blind them! You¡¯ll see, you¡¯ll see. A cursed you¡¯ll get. Double the threat, double the death!¡± he squealed, raising his hands up. ¡°Quiet down there!¡± A guard yelled from the nearby stairs. ¡°One more disturbance and you crippled fools will be skipping lunch!¡± The old man snapped his body around, ready to give another blasphemer a piece of his not so sane mind. Before the first word escaped, however, every person capable of moving threw their limbs at him, bringing him down. Only a few muffled curses burrowed through his lips. After a rustle, the gates screeched against the ground as it closed. The old man escaped the mass angry fingers that held him, indulging everyone around him about the wretched corruptness and vile nature of human beings, and how they had brought bad RNG upon themselves. Their skill checks will fail, their skill choices will be poor and their equipment will be cursed. Nilbog didn¡¯t mind the theatrics. His amusing persona distracted him from the stench of hundreds of human bodies huddled up in one tiny square. It got so bad that one of the prisoners caught him trying to bite their foot¡ªthey didn¡¯t appreciate that very much. The Second Phase ended with the victory of the Animus only a few hours ago. Rumors had it that the faction leaders battled it out in the background in the traditional five versus five-party battle. Ovalia The Iron-Eyed won. Now, Dante waited alongside everyone else that was caught for judgment. For Nilbog, this was the worst-case scenario. Not only did he not gain any points from Second Phase, but he now would be either drafted into their army or slave away grunt work under the very people he tried to kill. Though no matter what he ended up happening to him, being stuck at level 20 was not going to help it. He can¡¯t even protect himself from humans, much less travel the world to find someone who would give a shit about injustice. He knew he was unlikely to succeed, but he didn¡¯t think it was impossible. That, for some reason, made the idea of Siphoning Souls less insane. All he needed were four Souls, and his chances would go from impossible to just unlikely. An hour later, the gate''s screeching was heard again. A horde of iron boots echoed in the long stairs of the dingy prison, awakening anyone lucky enough to fall asleep. Nilbog peeked out from the cluster of humans, catching sight of a couple shinny soldiers. Each wore a full set of heavy steel armor, colored blue and white, apart from the captain, whose fancy white glimmered like a torch. They were a mixture of Wolves and Tigers. ¡°I am Khan, and this will be brief. Instead of executing you treacherous lot for your crimes against the kingdom, blah blah, you will instead have the choice to serve in its battle against the dark forces, blah blah, blah blah,¡± he said, stomping his pole against the ground. The entire room shook, immediately releasing a wave of disgruntled whispers. What the hell does blah mean? Nilbog was supposed to understand the common language perfectly. It must have been a cultural word. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "We won¡¯t force this on you. I will personally escort any man wishing to forsake this divine opportunity," he said, snapping the butt of his halberd against the ground once again. This time, it went straight through the ground. He looked at the hole he made, groaning when he saw the cracks spreading. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s coming at of my payroll.¡± No one made a sound. The meaning was not lost upon them. Not even the babbling old rat opened his mouth. Only a special few had the humor to nudge the hysterical man. ¡°Good, good. Each person¡¯s Danger Rank will be identified and recorded. If you don¡¯t got confidence in your Disguise skills against a Tiger you better turn them off. You''ll die, though more likely you''ll die painfully.¡± The warning given was mandatory. Not even kingdoms could execute lower levels without providing an adequate warning. Some insane part of Nilbog¡¯s mind saw the humor in it. Imagining humans yelling stop or we will kill you! to someone who had no intention of stopping would be a sight to see. In random sets of fives, the prisoners left the cells. As Nilbog trundled past, the Khan¡¯s eyes fell on him, threatening to crush him under the pressure. ¡°Hold up a second,¡± he said. Nilbog made no effort to stop, but the words were heeded by his body. Khan glanced to his side. ¡°Why is a civilian in this room?¡± he asked. ¡°I sense neither Life Force nor Mana from him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sir. He may have wandered into the battlefield by mistake. He had weapons on him and a hefty coat that certainly did not belong to him. I heard that he also tried to steal a bag of crystals, and...uh...stabbed Uriel in the eye. Do we release him?¡± the soldier said. Khan turned towards Nilbog, smiling. ¡°Of course not. I want to see how long someone without Life Force or Mana survives. Throw him in with the other lot,¡± he said with a dismissive gesture. On cue, Nilbog began walking. He took three steps before he stopped and turned towards Khan. "and if I don''t?" "What''s that?" Khan said, locking eyes with Nilbog.
Sentient Killer has activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has boosted Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 50%.
With the Soul Defense increase Nilbog was finally able to breathe smoothly. The pressure Khan gave off almost made Nilbog buckle, even with Sentient Killer activated, but Nilbog got his words out. "If I live. If I live, even like this. Then what?" Khan gave Nilbog a beaming smile. It wasn''t mockery--it was curiosity and interest. He enjoyed this. "Let''s see here. Knowing where you''re going, and knowing the tricks the Game loves to pull, I would say you''ll die in your next Mission. If you don''t, then I''ll personally introduce you to someone that might be able to fix your body. Deal?" Nilbog''s thighs quivered. He felt his blood reach the cold tips of his ears. The feelings he got from being mocked¡ªhe didn¡¯t like them. They were a discomforting combination of anger, frustration, and despair. The only thing that drove those vile emotions away was fighting back. "I''ll find you," Nilbog said, finally breaking eye contact. He resumed walking. After a few seconds Khan''s sight turned away from Nilbog. Being weak really did not bode well for people around here. Then again, who¡¯s to say the rest of the world isn¡¯t like this? Slowly, Nilbog began to realize that the world he learned of does not exist. It wasn¡¯t out of the norm for the weak to be mistreated¡ªit was rare for them not to be. Jack had it all wrong. They made their way out the cells and through dingy halls, finding only dirt and rats on the way. The guards that escorted him kept a tight watch, and the four other prisoners with him did not seem intent on escaping. Nilbog''s HP was full and his Overall STM was at 600. He had the Starvation debuff that limited all regen by 30%. He would not make it very far, even if he somehow made it out. His HP might be full, but he felt weaker than when he entered the prison. It¡¯s fine. His Shape-Shifting Disguise was going to get him through this. The user was probably extremely powerful, but if what Lady Viss said was correct, then it didn¡¯t matter how powerful they were. He really was a human. There wasn''t anything special to see.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has boosted Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 50%.
Wynjo The Savant: Tiger
A hiccup made Nilbog jump a step. He looked up, ignoring the cold air that burned his throat. The narrow halls widened into a square room. In the center was a middle-aged man with his feet up on a flimsy table. His arms were folded, and below the fur hat and thick coat, Nilbog saw a single eye, a tiny nose the size of a pebble, and a sharp chin. The man grimaced, groaned, and complained at the same time. A familiar face. Nilbog¡¯s third and most important target stood in front of him. Olivia was vicious, cruel, and power-hungry, but she wasn¡¯t evil. She hurt people because it benefited her, not because she enjoyed the pain of others. Nilbog figured that much from the way she behaved in the cafe. But him? Him? He¡¯ll tear that bastard apart. 31 ¡°Now tell me Rodrik, why does the Police Director, referring to myself, if I must remind your nut-brain, must waste his precious time documenting random rabble,¡± he said, his head tilted behind him. The guard stood flustered, lost at what his response should be. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure, sir.¡± ¡°Hypothesize.¡± ¡°W-wh-¡± ¡°Synthesize a contemplation via the extrapolation of present conceivable prospects,¡± he said, sneering. ¡°Uh-¡± ¡°Guess.¡± ¡°W-¡± ¡°Idiot--we''re looking for someone, obviously. They''ll be using a high tier Disguise skill, and you need me to break through it. Next meat-bag!¡± Nilbog remembered little of what happened before he evolved into a Shapeshifter, but he remembered him. He was too detestable not to. Two months did not take the wickedness out of him. He needed to get closer. To hell with a weapon¡ªhe had fists. He can do that. Anything to see that wretched face surprised, or even better, humiliated to be struck by a worthless Cub. ¡°Move up, one by one,¡± the guard at the side said. The scribe next to Wynjo sunk the tip of his feather into the ink, searching the documents upon the table from under heavy glasses. Wynjo, for the first time, glanced at them. He stood up, and with his hands still behind his back, he walked by them one by one. ¡°First is a Cub Warrior. Looks plain as flour. Second is a Cub Rogue. Irony couldn¡¯t hit you harder than when your potbelly will hit the ground. Third is fine. A Cub Warrior nearing Wolf. Fourth... is this? Oh, I see how it is. How unfortunate¡ªyour Life Source isn¡¯t linked with the rest of your body. I¡¯ll gamble two silver that you¡¯ll die in a couple days.¡± Not even a flinch. He was safe. One punch--that''s probably all Nilbog could throw before he would be crushed. Wynjo stood a few feet from him, his chin in clear view. He was still hideous as a goblin and smelled like one too, but he was as powerful as ever. It was the perfect opportunity. All Nilbog had to do was reach for his face, and everything would be over in the right way. It was all he had to do to guarantee the tinniest bit of redemption. "Finally, for the fifth. Nope, she¡¯s not here, bring the next batch. That dastardly woman is going to be hard to find.¡± They were nudged forward. The scribe had been writing non-stop. Alongside the two guards, they moved in a tight line to the next building. Nilbog couldn''t do it. It wasn¡¯t fear nor doubt that stopped him¡ªit was just not enough. Nilbog needed to get in more than just punch before his life ended. Numbly, Nilbog followed along when they were pushed forward. He glanced back a few times, feeling the rage and loath that tingled within. I will be back. I swear it, Wynjo, I swear it for the hundredth time. He turned forward, letting the anger move his body for him. He had to get through this before he got to that. Nilbog wanted to move quickly, but the rest of his cellmates trundled as slowly as they could until the soldier¡¯s barking made them pick up the pace. He understood their concerns, but he didn¡¯t quite care. They could hear the cries of the prisoners echoing through the halls. The smell of cooked flesh extended to outside its entrance. Five other prisoners were attached to slabs with leather straps as a woman in white robes held a poker to the prisoner''s faces. The device had a bronze handle with a glowing red rectangle on the end. One by one, each with their own sizzle and unique scream, a number in a glowing red was embedded into their cheeks. The torturer called them out as she pressed the poker against their faces. The men were then hauled to their feet and dragged off by their guards. Hunched, skinny, and with pitch dark bags under her half-opened eyes, the torturer seemed in a more terrible condition than them. "Pick a seat," she said, her voice hoarse. "Pick any seat, my dears. Get saddled and comfy, for class is in session."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It wasn¡¯t the best thing she could have started with. Once everyone got onto the tables, the torturer dipped the device in one of the cauldrons lined up alongside the long wall. More fumes filled the room as the remains of the crystal fell from it. She then fetched one of the crystals from a bin next to it. They fit into the palms of her hands. She turned around, show-casing it. ¡°Other than being used for healing, Blood Crystals have a couple of useful uses. Each one has a core. But for these ones," she said, tossing it up and down, "The core is gone. As you should have learned in the last class, a crystal releases the Life Force or mana inside it once its core shatters, causing various effects depending on its type. Now, imagine this: what would happen if we found a way to remove the core without activating the crystal?¡± She tossed the crystal into a different cauldron. In the boiling, blackish liquid, the crystal melted. ¡°In the right, trained hands, the breaking of the core could signal a frequency that could travel hundreds of leagues away. Now, what would happen if the out-layer of the crystal,¡± she said, as she put the poker into the reddish, molten-like liquid, ¡°Was in a person¡¯s veins? What will happen if someone breaks the core?¡± She asked, the wrinkles on her face raised in a smile. When her question was met with solemn silence, the torturer frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not good, class. You need to speak up to earn participation credit,¡± she said, bringing the device out. Under her gaze, the molten liquid moved and stuck to the rectangular metal end, forming into the outline of 663. ¡°Think of this as a more direct way of drinking a health potion, my dears. It might hurt a bit, though you know what they say: It¡¯s not medicine if it¡¯s not bitter." The guards locked their limbs and heads in with the strap. One by one, as the next batch arrived, the doctor pressed the device to the prisoner''s cheeks, calling out the numbers over their screams. Nilbog fidgeted. The stench was making his stomach curl, and worse yet, he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was out of disgust or hunger for human Souls. His cheeks itched, conscious of what is going to happen. Pain wasn¡¯t anything new to Nilbog, nor was being set on fire, but being branded would be a first. Each time she pressed the poker against someone¡¯s cheeks Nilbog¡¯s apprehension grew. It made him wish she started with him. ¡°Now, for 667. O¡¯ Guards, can you come over here? This one''s arms are too skinny.¡± His arms shook as the guard''s hands wrapped around his, pushing it against the stone plates. As the doctor neared, he could smell the warm breeze coming out of the poker. "Happy thoughts," she said as she pressed the metal against his cheeks.
You have gained a buff!
Blood Crystal Type: Crystal
Increase your base health regeneration by 400% for 3 minutes.
He screamed. It was only his cheeks being burnt but his entire body convulsed as the pain clouded his mind. He couldn''t think, couldn''t breathe. He wasn''t even sure if he was screaming, or if it was a silent cry. He might have fainted. The next time he could hear anything but his own squealing, it was the torturer¡¯s voice. "Pick any seat, my dears. Get saddled and comfy, class is in session" she said, laughing in the same horrifying rhythm. Definitely not right in the head, Nilbog thought, struggling to his feet as they were hulled off immediately after. The wound quickly healed but the pain and scar remained. It made him feel faint in the head. As Nilbog and the rest of his newly created party walked towards their next destination, the front soldier spoke up. ¡°Doctor Mashi forgot to mention, but all of you are documented together by the same crystal. Its dust flows within your veins now. If we have reason to think any of you have rebelled, all of you will die. Do you understand?¡± he said. When he only received mumbles and nods, the soldier stopped. He turned around looking into each one of their eyes. ¡°When your commanding officer asks you a question, you answer it. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nilbog quietly said, the only one out of them. His trained instincts to avoid pain made him think it was the right choice. The soldier sighed. He shook his head and then proceeded to pummel all of them. Nilbog flew across the floor, taking 5 damage. The others had it worse. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± ¡°Yes," everyone haphazardly said through their moaning. The soldier that escorted them was Wolf¡ªthere was no fighting back. Besides, with the Blood Crystal in their veins, there was no point. For them, at least. Nilbog could replace his blood with two or three Souls. He added it to the growing list of why he should. That list was getting fairly long, while all the con list had was that it¡¯s wrong. ¡°Good. As long as you follow orders, rarely will you be punished unfairly. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes¡± they said again, this time in slightly more sync. Out of the corner of Nilbog¡¯s eyes, as they began to march through the hall at a quicker pace, he noticed the obvious signs. A fresh bruise on the ground, dried blood and even a tooth stuffed under some rubble. It was a ritual. They wanted to pummel them. He gently touched his sore cheeks, hissing. Maybe that was part of the ritual too. The Game didn¡¯t give him any information on Blood Crystals beyond their healing effects. It seems a bit excessive, but Nilbog doubted any of them would be curious enough to test the limits. 32 The hallway lead to what seemed like a forgotten armory. There were corridors of weapon racks containing swords, spears, daggers, axes, and spears. Nilbog guessed there were around a couple hundred in total. ¡°Pick a weapon according to your proficiencies. You will be shortly using it, and whether you live or die will depend on your skill with it,¡± the guard said. Then, after a short, awkward pause, he walked over to the nearest prisoner. He placed his palm against him. After a muffled flash of yellow, 666 was tossed into the air. He struck the ground and rolled until a weapons rack stopped him. He groaned from under a pile of spears that fell one after the other on top of him. ¡°When your commanding officer says something, even if it was not a question or a command, the appropriate answer is yes sir,¡± he said, looking expectantly at the rest of them. ¡°Yes sir!¡± everyone except the one groaning on the ground said. It seemed he was not excluded, as in the next moment the guard began to kick and stomp on his slithering body. 666 brought his hands up to his head and balled up, but from the sounds of it, it didn¡¯t do much for him. ¡°I will repeat myself for the final time. When your commanding officer says something, you answer, no matter what condition you are in. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Good. You have one minute to decide.¡± Nilbog wandered around, trying each weapon in hand. He felt like he could use any of it, and he likely could. He wouldn¡¯t be a very good Sentient hunting monster in human flesh if he was made without knowing how to use weapons. If a bow was offered he would have likely taken it¡ªhe¡¯d seen humans hunting animals with it. It was much more effective than a spear. The uncertain future made him go for a comfort pick. The daggers he used at the caf¨¦ was the only time he wielded a weapon. Their small range and weight made them a poor offensive choice, but Nilbog didn¡¯t really mind that. They were small, light, and flexible. Being able to throw was pretty nifty too, plus he could hide them much better than a sword or spear. The issue was barely any of the ones in front of him were decent. The iron was crooked and was too heavy for its small size. It was incomparable to the ones he had used.
Old Rusted Dagger Weapon Type: Dagger Weapon Star: ¡ï
Slash: ¡ï Thrust: ¡ï Durability: ¡ï The only thing that you can use this piece of metal is to kill is yourself, and even then, it would be foolish to wholeheartedly rely on it.
Nilbog grimaced. That was some nasty flavor text. The others were any better, but while others had Life Force to make up for it, he of course had nothing. ¡°What seems to be the issue, 666?¡± The soldier said. 666 lowered his hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unfair for us to be stuck with an idiot that can¡¯t even use any Source? And can that thing even run?" he said, pointing towards the 665. His tummy was hard to miss. "Isn''t it unfair I have to escort worthless little shits like you instead of leveling up?" "Uh...yes sir..." 666 said, his face turning red. Getting humiliated got to him better than getting beat. "Keep quiet then. We leave." Nilbog didn¡¯t bother hiding his chuckles. He got a glare from 666 for it, though it didn¡¯t really matter. With, or without Nilbog¡¯s efforts, 666 would still end up blaming him and 665 for most of the shortcomings their rugged party meets with. Nilbog was beginning to become familiar with his kind. They finally saw the light of day, and spirits were they hideous. An open field of dirt spread before the base. Every other building wrapped around it like a horseshoe. Lines of prisoners stood in front of tables in the center of the field, waiting for their rations as the soldiers watched them from the sides. Those that skipped the line or made a ruckus were beaten. Worse yet they weren¡¯t allowed to rejoin the line.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Nilbog and the rest of his party followed suit, all quiet to the point of muffling their own steps. They were too hungry to put up a fight. Eating a brick no longer seemed unreasonable. More reasonable than people, at least. Turns out the joke was on Nilbog--they were eating bricks. It was supposed to be bread, but it looked more like a rock. It felt like one, too. Nilbog¡¯s teeth could barely mulch it down. Not even the water could soften it. A part of him was glad they were given a small portion, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to swallow it whole. It scraped his throat and dropped into his stomach, where the acid was going to give it its best shot. His Shapeshifter¡¯s immunity to internal damage would hopefully protect him from the worse of it. The mental damage, however, was still there. Nilbog did his best to focus on the pain of his cheeks rather than the taste in his tongue. It removed his Starvation debuff, but did little else for his sour mood. It took an hour or so of freezing until everyone entered the yard. ¡°That¡¯s not everyone,¡± 664 said. ¡°That¡¯s every Cub probably. Anyone higher got a better deal,¡± 663 responded, scratching his beard. ¡°Or just let go. Better to negotiate than force loyalty.¡± ¡°Not us, though,¡± 664 said, pursing his lips. He wasn¡¯t skinny, but he certainly wasn¡¯t buff. After Nilbog, he looked to be about the second youngest person in here. Early twenties, if Nilbog had to guess. Not too young nor too old for his Danger Rank. Once they were fed, each party were given a large bag pack containing heavy metal objects of various shapes that they weren¡¯t told the purpose of. There was another one for tents, grinding stones, and even a few low-quality herbs that lowered poison damage. Nothing was explained, but it was easy to guess¡ªThey were going on an expedition in order to build something while fighting monsters that dealt poison damage. Once equipped, they marched out of the army block and towards the South-West side of the city. Dungeons sprouted all around the kingdom, and while they were highly sought after and monopolized for their great rewards but limited uses, the low-level ones were cleared as quickly as possible. There was a pretty good chance that the kingdom would gain some type of bonus depending on the difficulty and scale of the Dungeon. Besides, nobody cared about the low-levels. From what Nilbog saw of humanity¡¯s power structure, Wolves and Tigers were in power, so they didn¡¯t need to hog anything made for Cubs. Anyone less did not pose a danger to them. By the time Cubs became Wolves, the Wolves would have become Tigers. Catching up without taking extra risks was unlikely. ¡°Why us? They could do it themselves much quicker,¡± someone behind Nilbog said. ¡°They can''t, dimwit. There is a level cap. They¡¯re also trying to increase our level so they could use us more later.¡± ¡°You reckon we¡¯ll be part of the army, once we get stronger?¡± ¡°Nah. We might get a position but they¡¯ll always put us in the most dangerous spots. They¡¯ll milk us dry. I heard some of us are going to be doing a raid." "What about the mountains to the north? Isn¡¯t iron and crystals more important?¡± ¡°No point to weapons if you¡¯ve starved to death.¡± Nilbog listened in, comparing the information he had to others. He stayed to himself, the rest of his party doing likewise. Few people, in general, exchanged words. They were strangers, not the organized ''civil war defectors'' they were labeled to be. It was all just a farce by Olivia to get more people to do her bidding. Not evil, just a vicious, heartless opportunist. As they marched from one street to the next, Nilbog was able to get a good look at the new state of the kingdom he was going to have to fight for, and then fight against. The dreadful smell of cooked flesh was everywhere. Corpses didn¡¯t just vanish. The Second Phase began immediately after the first, leaving no time for burials. Mounds of them spat a nauseous odor as they were burned. The constant rain barrage did little to wash away its stench, and only drenched Nilbog to the bone, causing the wind to bite that much harder. The greatest pyres were those in the Third District, where the population was the densest. Nilbog could only imagine the tragedy that occurred there. Hundreds of different dark lines crept skyward, feeding the gray clouds. Nilbog shook his head. Let the entire world be swallowed by those black flames, for all he cared. Their savagery was none of his business. By nightfall, they laid down their equipment in a clearance within the forest. They were given instructions on how to set camp, including more bread, and were reminded that any attempts of escape would result in death. Other than protection against monster attacks, few guards kept watch. It was an effective tactic in reducing desertion rates, as it showed confidence in the Blood Crystals as the sole preventative, but as Nilbog soon found out, no ingenious, penetrative, and thoroughly crafted method was sufficient enough to prevent human stupidity from ultimately prevailing. A dozen or so attempted to escape that night. A couple were caught by the guard¡¯s patrolling, some were caught by their own party mates, and only a few individuals and one group escaped. When sunrise, after another inadequate meal, everyone was gathered in front Khan. On his left was a tree that had seven people hanging off by the ropes of their feet, and on his right were four numbered jewelry boxes. Within it, in fur covering, were red orbs. The light within them moved around as if it was liquid. Khan picked one, raising it into the air. ¡°Observe what disobedience will result in!¡± he yelled, crushing the core within his gauntlets. A tiny flash of red light escaped his fingers as the red liquid dripped down his fingers. Nothing happened. The prisoners looked at each other, confused. A few daring ones went as far as to giggle. Khan shrugged and tossed aside the broken pieces. ¡°Probably the ones that escaped. Let¡¯s try this one,¡± he said, as he picked up another and crushed it. Once again nothing happened. Then, very slowly, blood seeped down from one of the prisoner''s eyes. It began with a few drops at a time, and then it gushed through his mouth, eyes, and ears. He died instantly¡ªthere were no screams. There was only the sound of the wind rustling the trees, and the sound of his blood falling to the floor like his body like a broken faucet. Khan crushed one after another, and not for a single moment was Nilbog able to turn his eyes away. Meatbags. Nilbog finally understood what Wynjo meant. 33 Hours passed as the army marched but Nilbog still could not wipe the disgust from his guts. A somber mood overtook everyone. There was little noise beyond the sound of hundreds of feet pressing against poorly made dirt road. He held the straps of his backpack as it dug into his shoulder, attempting to lessen the pain. The wind was bitter enough to feel like daggers against Nilbog¡¯s skin, and though it was commonplace by now, complaining about it hasn¡¯t grown old on Nilbog yet. The muggy bogs he was born in were far different than the brutal rain and storms this area had. He groaned, struggling with his load. It was nearly as large as him and weighed nearly as much. He was probably the lowest level in here, and while his base stats were still higher for being a ranked A in comparison to a human¡¯s rank C, the difference was still too large. ¡°Need a hand?¡± a man said on Nilbog¡¯s side. Nilbog looked up from the ground--he really needed to stop doing that. He¡¯d walk straight into another monster¡¯s mouth if he was distracted enough. 663 was walking beside him, his back bent forward, and his neck slightly tilted towards him. ¡°Why would you help me? We¡¯re going to reach the Dungeon soon. Each bit of STM saved will keep you safer,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°It¡¯s...because we¡¯re a party now. We need to help each other,¡± he said. ¡°Also, let¡¯s not call each other by those damned numbers. I¡¯m Lan.¡± Nilbog nodded. He saw where this was going. He offered his help not because he was feeling particularly nice, but because he needed help with his own weight. Not all Cubs were created equally. Those there were close to becoming Wolves were noticeably stronger than someone who just became one. He needed to plant teamwork into the party for his own benefit. ¡°I¡¯m Nilbog, but are you sure?¡± he said, slightly louder than was required. He wanted to make sure that the three other members heard them. ¡°I am but-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool,¡± Nilbog said, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m too old for this nonsense. You think I¡¯ll hold you back.¡± Lan said opened his mouth again, but before he could speak 666 stopped in his tracks. ¡°What a fucking idiot. You decline help you need because you¡¯re all too prideful for it?¡± ¡°Prideful? Look at him. He¡¯s struggling with his own and he wants to take a bigger load. Who says he won¡¯t hold us back?¡± Nilbog spat back. ¡°Watch who you are talking to, deadweight, you¡¯re just in it for the ride,¡± 666 yelled back. A few guards glanced his way, hushing him immediately. ¡°Calm it down,¡± 664 said. ¡°In-fighting will help no one. None of us are happy with the situation, but we shouldn¡¯t take it out on each other. I¡¯m Cijo.¡± ¡°The fuck, who are you to tell me what to do? You think you can order me just like that?¡± 666 replied. His hushed whisper failed to match the tone of his voice.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Ironic, how you call me deadweight, but here you go crying like a little bitch,¡± Nilbog said, out of impulse. He was too frustrated to hold back. Meeting Wynjo put him on edge. Lan quickly cut in, just as 666 was about to march towards Nilbog. ¡°That would be great, honestly. My STM is going to hit sub 50% soon. Even though he¡¯s mouthing off, Nilbog doesn¡¯t look better off.¡± ¡°We should just get rid of him, he¡¯s not gonna be useful. He¡¯ll only steal our EXP,¡± 666 said. ¡°Any EXP he gains will be EXP he earned,¡± Lan said. ¡°Unless it changed from the last The Game, I mean.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an annoying brat,¡± 666 said, glaring at Nilbog. Nilbog rolled his eyes. Another problem to his list, though this one might have been largely due to Nilbog¡¯s short-temper. ¡°He¡¯s young. You¡¯re gonna butt your head against a kid half your age?¡± Cijo said. Lan, seeing things going downhill, spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve already unlocked my class and a few skills for it, though as you can tell, it¡¯s not that good as I¡¯m still a Cub. Th first is a set of Control Zones. The second are party buffs. I can get a 20% buff to Strength, Speed, or Spirit, and the like, but only for specific purposes. The cooldown is a bit high, though. 5 to 10 minutes depending on the variant I use.¡± ¡°When did you unlock it?¡± Nilbog asked. Asking how Sentient¡¯s received there classes was too risky, as it might have been common knowledge, but from what he said it sounded like they had to unlock it. Lan still gave Nilbog an odd look. ¡°That¡¯s a bit personal.¡± Cijo nodded. ¡°Curiosity is fine, Nilbog, but don¡¯t ask those types of things unless you''re familiar with the person, alright? Nilbog nodded. It¡¯s not when they reach a certain level, then. Cijo didn¡¯t specify a particular class, either, which must have meant classes were not generic. Putting one and two together, classes were unique based on either the person, or actions the person did. ¡°It sounds like you have a supportive class,¡± Cijo said, setting his things down. ¡°Here, give me some of your supplies. I mainly invested in the Internal Life Force branch and basic defensive skills. I haven¡¯t gotten my class yet, though, so nothing special other than self-buffs.¡± Lan nodded. ¡°Sorry about that. We do get other passive bonuses. Check your Status Afflictions, you should receive a 20% EXP boost and 20% rarity increase anytime you roll for a reward or item.¡± ¡°How does the rariety increase work?¡± Nilbog asked. It should be a safe question. ¡°Parents never taught you?¡± Cijo said. Nilbog shook his head. They really didn¡¯t. ¡°If a legendary skill or item has a 1% chance of dropping, a 20% rarity increase makes that 1.2%.¡± Wow, how underwhelming. ¡°Give me some of your weight while you¡¯re at it, Nilbog,¡± Cijo said. ¡°You¡¯re get exhausted if you take both of our burdens,¡± the Lan said, and then eyed number 666. He didn''t seem bothered by it at all, but when both Nilbog and Cijo stared at him intently, he buckled. ¡°Oh fine, give it here,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I consider either of you pricks the party leader. I¡¯m Moon.¡± Lan shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t need one to lead over the other. We can just work it out.¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll be fine with that,¡± Nilbog said. All three them looked at him oddly, and then, unexpectedly, laughed. Everyone thinks I¡¯m weaker than I am. That made him feel safer, at the very least. His Sentient Killer should be a good surprise if they attack him. ¡°And you said he won¡¯t have a use,¡± Cijo said. ¡°Whatever. He¡¯s the only crazy one to still have a sense of humor after that¡­¡± Moon began, but stopped. ¡°Say, wasn¡¯t there a fifth with us?¡± ¡°Talking about me?¡± the 665 said, causing Nilbog and Moon to jump a few feet in the air. ¡°The fuck is wrong with you!¡± Moon yelled, pulling his hands away from the sword at his side. 665 looked back at him, his cheeks plump like a frog''s. ¡°I¡¯m Gale, a rogue archetype. I have stealth skills, and I¡¯m agile,¡± he said, his voice so monotone and dry that Nilbog doubted. His stomach bounced up and down, as did his man breasts under his ragged coat. Everyone looked at him with narrowed eyes. Nilbog didn¡¯t think parameters translated to physical appearances, otherwise, everyone would be walking-sideways from the sheer amount of muscle they had, but seeing Gale made Nilbog question his knowledge. 34 ¡°A party name,¡± Lan said, grunting. ¡°We need one.¡± ¡°The Five Fools,¡± Moon said. ¡°A better party name.¡± ¡°The Numbered,¡± Cijo said, causing Nilbog to wince as the throbbing of his cheeks came back. ¡°Taken,¡± Lan said, upon no other comment being made. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Cijo said, glancing back at the rest of the group. ¡°Not much further.¡± ¡°You said that last time!¡± Moon replied, hopping a step. ¡°What''s in this shit anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s parts for a Scout Tower,¡± Lan said with a grunt. ¡°What for?¡± Moon asked. ¡°What for!¡± He asked again, but slightly louder when Lan did not respond. ¡°Let the man breath,¡± Cijo said with a disapproving glare. ¡°It¡¯s...to map out the area. Device. The people. On horse. They¡¯ll build it. And other stuff,¡± he said, and then wheezed. Upon glancing back, Nilbog was surprised to see a whole different battalion join them. There were hundreds of them¡ªreal soldiers in armor and with weapons that can probably cut. A majority of them were Wolves. There were also a bunch of people that didn¡¯t seem to be combatants. The rest of the party turned to face forward. It was difficult to walk while looking behind, but Nilbog kept his gaze stern. He could have sworn he saw something orange. Already he felt the needles prickle his skin at the very thought of it being here. His eyes couldn¡¯t spot that grim color again. ¡°Watcha lookin¡¯ at imp?¡± the man behind Nilbog said. Humans weren¡¯t attractive, that was no surprise, but the one behind him was on a whole different level than the rest of them. The bones of his face seemed to mold according to how he was pummeled. Symmetry was not his friend. ¡°You pickin¡¯ a figh-¡± Two purple stones stared at him from above a horse that was stiff with fear. Nilbog snapped his head forward, his breath immediately running short. Oh spirits, please leave me be for just a single day. Nilbog glanced back, but he couldn¡¯t seem to find her. There were hundreds of them--there was no way she saw him within the crowd. A trick of his fears, it must have been. She didn¡¯t even have eyes. ¡°Scout Towers are an area that Dlar¡¯s invested in,¡± Lan began again. ¡°Costed thousands of Kingdom Points to buy from The Game, but it¡¯s worth it. It provides a real-time map showing allies, enemies, points of interest, and relays messaging an¡ª¡± Lan said, and almost toppled over a depression in the road. Cijo had reached in and caught him by his arm. ¡°Careful,¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°We¡¯re here. Look, the Dungeon Gate is right there.¡± A lone white gate stood in the middle of the road, towering above even the trees. In the center of the gate was a boar¡¯s skull orbited by two golden stars¡ªthe first was the Dungeon type, and the second was its difficulty. ¡°We¡¯re finally here,¡± Lan said, taking a deep breath. All the other parties in front stopped as well, their eyes focused to their front.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
You have entered a Dungeon area!

Hodlen¡¯s Breach Dungeon Type: Monster Infestation Dungeon Requirement: At least 100 participants level 50 and lower must be present. Difficulty Ranking: ¡ï¡ï Attempts Left: 1 Hodlen¡¯s Breach stands before you, shriveled and haggard. Previously holding mundane beasts, it now harbors legions of ghouls, ents, Stalkers, ogres, and everyone¡¯s favorite: goblins of all shapes and colors. Experience is increased by 500%.

¡°Looks like we¡¯re taking a break,¡± Cijo said, dropping his load on the ground gently. Everyone around them did as well. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks,¡± Lan began, falling to the floor with his load. ¡°Monster Infestation are the simplest. All we got to do is kill most of the monsters and the boss. We¡¯ll fight alongside other party memb¡ª"

Special Event: Secret Dungeon! Dungeon Type: Battle Royal Secret Dungeon Requirement: At least 100 participants level 50 and lower must be present. 75% of participants must be on neutral/hostile terms to fulfill the secret Dungeon requirements. Difficulty Ranking: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï Experience is increased by 1000%. Killing monsters and Sentients will provide points. The first reward will be given based on how many points your party has accumulated in total, and the second will depend on how many points you have individually accumulated. Being unable to defeat the boss within 60 minutes will cause a Dungeon Fail.

The ground began to shake. With a ground quivering blow the gate shattered. Chunks of stone fell to the ground, revealing its true black and red hue. The Dungeon icon changed into two red crisscrossing swords with four stars orbiting it at a much faster pace. ¡°It¡¯s a Secret Dungeon,¡± Lan whispered. ¡°We can¡¯t even back out!¡± Once the secret requirements for the Dungeon are met, there was no avoiding it. Everyone would be forced into it, and this one was a death trap. It pitted everyone against each other. Ah, Khan, I see what you meant. The gates began to open, pushing aside the shell it had discarded. A blinding white light escaped through it, covering the entire forest. It touched Nilbog¡¯s skin, and then went through it, turning him into a white glimmer. Panic immediately ensued. Yelling, screaming, and screeching were in abundance. Horses panicked and people ran amok for no good reason. Slightly better off, Nilbog unfastened the weight at his back, retrieved his two daggers and the last of his stone-like bread. The rest of his party did the same, with a mixture of curses and prays. Nilbog smiled smugly; he was already used to demented situations occurring on daily bases. The rest of his party were less so. They will learn. It always gets worse.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 50%.
His ears perked up. Through the shouting and rabid chaos of half a thousand men, Nilbog heard the wind behind him. He turned around, his eyes as he saw The Blind Mage flying through the air, hands outstretched and finger¡¯s sharp. He could not move, could not change his blank facial expression as she flew, tossing aside everyone besides them like they were ragdolls. Her eyebrows match the color of her hair, Nilbog noted. He could see a hint of them peeking above her cloth. He saw how the veins on her hand pushed against her skin, inches away from his face. He knew he had to move; something was odd about how her index finger looked. It left behind a yellow fog as it moved. A skill of some sort, probably. Would it track him? Would it kill him? Just what did she want from him? After he blinked, he was gone. 35 Kara flew by weightlessly, rolling across the ground and throwing herself to her feet. She clenched her fists, cursing. She was left standing in the field alone, surrounded by hundreds of backpacks. A couple hundred white rays entered the gate. It closed quickly after, its color turning into a faded gray. He escaped--again. But not for long, you scoundrel. Her 5th rank Life Force Signal reached in time--it would last a good hour, relaying the location he was in. Kara ignored the shouting of the soldiers behind her. Really, what did Olivia think would happen? Forcing large groups of crossed low-levels into clearing a Dungeon is just asking for The Game to screw them over. Either she was far dumber than Kara expected her to be, or this part of her plan. There was no helping the fools around her¡ªshe had more important matters to get to. She needed a quiet spot to plant herself in. It was time to test the limits of the Life Siren profession. If her guess was right, it should work. If she was wrong? Well, Kara never liked to thing about these negative sort of things. *** Nilbog¡¯s feet touched the ground a second later. Dead leaves cracked like glass under him. The rest of his party materialized at the same time, falling to the floor with their swords, shields, and spears falling on top of them. Nilbog wasn¡¯t completely unscathed. He felt something in his heart buckle but hold. He bought his head up, surveying the area. The sun hid behind the clouds as usual. Trees stood tall and crooked all around them, their branches full of stiff leaves. The strange stone-like leaves were sharp and firm, but they weren''t sharp enough to pierce his boots as he walked on them. Thick bushes stuck themselves under each tree, providing complete coverage. It wasn¡¯t lush as much as it was crowded with long grass growing over each other. He glanced at his teammates slithering about the floor, moaning and pressing their hands against their heads. Some of them got cuts from the leaves, though the pain in their heads seemed to be worst. Nilbog didn¡¯t share their sentiment. His body felt smooth and firm, the daggers in his hands fitting perfectly. His senses were on point. He could hear each leaf clicking against each other with the soft breeze. Three squirrels ran overhead, and a raven croaked above as it stared directly at them. ¡°Why the fuck are you not shitting your pants?¡± Moon said, raising up. He took two threatening steps towards Nilbog until he fell. How slow. Nilbog glanced to the side, to his feet, and then back up. Moon was still falling, just a hand¡¯s reach away. He could have stopped Moon¡¯s descent with one hand; he felt it in him, but he didn¡¯t. He stepped to the side, and watched Moon had one hand out blindly in front of him, searching for the floor as his face crumpled hideously. It was the Sentient Killer skill, he realized. The difference in Danger Ranks between him and her gave him 75% Soul Defense, 37.5% increased parameters, and 30% reduced damage. Short-Breath also remained active. His vastly increased Soul Defense might have protected him against the harmful effects of teleportation. The way percentages worked was something Nilbog still did not get. Would a 75% Soul Defense reduce the harmful effects by 75%, or would it just increase his Soul Defense by 75%? This was the first time he had the time to feel Sentient Killer''s effects--most of the time he was too busy running for his life to savor the power coursing through. Even though Kara The Defier was gone, the buffs remained for a duration. Something felt auspicious¡ªit must have been a Tracking skill. If his body was still fighting against it, then it would make sense why Sentient Killer¡¯s effects remained active. Moon hit the floor with an oof, sending leaf flying all over the place. Before Nilbog could laugh, he crumbled to the floor, his brain feeling like squished mush. He sucked a sharp breath and then quickly coughed it out, realizing it was frigid and full of dust. His defenses failed. The Game would have informed him if he resisted anything. All his parameters went down to normal. ¡°Fucking idiot, so slow that even nausea takes time to hit you,¡± Moon said, grabbing a leaf and throwing it at him. It bounced off Nilbog¡¯s shoulder as he joined the rest of his party members in their agony. They groaned and moaned, kicked and whimpered in unity. Each took a different corner to empty their stomachs at. His Shapeshifter skill negated organ damage, so it mustn¡¯t have been a physical effect. Teleportation must have impacted the Soul rather than the body. It caused his insides to revolt against him. ¡°At least...we¡¯re building a bond,¡± Lan said through wet eyes. ¡°That¡¯s worth something, ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Put a cock on your bond building,¡± Moon replied. It took a long while for everyone to fetch their bodies into a coherent function. They sat with their backs against the trees, their arms wrapped around them. ¡°Oi, look at that,¡± Lan said, wiping off his mouth. Above them, through the narrow openings in the trees spread a large pile of dark clouds. It spat lightning, fire, and blue beams. ¡°It¡¯s...moving towards us.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move away, then?¡± Cijo said, shrugging. ¡°That much is obvious." ¡°No,¡± Lan replied. ¡°We have time. We need to know what we¡¯re doing first.¡± ¡°Surviving,¡± Cijo said. ¡°We need to play it smart. We need a game plan,¡± Lan said with a smirk. ¡°How very, very clever,¡± Moon said. ¡°Me and Cijo will frontline. You¡¯ll stay behind us, stabbing with the pointy end of your stick, and give orders. The brat and fat-man will annoy them from the sides.¡± ¡°You¡¯re...willing to listen to me? I find that hard to believe,¡± Lan said, his eyebrows connecting together. ¡°Sure,¡± Moon said, with a shrug and an entirely unconvincing grin. ¡°Well, let me just say that I won¡¯t expect it when you don¡¯t follow orders and fuck things up for us. Anyway, I doubt we¡¯ll be able to fight against other groups. Hunting the monsters will get us most points.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°We¡¯re a man down, too," Moon added. ¡°Huh?¡± Lan said, turning to face him. ¡°Actually, don¡¯t fini¡ª¡± ¡°We got three men, and one brat and one-half woman. The last two count as a half, if we¡¯re feeling generous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of myself,¡° Gale said, turning towards Nilbog. ¡°Mind explaining why you can¡¯t use any Source?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nilbog didn¡¯t mind the silence that followed his answer. ¡°Let¡¯s move out,¡± Lan said after a while. He picked up his spear. ¡°Gale, can you go ahead of us? We¡¯ll move in a circular manner, instead of going straight. The storm isn¡¯t too far behind us, we got ten minutes or so, but only if it stays to its current pace.¡± ¡°What we hunting for?¡± Cijo asked, putting his heater shield on. ¡°Monsters, animals. They¡¯ll be easier. We need practice before meeting another group that¡¯s out for murder.¡± The bush ahead moved. Gale came out of it, his nose wet with snot. His eyes were half-open and disinterested. He walked towards the group, wiping his nose on his sleeve, and sat behind. ¡°What you back so early for?¡± ¡°Ghouls.¡± ¡°What about them?¡± Lan asked. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± he said, sneezing. ¡°The Ghouls? Where? How fa-¡± Two purple lumps jumped out from the bushes. One fell while the other ran on top of it, charging straight at them. Both were six feet tall with sharp claws and a large mouth with mismatched teeth. One was level 32 and the other 39, but neither had the yellow aura of Life Armor. ¡°Battle positions!¡± Moon bellowed, stepping in front of it of the group. The Ghoul charged straight at him and then jumped up into the air, attempting to arch its claws over the shield. Moon to the left, ducked slightly, and swung his shield arm to the right. The Ghoul smashed against his shield and flew towards Cijo, who nearly fumbled the handle as the Ghoul impaled itself on his blade. With the same motion Moon used to defend he attacked, sticking his sword out. It pierced the following ghoul straight through the head and exploded, decapitating it. A Life Force Thrust extended from his blade, striking the Ghouls behind it. The Ghoul that Cijo had pierced struggled forward even with the sword through it. It swiped at him, catching his face before he could duck. Sparks flew as it pierced through Cijo¡¯s Life Armor. Instead of taking his face off it only left two small cuts. Before it swiped again Cijo¡¯s shield smashed into it from the side, leaving a noticeable dent in its body, and then headbutted the monster, denting its head the other way.
Defensive Maneuvers Buff Type: Maneuvers Duration: 30 seconds.
Increase Agility, Armor, and HP regeneration by 10%. Increase Block and Parry effectiveness by 20%. Reduce the effects of debuffs by 20%. Having an ally on each side will improve the effects of Defensive Maneuvers by 50% and adds a 20% STM reduction.
Cijo kicked off the corpse body of his blade, sending it tumbling towards the next group of Ghouls. It made the first one trip and the one after it to crash into a heap of lost limbs, but the next Ghoul used it to hop over the front line. Moon swung his sword upward, taking off one foot, and then brought the blade down towards the Ghoul that ran under it. The Ghoul that went over was impaled itself on Lan¡¯s spear. Its momentum drag him backward. He fell on his back, flinging the Ghoul over him. The spear slide out of its chest as it crashed into the welcoming daggers of Nilbog and Gale. Four more Ghouls crashed into Moon and Cijo. More followed behind. Nilbog ran by the sides. When he noticed that the attention of the two last Ghouls changed towards him, Nilbog did what rogues did best--he turned and ran the other way, using the trees and bushes to outmaneuver the Ghouls. Though they were quick, they weren¡¯t too bright. Nilbog ran straight towards a tree, the two Ghouls following his heel. Then, just before he crashed it, he lunged to the side. The Ghoul closest to Nilbog, crashed into the tree, taking 7 damage. They were just as fragile to blunt as slashing damage. The other level 38 Ghoul reacted in time, dodging the tree. He attempted the same trick again, but at this level the Ghouls had the capacity to learn from their mistakes. Their Agility was also getting dangerously high¡ªa few more levels and he won¡¯t be even able to run away. Not wanting to agro another mob, Nilbog took it around in a circle before realizing the other Ghoul had broken agro and was running back towards his group. Nilbog made a quick turn, ducking under the Ghoul¡¯s swipe with the help of his Dodge skill, and dashed towards the other one. His party were doing well on their own, but one flank could break the line. They were fragile monsters but their claws proved to be high penetrating¡ªeven without depleting all their target¡¯s Life Armor, they could still deal a high amount of bleed damage with a penetrating hit. Nilbog kept his body low and behind the cover of the trees, hiding from its sight as he sprinted for all his worth. Just as the Ghoul lunged forward on Moon¡¯s flank, Nilbog sprung from behind cover. He stuck his left dagger right above its collarbone, avoiding the bones. As the dull blade jammed in, Nilbog used it to swing the rest of his body behind it, allowing his second dagger to come around, piercing the other side of its neck.
Complete Penetration! You have dealt 41 damage! You have dealt Devastating Bleed damage!
Penetration! You have dealt 25 damage! You have dealt Moderate Bleed damage!
Nilbog jerked his weapons free before he struck the ground, separating from the Ghoul. Lane stepped in to help as Nilbog tumbled up to Moon¡¯s feet. Nilbog got one tiny breath before realizing he was in the middle of everything. There were Ghouls to his front, back, right, and Moon¡¯s fully lit blade coming towards him from the left. With a yelp Nilbog ducked, letting the blade go over his head. A Life Force Slash whizzed right above his head. It struck two Ghouls that were standing side to side, digging into their skin a good couple inches before exploding. It knocked them into the Ghouls behind them and Nilbog towards the ground. Sentient Killer activated, upping his damage reduction by 20%. He took four points of Life Force Damage. By the time Nilbog was able to find his bearings again the rest of the Ghouls were finished off. He stood up in time to share a seething glare with his party mates. Gale, in return, stuck his finger into his hooked nose even further. ¡°Care to explain, good sir?¡± Moon said, tapping his sword against his shield. ¡°Or would you rather have me open the ball of your stomach and see what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°What he said, but without the stomach part,¡± Lan said. ¡°What you want me to explain?¡± Gale said, burping. ¡°I¡¯m going to strangle this litt-¡± ¡°Why did you not warn us?¡± Cijo said. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, and then scratched his other breast. ¡°If you can¡¯t kill a couple Ghouls when you¡¯re surprised, then I would have just left you guys.¡± A moment of quiet settled on the group. Moon turned towards Lan. ¡°Can I strangle the bitch now?¡± Lan shook his head. ¡°We killed a total of seven Ghouls. Five adults and two larger variants. If they didn¡¯t rush us sporadically then we would have probably lo-¡± ¡°The hell does spordikaly mean?¡± Moon asked, spitting to the side. ¡°In interv-¡± ¡°What does intervals mean?¡± Moon asked, a bored look on his face. ¡°Argh, that¡¯s hard to explain. It means to--wait. You knew the word I was gonna say!¡± Lan said, the pitch of his voice rising. ¡°Oh, did I?¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°Please do go on then,¡± he said. ¡°What a jerk,¡± Lan said, under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m guessing there are mini-bosses as well,¡± Cijo said. ¡°We can¡¯t just be marching around. The bushes and trees are separating the areas.¡± ¡°Anyone took a lot of damage? Not too much? Good. Gale, can you warn us next time? I think we¡¯ve been tested enough." Gale shrugged and went further ahead. Lan attempted to get some conversation going, but it usually bounced off from Cijo and came back to him, if it did not fall flat through Moon¡¯s efforts. Nilbog did not like the look of this. Lan did not inspire confidence in him, and Moon was even less trustworthy. Keep your guard up, Nil.These Sentients were as potentially harmful as the monsters themselves 36 A white orb floated in the center of the Ghoul''s corpses. A faint thread jutted from each corpse into the orb. When Nilbog got close to it, a notification appeared.
Common Orb Of Strength Increase Strength by 10% for five minutes. 10 points will be divided among the party if unused by the end of the Dungeon.
They decided to hold on to it for the time being. They had their next encounter after a few minutes. As detestable as Gale was, when he popped his head out of the bushes he was received with welcoming smiles. After sitting in prison for a couple of days, everyone was eager to catch up on the lost time. Well, everyone but Nilbog. Most of this was a waste of time for him. He needed to get information, not waste his time killing monsters for little rewards. It wouldn¡¯t be if I would just¡­ ¡°More Ghouls. Three Adult and three Bruisers. Level 35-43 now.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Lan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s find a good chokehold.¡± ¡°We should expect this pattern, I guess?¡± Cijo said. ¡°The deeper we go, the higher the difficulty curve will be. We¡¯ll farm Ghouls for safe points and experience, and after we work better together, we¡¯ll be able to take on the more difficult foes. Let¡¯s keep moving alongside the edges of the storm.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take it slowly, then. How far away is it?¡± ¡°Seven or so minutes. We got time.¡± Lan said, preparing to cast another Maneuvers buff. Things went smoothly. Cijo and Moon tanked the frontline, while Lan provided backup and a spear to the air whenever a Ghoul attempted to jump over. The flank was held by Nilbog and Gale. Out of everyone, Gale was the most suspicious. Nilbog couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but something was up with him. He was so unnaturally¡­forgettable? Unnoticeable? He would be in line of sight and Nilbog would still have trouble finding him. Sentient Killer did not activate. That made even less sense. Fortunately, no one reported on their experience gain. Everyone got slightly distracted at some point, probably messing with their character sheets. Nilbog did the same, though the real issue would arise later. Someone who lowered their strength could just slightly reveal more and more of their powers, but that was not the case for Nilbog¡ªhe was giving it his all and he was still struggling. While there were no skills that identified someone¡¯s level, it would be obvious he was not getting stronger. The next few encounters were not as...exciting as the first. After a while, the process became repetitive and predictable. For all Moon¡¯s pointless talk, he was proving to be the central pivot to the party. It wasn¡¯t just his parameters¡ªhis talent for hacking and slashing was real. Rather than using his shield defensively, he used it to push forward and force openings for his sword. Whenever he blocked or parried with his shield arm his sword followed it with a strike. His other skills, Life Force Slash, Pierce, and Burst enchanted his sword with powerful effects after a few seconds delay. With the help of his AoE skills they were rarely overwhelmed by the enemy numbers. Cijo, on the other hand, was a dedicated Internal Life Force user. He didn¡¯t use any fancy skills besides stuff that boosted his parameters or helped him defend better. He was dependable, but there was an obvious difference in levels between him and Moon.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Combined with Lan¡¯s versatile buffs, the hunting was smooth. They were at a severe disadvantage against other people, considering none of them were ranged, but they made do. None of the monsters had ranged attacks themselves. For a 4-star difficulty out of 10, this Dungeon was surprisingly easy. Either Nilbog was missing something, or everything he knew about existence was wrong. Yeah, didn''t think so.Figuring out there is a nasty surprise for them in-store was the easy part--figuring out whatit is was the real challenge. They spotted a couple of parties on the way, but both stayed on their routes. Just because The Game encouraged murder it did not mean everyone was on board with it. As long as everyone kept their distance, no fighting would occur. Which means, at some point, The Game will force us into it. ¡°Bear,¡± Gale said, appearing out of the bushes. His disinterested deadpan voice did not match the gravity of the situation. ¡°What?¡± Lan said. ¡°Bear.¡± ¡°Just a bear?¡± Lan said, giving him a suspicious look. ¡°Just a bear,¡± Gale said, shrugging. ¡°Let me see,¡± Lan said. He kept his body low as he gently pushed away the bushes. The rest did likewise, albeit not as delicately. It wasn¡¯t a bear¡ªit was a rank D level 52 Woodland Stalker. It had the head and the height of a bear, but that was where the similarities ended. It had vines in place of fur, and rather than wide it was lanky with short legs and long arms that dragged against the ground as it walked on two feet. A layer thick layer of green Life Armor covered. It arched forward, smacking and slicing gray kid-sized creatures with each claw and tooth. They were rank E monsters called Ash Goblins. The tallest of them barely topped four feet, and most of them hovered around level 30. Instead of the shriveled skin and hooked nose those white variants had smooth skin and no mouth or nose. They were wider than a human and bulky with muscle. A weak tint of Life Armor covered them. They danced around the Stalker, stabbing at its back with their spears and daggers. When they were struck by the back its paw, the Ash Goblins bounced back to lower the damage. Those who didn¡¯t broke, and those who were struck by the front of its paw were cut in thirds. ¡°Who¡¯s winning?¡± Moon said, spitting to the side. ¡°Can¡¯t see from all the bloody chaos.¡± ¡°The Ash Goblins. They¡¯re wearing it down,¡± Lan said. The Ash Goblins were in a five-one formation with only one of them staying within the range of the Stalker¡¯s claws. A line of pale-colored mist flew from each Ash Goblin on the outside circle into the one in the center. That Ash Goblin turned into a semi-fire like state. It wielded a sword and was in the rough shape of the other goblins, but the surface of its body was turned into yellow flames. Surprisingly, the ground under it did not burn. While it ducked or jumped over the Stalker¡¯s attacks, and took chunks of vines and Life Armor with each slash, the flames on its body depleted in equal measure. ¡°We¡¯ll clean up after,¡± Lan decided. ¡°Looks like a Channel skill. The ones on the side are concentrating all their Life Force into one goblin. Don¡¯t get in the central and they¡¯re easy points.¡± ¡°No,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°There is no such thing as easy points.¡± Cijo nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t know about this variant, but most goblins travel in packs. This could be only one squad, with another on the way. If we go in, we might get ambushed. This is a 4-star dungeon.¡± That sounded about right. Nilbog didn¡¯t know much about goblins, but he was made by The Game¡ªhe knew what it was like. The illusion of a lucky find was just another murder tool in its arsenal. ¡°Every opportunity can be a trap, but this one¡¯s worth the risk. Woodland Stalker¡¯s are ranked D mini-bosses. We can¡¯t beat one unless something else beats it down, like those Ash Goblins. It¡¯s perfect. If we do it right it the 1000% increased experience will give us at least a few levels. That¡¯s a few years of grinding in less than a quarter-hour.¡± Damn idiot. There won¡¯t be a future if they¡¯re going to be this reckless. ¡°I should scout the area,¡± Gale, out of everyone, said. ¡°Storm is too close.¡± Cijo said, shaking his head. ¡°Not enough time. Each section being hidden by bushes makes it impossible.¡± ¡°I say we should,¡± Moon said. ¡°Other groups will out-level us if we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s three to two. We¡¯ll move now,¡± Lan said sharply. Rational was out-voted¡ªGale wanted in, though he insisted on scouting. That only made Nilbog more suspicious. Willingly missing out on experience screamed ulterior motives, but no one else seemed to be bothered by it. Everyone just followed Lan as he began towards the Stalker. Cijo paused behind, looking towards the rest of the group and to Nilbog. ¡°Coming?¡± he said. After a pause, Nilbog nodded his head. He was stuck with them. Going off on his own would be even more suicidal. He''d learned his lesson about going solo. He glanced at his body with apprehension, realizing he was already shaking. He thought it was the cold, but the tight choke around his heart told him otherwise. It beat heavily and with a harsh burn, sending vomit up his throat. He placed his hand over the rough cotton of his shirt, attempting to calm himself. He snapped around, looking up and down. A few birds chirped high above, the wind ruffled the branches, and a few small lizards scuttled from one bush to another, but nothing else. Nothing was watching him. Paranoid. Paranoid about everything. Lan¡¯s word might have had some truth in them. Considering Nilbog¡¯s awful luck, though, it was only natural to be this vigilant. He moved with the rest of his group, getting close as Lan began to outlay his suicidal plan. 37 ¡°Before we kill the Stalker, we¡¯ll need to get rid of the Ash Goblins. From my Intel skill, it looks like Ash Goblin¡¯s use a channel skill--the one in the center gains Strength, Agility, and high amounts of physical and fire damage reduction. The more it gets hits and the faster it moves the quicker the buff will run out.¡± ¡°No shit, totally couldn¡¯t figure that out by myself,¡± Moon said. Lan went on. ¡°Because their skill requires one goblin to be in the middle, all we need to do is attack from one side.¡± ¡°How do we know they have to be in that formation?¡± Cijo said. ¡°They could be doing that because it¡¯s just a good battle formation.¡± ¡°My Intel skill confirmed it. It will break their skill. We¡¯ll keep that stupid bear in the middle with the rest of the goblins on the other side. it should be aggroed by the goblins more. Gale, you scout around while we go in. If another squad of goblins arrives, we run¡ªif you don¡¯t see anything near, come back and help us.¡± Gale moved back while everyone began using their skills. All four used Life Shield. The solid yellow aura covering them like an extra layer of skin made it obvious enough, though he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with it to know if they used anything else. From what he¡¯s seen, all four had a skill that buffed their parameters. It must have been another basic Life Force skill if they all had it. Lan cast a different skill. Instead of having Life Force over just his body, his Life Force began to ooze into the spear until it shimmered a bright yellow. ¡°Casting a party buff plus a Debilitating Zone. The next buff we¡¯ll get is in three minutes. Ready, set, go!¡± Everyone sprinted out of the bushes, warriors in front, Nilbog on the side. Yellow rays burst up from Lan and homed in on everyone.
Ambush Maneuvers Buff Type: Maneuvers Duration: 20 seconds
Agility is increased by 10%. If moving towards enemies Agility is increased by an additional 20%. Reduce the effects of slows by 40%, and other Crowd Control abilities by 10%. Dealing damage will immediately remove the buff.
The Ash Goblins noticed them immediately. Without hesitation, they canceled their channeling skill and began to retreat. The Stalker followed them. Once Lan got into range he threw the spear. It landed in front of the Ash Goblins, creating a spherically brown field on the point of impact. It slowed all creatures within it by 30%. It would have been a terrible skill if it weren¡¯t for Ambush Maneuvers reduction of slows. For the most part, the range allowed them to initiate favorable fights. Three Ash Goblins and the Stalker were caught in the radius, though because of the Stalker''s size, status as a mini-boss, and level, the skill¡¯s effects were dramatically reduced. Nilbog was the third to reach, right after Cijo and Moon. Moving under the effects of the zone felt like running underwater, but with the enormous difference in Agility, and with goblins backs turned, the kill was easy. He leaped forward stabbing with both daggers at each side of the neck. The goblin fell to the ground with him on top of it. It moved too slowly to struggle as Nilbog¡¯s daggers fell on its back. A few stabs and he broke its weak Life Shield. The fifth time he plunged his knife it went through its skull. All three of them got their targets. ¡°Good work!¡± Lan yelled, lifting the spear off from the ground. The Zone was quickly sucked into the spear. ¡°Their skill is down. Be steady!¡± Three Ash Goblins were left. With their skill off, they no longer had a super buffed goblin to contest the Stalker. They tried to run, but the Stalker¡¯s Speed was far too high. They stood their ground and began to trade blows with it. ¡°Now!¡± Moon yelled. ¡°No you dipshit!¡± Lan yelled, too late. It was far too soon. It¡¯s Life Shield was visibly damaged with the cracks spread all over, but it still needed a few more hits until they can reliably damage its HP. More importantly, the Ash Goblins themselves were not taken down. Because of Moon¡¯s impatience, however, everyone had no choice but to charge after him. Lan used a class skill called Leader¡¯s Target. There were two forms to it; either it was a projectile that lowered the target''s Armor and Agility by 10% for a minute, or a melee attack that lowered Strength by 15% and increased damage taken by 10% for a minute and a half. Moon used his Life Force Burst. Life Force slid up his arms and his sword, turning it into a bright yellow. The blade pierced through the Stalker¡¯s Armor, bursting within. Pieces of vine sprayed him. Cijo didn¡¯t have anything fancy. He just stabbed in with all his strength. It didn¡¯t go that deep, but it did send waves throughout its Life Shield, signifying he dealt a decent amount of Shield Damage.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Nilbog didn¡¯t even bother. His weapon was too short and there was no space to get close. The Stalker howled, taking one step forward and swiping backward. Cijo was unable to step back in time, but he was able to receive the strike on his shield. It blew him away a couple of feet back, denting the metal. The surviving Ash Goblins took the chance and ran. Nilbog took their spot on its back, and was pleasantly surprised the vines that covered the rest of its back were a mangled mess. The Ash Goblins plus Moon¡¯s Burst attack did a real number on it. It was still a foe to reckon with, though. Even with the spear Lan was unable to strike without being vulnerable to a counter-attack. Cijo and Moon defended with their shields, stepping back each time the Stalker swung horizontally, and completely jumped out of the way for vertical attacks--there was too much weight behind those to even attempt blocking them. Meanwhile, Nilbog stayed at its back, harassing it with his daggers. Piercing through its tough vines would have been a tall order, but considering the many holes and slashes leftover from previous attacks, his dagger was able to chip away at its Shield. Life Shield benefited from the same damage reductions that applied to HP, which meant it also suffered from the same weaknesses. That made targeting vulnerable spots deal more Shield damage.
Minor Penetration! You have dealt 14 shield damage to level 54 Woodland Stalker!
He struck it five times before the Stalker noticed him. It stepped sideways and turned, swiping at him. His Dodge skill gave him an extra burst of Agility as he dropped below its claws. Nilbog took a half step-backward, taking advantage of the Stalker¡¯s intelligence. Thinking he was going to retreat, it raised a thickly covered Life Force paw into the air. By that time Nilbog dashed into its corner instead. The paw struck the ground behind him, sending a Life Force wave that upturned the earth. It would have blown Nilbog if he retreated. Even with its side wide open, Nilbog did not have enough Strength to deal significant damage. He wasn¡¯t going to take any chances for a few extra points of damage. It was a mini-boss that was twice his level. Unlike the others, he had no Life Shield. Being struck meant their shield would be reduced. Being struck meant Nilbog would get crushed. He might not die in one hit, but he¡¯s sure to lose a good amount of bones. The Stalker hollowed as Moon¡¯s blade exploded on its flank. It swung around and smashed its paw to the ground again. He avoided the strike but not the explosion. It sent him flying back a good distance. It then dropped to all four limbs, its muscles flexing visibility as green Life Force covered every part of its fur, turning it into a neon green lump. Everyone jumped back. They had no idea what it was going to do. ¡°Hit it! It¡¯s an internal¡± Lan called out. His eyes were glowing yellow¡ªhe must have used some type of skill. Still, even with the added information, no one but Moon had enough offensive power to interrupt it, and he was too far back. A few seconds later, the Stalker¡¯s Life Force waned. It leaped forward at a much faster Speed. Lan and Cijo jumped in opposite directions, avoiding its charge. Before it passed them, however, its right paw extended to the side. It struck Lan square in the chest, breaking the spear he blocked with. He flipped a couple of times in the air before dropping to the ground with cracks spreading on his Life Shield. What was truly surprising, however, was that Cijo had dropped his shield. The speed at which he judged the situation was stunning¡ªthere was no dodging or blocking its attacks if they let it charge. None of them even thought it could run on all fours with its disproportionate body, but the Stalker made it work somehow. Thus, as it curved around for another round, a brightly lit Cijo leaped onto its side. One hand clutched its fur while the other stabbed at its side. The Stalker swung around, attempting to shake Cijo off. When it had no success, it stopped and stood up, raising its right paw into the air. Its arms were so long that its arm could reach the other side, and Cijo was in no position to dodge¡ªonly one hand was able to clutch the fur. The other had his sword. What he was successful in doing, though, was slowing down the Stalker enough. Lan''s half-broken spear pierced through one of its hind legs, slowing it just enough for Moon¡¯s Life Force Pierce to explode into its other leg. It¡¯s right paw, instead of crushing Cijo, fell forward against the ground. Cijo used this chance to climb into a better position. He would have been shaken off had his sword failed to find the open the spot that Moon blew to pieces. The sword completely penetrated, getting stuck in its thick flesh as he began twisting it inside it. It¡¯s Life Shield completely broke¡ªeven Nilbog can penetrate now. Monsters felt pain. Too distracted by the metal inside its body, it charged heads first into a tree, cutting its howls short, but Cijo jumped too late. His lower body caught the tree, sending him spinning through the dirt a couple of times. His Life Shield cracked and shattered¡ªwhatever skill he used to increase his Agility and Strength might have reduced his defenses. The Stalker leaped from its back to its legs. It stood up on its hind legs and turned to finish Cijo off, but was met with Moon¡¯s second Life Force Burst. He had jumped, and with the momentum of his sprint his sword pierced the beast''s neck and exploded within, discharging red fog from its mouth and ears. ¡°Fucking thing won¡¯t go dow-¡± Moon said, landing on his feet moments before the Stalker paws sent him flying again. An audible crack was heard as his Life Force shattered. ¡°Over here!¡± Nilbog yelled as he finally caught up. The Stalker¡¯s brain was probably half-blown by now, but even then, it turned towards the dazed Cijo. Having no choice, Nilbog went for the kill. He leaped forward, his daggers finally able to pierce something¡ªits eye holes.
Penetration! You have dealt 54 damage HP Damage to level 54 Woodland Stalker! You have inflicted minor bleed damage.
Its paw lifted into the air before Cijo bareback, slighting Nilbog in the process. It was as if he wasn¡¯t even there, hanging in front of its jaws with a dagger in each eye. It didn¡¯t even try to bite him. A spear suddenly appeared out of its mouth, scarring out whatever sanity was left in Nilbog. For a few moments he stared at the metal a few inches way from his face, uncomprehending. Did Stalker¡¯s really have that type of attack? ¡°Just die already!¡± Lan yelled through gritted teeth. He twisted his spear, making more blood spurt out. This time, there was no roar. The beast stuttered a few steps forward and fell, a low squeal escaping its broken throat. Nilbog jumped to the side, coughing as the dust settled. Cijo was able to crawl away in time. Nilbog immediately searched for any signs of incoming Ash Goblins. If there was going to be an ambush now would be it. He didn¡¯t find the goblins, but when he focused he did begin to hear that music again, if it could be called that. He didn¡¯t need to be familiar with the art to know that whatever dark power the Life Siren used did not fall into that category. It might have been what a chello or lyre was supposed to sound like. It was heavy, and like last time the more he listened to it the louder it became, and when he looked somewhere else or had a thought the music changed. It didn¡¯t come from a general direction¡ªit played inside his head, and it watched him. That he knew for certain.
38 ¡°What a lousy lil¡¯ shit. Imagine if it was full HP when we got here,¡± Moon said, rubbing his left shoulder. He kicked the Bearl¡¯s head, spitting into its burst eye sockets. ¡°Worth it though,¡± Cijo said. ¡°Down to 60% HP, but I got four levels. Lan is right--getting two years¡¯ worth of hunting by fighting a half-dead Stalker for a couple of minutes sounds reasonable.¡± ¡°It would have been easier if we waited. I thought we were going to leave the calls for me, Moon?¡± Lan said, folding his arms. A triangle with an open chest icon hovered over the Stalker corpse. He bent to it and channeled the loot skill. ¡°Saw a chance, and I took it. We get more experience for the damage we deal.¡± ¡°We lost a lot of Life Force for it! Cijo¡¯s leg is injured, and we¡¯re barely a quarter way through the Dungeon.¡± Moon shrugged, picking up his sword. It was obvious he didn¡¯t care. He took nearly no HP damage, and that would likely be the case for most fights. Nilbog hated to admit it, but the guy bad talent. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Cijo said. ¡°I was going to pour my points into Constitution anyway. That¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Do it now, then,¡± Nilbog said, still looking around for any signs. He wasn¡¯t going to let his guard down just yet. Cijo responded with a nod as he fiddled with his screen. ¡°Whatever,¡± Lan said as a purple orb floated from the Bearl¡¯s body. ¡°Score! Check this out.¡±
Epic Orb Of Ambition Each resource will regenerate 25% of its MAX cap. Upon keeping possession of the orb for 5 minutes, the resources gained will double in addition to granting a 10% total increase to Strength, Agility, and Soul for the rest of the Dungeon. 60 points will be divided among the party if unused by the end of the Dungeon.
. Moon chuckled. He bent down to Lan, a look of exaggerated surprise on his face. ¡°Now I¡¯m not a numbers guy, but I say following my reckless fucking leadership netted us a decent profit.¡± Lan shook his head. ¡°Right, because Cijo definitely didn¡¯t come this close to dying, and you totally knew we would get something like this, didn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°I did, actually,¡± he said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Big boss plus mobs multiplied by big damage equal big rewards. To prove this¡­check this out." After a smug smile, a notification appeared for all of them.
Moon: Cub>Wolf
Nilbog could have sworn the air thickened. It was that, or his Seventh sense was activating. There was no relaying on Lan with it on. The guy probably had Sixth Sense, but unless he was paying attention the skill¡¯s power would be reduced. It would be too late by then. The idiot was too busy bathing in his victory. ¡°Status report, everyone,¡± he said, ignoring Moon. ¡°HP 63%, STM 46%, Life Force 35%,¡± Cijo said responded. ¡°Using my stat points is fixing the leg injury. I¡¯ll be good in a minute.¡± ¡°Damn, not a single congratulations. Fuck you all. HP 94%, STM 73%, Life Force 54%,¡± Moon said, dropping to the ground in a childish pout. He fetched a sharpening stone from his pockets for his chipped sword. The low durability of their weapons required maintenance after every fight. ¡°HP 83%, STM 74%, Life Force 42%,¡± Lan said, then looked towards Nilbog. ¡°Damn, how stupid can you be,¡± Nilbog said, chuckling. He kept his eyes out, searching for the Ash Goblins. They must be near. ¡°You think you got such a nice reward for killing one half-dead Stalker and a couple of goblins?¡± Lan went stiff. ¡°Look kid, you need to chill the fuck out. There isn¡¯t anyone out there. Yo--¡± ¡°Wait, what did you just say?¡± Nilbog said, his eyes growing wide. ¡°Chill¡ª¡± ¡°Not that. After it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing out there!¡± he yelled, picking Nilbog up by the cuff of his shirt. There isn¡¯t anyone out there.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%. Mental Cloud has been resisted.
¡°Where is Gale?¡± Nilbog said, finally remembering. He¡¯d completely forgotten about him. Lan looked around, and after a while, he stood up, rubbing his head. ¡°Strange, I thought he was the--- Shit.¡± Now That was the reaction he was waiting for. ¡°I told you so,¡± Nilbog said, as the trunk of the tree he was looking at suddenly came off and began sprinting towards them. ¡°I fucking told you so.¡± It was the Ash Goblins. They had a Camouflage skill. It made their skin match the foliage, making cover where there wasn¡¯t, and there were a lot of them. Nilbog spotted 5 behind them before he began running. Moon did not. ¡°They¡¯re just goblins! We¡¯ve fought higher leveled Ghouls!¡± ¡°An unknown number of goblins and we¡¯re low!¡± Lan said, not pausing for the slightest. ¡°There''s probably six of them! We fight!¡± Moon yelled, but everyone else already began sprinting for their lives. Seeing that Moon caught on, but not after being separated from everyone else. ¡°They¡¯re going to catch us. Use the orb!¡± Cijo yelled. ¡°They¡¯re just goblins, we can outrun them!¡± Lan yelled back. ¡°I¡¯ll have enough Life Force to cast Quick Maneuvers in a couple seco¡ª¡± Before he could finish the trees ahead moved. ¡°Five goblins! Two more on left, three on right!¡± Two Ash Goblins hid behind one of the trees they past. They followed but did not attack. Left, right, back, and front, the formation was complete. Simultaneously the pale mist burst from the goblins on all sides, arched into the air, and then struck the goblin in the center. It¡¯s speed instantly doubled. In a few seconds the distance was closed. Cijo moved forward to receive the goblin. When it raised its sword for a slash, Cijo raised his shield.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The goblin lowered its sword and stepped to the side, it¡¯s insane Agility allowing it to perform absurd maneuvers even as it ran. It should have caught Cijo unaware in his blindside, but even before it stepped to the side, Cijo had lowered his shield and caught the goblin in the center of his shield. The Ash Goblin rolled past Nilbog until it struck a tree, sending flames everywhere. It should have been a good hit but it was barely fazed. Without a pause it stood up and began sprinting at them. Either he¡¯s extremely talented, or he¡¯s a good liar. Cijo had moved his shield before the goblin moved their sword. If that was a skill, then it must have been at least a rare. Lan¡¯s face sunk the more he looked around them.¡°Breakthrough! We have a few seconds befo-¡± With double the Ash Goblins, the transfer was much quicker. The flames flew from the goblin behind them into the next one. All the other goblins run along but did not enter the center, maintaining their channel. ¡°Split up!¡± Lan yelled, and went left. Cijo followed him. Nilbog went right with Moon following behind him. The enchanted goblin followed Lan and Cijo, while a different group began making another empowered goblin. This was not going to be a pleasant experience. The goblins neared from all sides, and while they were only around level 35, they practically had the same if not more stats than Nilbog, and there were at least five of them. It should be doable with Moon, however. He was much quicker and faster. If he protected his back somehow and¡ª
Sentient Killer activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%
Seventh Sense activated, making his body jump as something swiped under him. In a fit of panic, Nilbog snapped around just in time to meet the back of Moon¡¯s fist with his face. He fell on his shoulder, rolled with the momentum, and by the time he got up five Ash Goblins stood at each end. Fuck. ¡°Thanks for the points kid, you were useful after all!¡± Moon yelled as he ran away, unhindered now that all the Ash Goblins had easier prey. Namely, Nilbog. He stood up, glancing at his HP and STM bar. His HP was only down 12 HP, STM rested at 80, and overall STM at 487. Strangely, he wasn¡¯t panicking, nor was he livid. It was his fault for his carelessness as much as it was Moon¡¯s for being a human. He only realized with Moon¡¯s words. The Dungeon stated that it would give points on participant kills, with no mention that party members were off-limit. With Moon¡¯s words, Nilbog finally understood why the difficulty of the Dungeon was so high when the monsters were weak. The wordings at the end of the orbs made sense as well--It was divided amongest the party members, meaning the less there were, the more points each one would get. It wasn¡¯t the monsters he had to worry about¡ªit was his own teammates. Both Gale and Moon would receive points based on how much they contributed to their death. Nilbog knew it, he knew this would happen, but it hardly made a difference. Once again, knowing things will go wrong is the easy part. Not being able to figure out what exactly caused this. One of the Ash Goblins stepped forward. He was one of their senior members, Nilbog noticed, as he seemed slightly more fit than the rest of his kin. When he focused on him, a notification informing him he was level 39 popped up. It had no mouth, but somehow the goblin was able to speak with stutters, sniffs, and crudely made throat noses. Nilbog could not understand any of it, but he could roughly guess the situation. Basically, they wanted to kill him. The Ash Goblin played with the dagger in its hand as the rest of the Ash Goblins gave them a wide breadth for what apparently seemed like a duel, which was surprisingly polite. They wanted to rip him to shreds and somehow devour him, but still. It was very nice of them to do that. Monsters could sense power just like anyone else, and even for them, ganging up on him seemed too much. Or maybe he was to be used as practice, Nilbog didn¡¯t know. He felt calmer than he should be. There was no strangling fear that made his body weigh more than it was. Maybe he because he was braver than he thought, or more likely, really, was that he was finally being set free of his impossible quest. Nilbog and the Ash Goblin circled each other. He ignored the snarls and the taunts. It stepped forward, dashing with its dagger in and out without getting in range. Nilbog kept his guard up, watching for its movement. He could tell the feints from the moves that had a purpose. It might have been smarter than a Stalker, but it was still a goblin. It entered into Nilbog¡¯s range, paused for a moment on its second step, and lunged forward. Nilbog stepped to the side, striking its dagger from the side with his own in attempts to disarm it. Unfortunately, its Strength was far above his. It held on to its weapon as it stumbled by. Nilbog did take the opportunity to slash across its face with his other dagger, however, dealing a good 26 points of Shield damage. Nilbog jumped backwards immediately after as the Ash Goblin swiped back. I should have ducked and stabbed. I need to be a step ahead of it. Preferably two. Three if I can. Once again, it charged at him, swinging wildly. Nilbog dodged a couple of slashes and and returned shallow cuts in return, but overall he could not find any good strikes. Unless he put some weight behind his attacks, the knife would just bounce off and possibly slip out of his fingers. Nilbog couldn¡¯t trade damage, either. He didn¡¯t know what he was going to do after this fight, but he needed to maintain his HP and STM. There might be 4 more duels after this, though it was more likely they¡¯ll gang up on him the moment they sensed danger. He had to save something for when that happened. The music didn¡¯t help, either. He could feel it buzzing in the air in a metaphysical way. It was there but still out of reach and sight, but it was different from the first time he¡¯d experienced it. It felt alive and conscious rather than just a cluster of murderous thoughts. He felt like it was mocking him¡ªas if she was mocking him. Sentient Killer would trigger if she attacked him. It was the only thing that could get him out of this mess¡ªmaybe she knew even this. He couldn¡¯t tell anymore. He was more horrified of her than of the goblins surrounding him. Their hooting and jeering rose in intensity, encouraging his opponent¡¯s aggressiveness. Nilbog bent his back slightly, dodging the thrust, and then began to attack struck again, dealing 16 damage and minor bleed. He stepped in right after with a kick its chest, playing it safe rather than going deep. It stuttered a few steps back. Nilbog went in, dealing a couple of shallow cuts. They were all minor penetrations, dealing 6 to 7 damage, and probably only bringing the Goblin down by 20% of his HP. Its Life Shield was steadily decreasing, however. His dagger kept cutting deeper. A minute later the Ash Goblin¡¯s pale skin was tainted in red and dirt, its panting and wheezing a sight to see. It¡¯s Life Shield shattered with the last attack. He was an A ranked monstrosity, damn it all. He can take on a goblin or two. One good hit to a vital and it would die of bleed damage. The noises of the Ash Goblins around him had ceased once they realized their champion was getting thrashed. It made fighting much easier. Then, suddenly, they began cheering in their odd language again. They hopped from one foot to the other as they went in a circle with their snarls and growls. These treacherous bastards! How dare goblins not keep their word. Nilbog dashed in immediately, attempting to out-speed the mist that fired from the other Ash Goblins. It flew a step behind him. The Ash Goblin also went in, slashing in unison as they went past each other. Its body was lit with flames but it was not over. It¡¯s HP and STM were low. Nilbog raised his dagger, ready to push his advantage, except the only thing that was raised was two of his fingers. The other three laid on the ground, alongside his dagger. It''s okay, Nil, it¡¯s okay. He only took ten damage and received a Permanent injury along sides Minor Bleed damage. It wasn¡¯t over. The bleeding could be easily covered, and using his Shape-Shifting skill he could replace his wrists and fingers. He just needed time. Nilbog reached down with his other hand as he kept his eyes on the Ash Goblin. It was powerful but still stupid. Nilbog had come out of worse odds. He could bolt out there after landing a hit to the eye or neck. Even with damage reduction a hit should slow it down, but that would only happen if he could find the damn dagger. He rummaged the floor without find it. Nilbog swallowed vomit and spared a quick glance for the dagger. A bleeding stump bumped against the dagger. His hand was holding the dagger on the group, separate from the rest of his arm. The chanting of the Ash Goblins was mixed with laughter as Nilbog stared at the ground, uncomprehending.
Critical Damage Taken! You have taken 19 damage! Permanent Injury Incurred. You MAX HP is reduced by 10%. Moderate Bleed damage received. You will lose 2.1% of your current HP per second for the next twenty seconds.
Oh. Injuries did not register until the person becomes aware of it. Good to know. The pain broke throughout Nilog¡¯s body like a dam. The Ash Goblin began to move forward, his dagger ready. By this point, it had learned his lesson and trod carefully, even though Nilbog was unarmed. His body shook, the giggles quickly turning into boisterous laughter. ¡°I am unarmed! I am unarmed!¡± he yelled, waving his stump around, his blood dying the dirt in front of him in waves. The Ash Goblin, shaking off the oddness of Nilbog, sprang towards him.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Rank has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 50%
A Life Siren offers you power. Do you accept? Y/N
So that¡¯s what she was waiting for, Nilbog thought, letting one final chuckle escape as he accepted his fate. 39 A gale smashed into Nilbog, the influx of power tearing itself into him, covering his skin like a cloak in their pressure. His limbs moved with abnormal smoothness as he stepped to the side, turning his body sideways, the Ash Goblin¡¯s bone dagger nearly skidding open his guts. Nilbog did not stop turning, even as he dodged the blade. He let himself face the same way the Ash Goblin had lunged, and with what was left of his right hand he reached up, catching the Ash Goblin¡¯s wrist. He pulled it down. Amplified Deviation, he heard someone whisper. The Ash Goblin flew. As if thrown by some mighty force, the goblin went spinning over its brothers. It splattered against the tree, taking 102 Blunt Damage. This time it did not get up.
The Life Siren¡¯s Song flows through you.

Unbidden Wrath Song Rank: Rare As long as your heart still beats, you will move to the best of your strengths. Blood will flow back into your veins and your fallen limbs will seek you. You will gain Song Points by killing or dealing damage. Style will further increase the Song Point gain. At the cost of Song Points, you can recover 5 points of Bleed and Slashing damage per 1 Song Points spent. The cost of healing Blunt damage is doubled. Reforming limbs will require 10 additional points. Song Points: 0/100 Duration: 20 seconds. Damage taken will reduce the duration, while damage dealt will increase it up to 40 seconds.

A flashy beginning to the Song has provided you with an additional 10 Song Points! Song: 14/100
Nilbog stared blankly at his body. He could almost see the wind flowing on his limbs like a vortex, engraving itself into his skin and bones. His breath came easy and soft. Blood floated from the ground and into his wounds. His fingers flew back up, attaching themselves. It wasn¡¯t his Shapeshifting skills. He had no part in this. The music, Nilbog numbly realized. He felt its power flow in his blood. The voice urged him to step back. He did and was surprised to see another buffed Ash Goblin lung by him. Reach out, the voice grew around him. It was an order he could not refuse. Survive. That¡¯s all he must do, even at the cost of giving up control. His hand had stretched forward, tapping the Ash Goblin¡¯s smooth, round head. It went down. Straight down, its head plunging into the ground. The rest of its body swayed above it limply.
Congratulations! You have unlocked your body¡¯s aptitude for Mana!
Warning. You have used an overwhelming amount of Mana. Limit your use of Mana or you will incur permanent damage. Chance of spontaneous combustion: 0
Warning. You do not have the required skills to duel wield Life Force and Mana. Meet the requirements as soon as possible or permanent damage will occur. Chance of spontaneous combustion: 0
It wasn¡¯t him. He didn¡¯t know how to use Kinetic Mana or any form of Mana, but the bar appeared in the corner of his vision anyway, below his Life Force. Breath, the voice said, now slightly clearer. It was feminine. Distant but familiar. He did this, too, and was rewarded with more power.
Congratulations, you have unlocked your hidden aptitude to the Dancer Profession!

Life Dancer There is no inherent power in names, for it is sound that guides the flow of Source. Listen well if you wish to be a conduit. I. Gain a 10% increase to all parameters while under the effects of a Song. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. II. One of your Siren¡¯s special traits allows you to silently cast skills.

The Life Siren, Kara The Defier, has begun your initiation as a Life Dancer! You will gain the Life Dancer profession if the initiation succeeds.
An extensive number of tables filled his mind. A stronger headache began to ring in his head, but he ignored it. He turned his attention to the next Ash Goblin. It moved carefully towards him as the chanting intensified. It had a sword and was fully flame. ¡°That would not do,¡± he heard himself say, his voice foreign and his lips numb. He reached forward with his other hand, surprised to find it attached. It blurred each time he blinked. Everything began to numb. Colors began to fade away into black and white, and even then it was dimmed, as if he was watching through a tiny hole. 1st Rank Gravity Pull. Its feet dragged against the ground, as if something was pulling it. Unable to resist, the Ash Goblin dashed forward, swinging its sword. Drowsiness overcame him then, closing his eyes for him. When he finally tugged them open the goblin¡¯s sword past his side, with Nilbog¡¯s own fists swinging at its face. Nilbog wanted to scream but his body would not listen to him. It was in a semi-state flame. Hitting it would burn if not crush his bare hands. Something pulled at Nilbog¡¯s heart. It felt like something was pulling on his insides. The pain was so great that his vision dimmed again, and once he opened his eyes again his fist was glowing yellow. Deviation. For a split second, the mist that fed the Ash Goblin¡¯s flames swung up, leaving its body bare. His fist met the goblin¡¯s nose, went forward, caved it in, and flipped it backward. By the time it struck the ground the goblin had taken 255 damage and died.

Song Bar 2/100>6/100

He had to run, to escape the circle, but drowsiness came back stronger this time. He took two steps before the darkness overcame him.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference between Danger Ranks has increased the effects of Sentient Killer by 50%.
You have failed to resist Life Siren¡¯s Requisition.
***

Life Siren¡¯s Requisition You are in the process of possessing this body. Maintain control until the Soul submits to exert dominance over their body. Be warned that if Life Siren¡¯s Requisition is successful, it will end the Dancer¡¯s initiation and will change the skills that will become available to you.

Kara looked at her hands. She felt the cold at the tips of her ears, the exhaustion in her muscles. She saw the world in its fullest, in all its gray and red. And her heart! It beat! She felt it hammer against her chest. Her blood flowed and she felt its warmth and painful coldness of the air when she breathed. ¡°I¡¯m alive,¡± she whispered, clutching her face in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m alive. Alive! I can breathe, I can see, I can¡­¡± her words failed her. Her senses were overwhelming. She could barely think as she jumped from one forgotten sensation to the other. ¡°What do I do? What do I do?¡± Kara didn¡¯t know where to begin. One enchanted goblin stepped towards her and then retreated, luring her in as those on her flank lunged forward. She stepped forward, dodging the strike from behind, but the goblin kept retreating, keeping her at bay with his sword. ¡°Stop it. Go away,¡± she said, reaching inside her only to be disappointed. Her resources were lacking. Two 1st Rank Kinetic skills and her Mana was already down to 98 from a pathetic 120. She couldn¡¯t blow them all away. One of the Ash Goblins from behind and to her left prepared to attack as the one in front of her inched closer. ¡°Stop for a moment, I¡¯ll kill you later. Just let me enjoy this a bit mo¡ª¡± The empowered goblin tossed a Life Force Ball at her. It was slow and weak and barely a foot in size, but it was so mesmerizingly beautiful Kara just stood in place, staring as it flew towards her. A part of her wanted to get hit by it. It¡¯s been decades since she¡¯s felt the heat of life force on her skin. It was hard, but better judgment won. She used a Deviation at the last moment, turning it a few degrees from her. It struck one of the goblin¡¯s that moved in to attack her. The Notes were alive all around her, providing vision. She had no blind spots. She didn¡¯t need to allocate most of her attention to move her body, nor did she need to meticulously study the flow of Mana and Life Force. She can move with desire alone, see with eyes, and aim her skills. There was no delay and endless calculations. The lag between the real world and her were gone. She was here, alive. Alive. Every time she said that word it became even more strange. She stepped to the left, knocking the blade to the right with the palms of her hands and catching the Ash Goblin¡¯s wrists. She bent forward, allowing a spear to pass right behind her. She knocked it up with her tailbone as she began to multi-cast her skills. More goblin¡¯s jumped towards her with their spears and daggers, but it was too late. Deviation. 1st Rank Kinetic Burst. Amplification. 1st Rank Gravity Pull. She deviated the Life Force that moved through the air to the ground, disabling the Ash Goblin¡¯s Unity skill for a spare second. At the same time she created a Kinetic Burst on the right side of her body that pushed her to the left. Third, she Amplified the momentum of her turn. Finally, she pulled every goblin towards her with a gravity skill. The result was that she spun in circles at maddening speeds, so much that her arms threatened to snap while she held the goblin. In fact, her elbows did break while both of shoulders were dislocated. She felt pain again. It was still detestable but Kara couldn¡¯t help but feel thankful for its existence.
You have dealt 154 Blunt damage! You have dealt 185 Blunt damage! You have dealt 143 Blunt Damage¡­
Song Bar 4/100>100/100
The Ash Goblin proved to be a wonderous weapon. Any goblin she struck flew away. Damage numbers crowded the corner of her vision. Once she whacked every goblin in range she released her grasps, aiming it towards one of the ones that escaped her Gravity Pull. Both fell, and neither got up. Their HP did not strike zero, but the injuries they received rendered them incapable of fighting. The experience she received was the same as if she had killed them. She got 8 notifications informing her of their defeat, and then 8 more strange ones informing her that she was unable to gain experience due to not meeting her body¡¯s ¡°requirements.¡± Too much to think about. She couldn¡¯t process that bit, so she just left it aside for later in favor of repairing her body. She used up half of the Song Bar to heal to full, though the dizziness still remained. At first, she thought it was all the spinning, but after a few moments she realized she had forgotten to breathe. Would have been a funny way to lose this body. Kara laughed it off¡ªactual, full laughter. She could not handle all this joy. Only two goblins left. Both cowered, squealing as Kara struggled to find her bearings. She coughed more blood. This body was too weak to handle anything. She felt whatever meal her Dancer ate coming up to her throat. And all this pain. She had forgotten what it felt like. How she missed its misery. That¡¯s the way it should be. This was how everything should have been. There was no sound, anymore, but her humming and the wheezing of the goblins around her. She began to giggle. She held her stomach tightly, attempting to contain them. ¡°Alive! Alive¡± she yelled, laughing in between fits of blood. It was the only word that could explain what she felt. So many sensations struck her simultaneously that she couldn¡¯t decide what to focus on. She didn¡¯t want to miss a single one of them. ¡°Come, I have more to show! Much more!¡± She yelled, stepping forward, and hitting the ground with a thump. Not again, Kara thought as all her senses began to vanish. 40
Your Life Siren has failed to maintain the song Unbidden Wrath
You have resisted Life Siren¡¯s Requisition.
Nilbog coughed up a mouthful of blood as he broke free from the things that had surrounded him. He spat red and black bile that sizzled when it touched the ground. A fire was growing under his shirt. He couldn¡¯t find his breath. Nilbog glanced up, his body still pressed against the ground, and then yelped as he saw the dagger come towards him. He rolled to the side, the dagger sinking into the ground inches from his face. The Ash Goblin brought it up and tried again, but before he could bring it down Nilbog¡¯s fist caught its jaw, knocking it back. It took 5 damage and fell to the ground, giving Nilbog just enough time to jump to his feet. An unbearable headache rang in her head, yet he still moved forward. Swords, daggers, and spears were sprayed on the ground, but Nilbog could not reach for it. The last Ash Goblin stood with his club just a step out of striking range. Waiting for it to attack was not an option. He had to do something before the other goblin got up. The moment the Ash Goblin moved, Nilbog moved his hips to the side and swung his right hand the other way, attempting to hit the club on the side to direct it away from his body. Except that was when it turned tail and ran. The other goblin did the same. At least a dozen corpses were spread around him. Nilbog stared blankly, his brain frozen at the sheer amount of information he needed to process. Where can he even begin? Give it back! A voice screamed at him. It kept pushing, wiggling against his chest, but he pushed back, his efforts boosted by Sentient Killer¡¯s buffs.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He glanced down at his chest once it began to burn. A fire was growing in his heart. Give it back. Now! She howled again, her voice echoing. He turned around to look for her, and nearly fell backward as a spirit lurched forward. She looked like a Shade. Hell, she was a shade. Her body was a concentrated mess of black and purple flames. She had no eyes, ears, or nose, and only the slightest indication of a mouth. It clutched his face tightly within its luminescent hands, the chill of its hands spreading frost across his skin. ¡°Hand. It. Over.¡± she said, rage filling every syllable. Nilbog held his stomach. He tried to hide it, but slowly, the chuckles escaped his lips. He fell to the floor, holding his stomach as his laughter pushed the boundary lines of screams. The Shade stared at him, and though it had no facial appearances, he could feel its wrath growing. It was crushing. He felt he could die just from her sight. He didn¡¯t understand much of this, but he did understand what she wanted, and why she kept chasing him all this time. She wanted his body! His cursed, miserable body that he despised so much. No, he answered. They were connected. He could feel her heavy presence in his mind. You¡¯ll die. I can take you much higher. I refuse. I saved your life. You owe me. You saved yourself. I tried to be civil. Remember that, she said, and crashed into him. It was the same type of invasive force he felt previously, in what felt like months ago in the caf¨¦. It rattled his bones and squeezed his lungs. She traveled through his blood towards his heart. Things were a bit different now. There were no ghouls, goblin, or any other 4-foot evil creature distracted him, and truthfully, he was just getting tired of this old shit. He pushed back. Hard. With all the frustration he could muster just from the past few hours. It wasn¡¯t complicated, really. Either his mind was strong enough, or it wasn¡¯t. Today, it was. He tossed her out of his body, her demonic screams so high it burned his eyes. Her damaged form in front of him, fading in and out. Parts of her black form faltered and broke away. This Dungeon was a golden opportunity! You could have had so much more. ¡°Bye bye,¡± Nilbog said, waving at her with the most joyous smile he can put on his face. The wrath, desperation, and hate that he felt from her were unbearable. Smiling in the face of her power would get to her. It did. He felt it, and even saw it this time. Her skin literately began bubbling. ¡°I¡¯ll get you, even if I have destroy whatever remains of this world,¡± she whispered as her body finally dispersed. Nilbog remained standing, his teeth clenched tightly. Fear began to wallow up, threatening to swallow him, but he pushed it aside. There was no fooling certainty¡ªthat was not a being he can fight. Nilbog has become familiar with the terror Seventh Sense induces before a disaster of epic proportions happens. The resident hall exploding was one of them. Just the existence of her was the other one. Kara The Defier, I only wish you would do so. She brought a genuine smile to Nilbog¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t in the manner he was hoping for, but he finally found a chance at accomplishing his goal. Luck wasn¡¯t so cruel to him after all. The rest, of course, is going to depend on whether his charisma will be enough to convince that jumble of madness to do his bidding. 41 There was loot to be had, something Nilbog rarely dealt with. An orange chest connecting each goblin¡¯s corpse with a thread appeared in the center of them all. Not all were dead¡ªsome were just knocked out. Considering the chest connected to their bodies, it likely meant they were defeated. There was no point in killing them unless he wanted their Souls. Which he absolutely did not. Nilbog placed his hand over the chest. It flared, causing the air around it to vibrate. After a low drum that rose in intensity, it blew open with fireworks and confetti. An invisible crowd cheered as the chest began to fade, leaving behind a bright orange flame. A bit much, but okay. Nilbog reached for the flame. It lit brighter for a few moments before vanishing inside him.

Legendary Undying Flame Against fate you have survived, and thus you have gained an extra life. As long as Undying Flame remains Soul Bound to you, dying will cause you to respawn at the end of the Dungeon. Your score will be reset to zero, and you may not claim any rewards. A Dungeon Failure will appear on your record, regardless of what happens to the Dungeon itself. If not used by the end of the Dungeon, you will gain 30 points and a 300% experience boost to all experience attained during the time you were in possession of the Undying Flame.

It was...amazing. Orange was the most glorious color of all, and for him to receive it because he survived against a squad of goblins? Well, for someone who was level fifty, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but for someone who¡¯s level 20... It wasn''t just that. The goblins with their channel skill, and the fight with the Stalker... it was all a trap. The Game purposefully created that scenario lure unsuspecting fools. Kara was right. What she did was ludicrous. Whoever, or whatever she was, did something that was not supposed to happen. The title she went by was fitting. It made Nilbog ask the obvious question--how can someone this incomprehensibly powerful exist this early on? He didn''t understand the full scope of her powers, of course, but what he felt was enough to be abnormal. Without The Game''s massive increase of experience and rewards, it wasn''t physically possible to be this strong this, and The Game just started. No, even before then. She was as she is now when Nilbog first saw her at Rubio''s Cafe. Maybe The Game created her, too? As a special boss or event? Was that even possible? He didn''t have a clue. Lady Viss was right, The Game''s knowledge inside him was utterly inadequate. It might have been his greatest disadvantage yet. So just how can I use this body to convince her to kill those three? He wouldn¡¯t mind giving his life for it, but the issue was whether she¡¯ll uphold the deal¡ªNilbog has learned what Sentients were like. He needed a way to ensure she keeps her word. Wait, why does someone that powerful even need a body? He let out another chuckle at that question. No wonder she¡¯s so desperate--she¡¯s blind. He¡¯d forgotten about that. Imagining what¡¯s it¡¯s like was not pleasant. If he closed his eyes he could barely walk ten feet before he lost sense of where he was. That was his only card, and he needed to use it wisely. There was an issue with that, of course: why would she negotiate when she can just take his body? Fighting against her was nigh impossible. There were ways to lower someone¡¯s Soul Defense, so he wasn¡¯t immune to that either. Back to step one¡ªwhat is the one card I hold? His body. It was the only thing of value. She wouldn¡¯t kill or damage him too much, which rules out torture. That likely left his Soul Defense. How could he give himself absolute protection from her? No, that¡¯s the wrong way to look at it. Anyone that is unable to defeat Nilbog could not possibly beat a kingdom. He better hope she can destroy whatever defenses he put ups, otherwise all of this would be pointless. So if I can¡¯t defend, I need to prevent her from attacking. Why wouldn¡¯t she, though? The body. It all went back to his body. He¡¯ll have to make it so that any type of forceful overtake will endanger it. Negotiations can only happen once they were at that even footing. But again, the real question is always how. Distastefully, poison was the first thing that came to mind. Ingesting something that will kill him unless he takes the antidote might work. That thought stopped him in his tracks. He would rather use his Shapeshifter skills than use poison for any reason. Wait a minute, Shapeshifting isn¡¯t the only skill I have!

Skills

Soul Siphon (Racial Skill) Shaper (Racial Skill) Shifter (Racial Skill) Sentient Killer (Class Epic) Murderous Lolie (Unique) Seventh Sense (Monster Unique) Lesser Bleed Resistance (Common) Dodge (Common) Short-Breath (Common) Agile Hunter (Enhancer Common)
Not those. It was the one he hadn¡¯t yet bought.
All Or Nothing (Rare) Type: Soul Defense Active Cost: 30 Add-on Cost: 10 points
Use all your Life force to defend against Soul attacks. For each 1% Life Force sacrificed you will gain an additional 1% Soul Defense. If more than 100% Life Force is required to defend against the attack, then you will die of Life Force deprivation. (Free) Add-on: For each Danger Rank your opponent has on you, your Soul Defense will increase by 25%. (Unowned) Add-on: You may spend HP in addition to Life Force. For each 1% HP sacrificed will gain an additional 1% Soul Defense. If more than 100% HP is required to defend against the attack, then you will die of Life Force deprivation.
Nilbog wasn¡¯t sure what Life Force Deprivation will do to his body but having his HP hit 0 meant that the body is destroyed. It was so perfect that it made Nilbog suspicious.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The Game couldn¡¯t see that far in the future, could it? Or was Nilbog bound to receive this, considering he resisted her with everything he had from the very beginning? Who knows, who cares. He was going to take advantage of it. 30 points plus 10 for the add-on for the ensured destruction of his body was expensive but well worth it. If he still has the Undying Flame at the end of the dungeon he could buy it immediately buy it. Even if he had the points, being in a Dungeon meant he couldn¡¯t buy any skills. Okay, not bad. The pieces were coming together. With that, he returned his attention to his status. Oddly enough his HP had increased to 123/130. STM was at 32/140, but most notably his overall STM had fallen to 410/700 with the day only beginning. It was much lower than he would have liked, but then again, when was it ever higher than that to begin with? The only odd addition was the Mana Bar. It was at 68/120, and that was something he did not understand. His Life Force bar was also changed at 105/120. For the first time he felt the Life Force floating from his heart. If things were as simple as he thought, then Kara might have forcefully opened his channels. He tried tapping into the Life Force, but all he was able to manage was a tug. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a start. Practice might just make it usable. Nilbog also remembered how she snatched the Life Force that fed the goblin its flames. Vaguely enough he remembered her doing the same to the Life Force Ball. Deviation, she called it. Could it literally change the direction of Life Force and Mana? The last bit was his Life Dancer profession.

Life Dancer There is no inherent power in names, for it is sound that guides the flow of Source. Listen well if you wish to be a conduit. I. Gain a 10% increase to all parameters while under the effects of a Song. II. One of your Siren¡¯s special traits allows you to silently cast skills.

I guess that¡¯s a bit helpful. Songs were the things Nilbog rejected, but none of this mentioned Kara being able to fiddle with his head. With no other clues Nilbog set off. Finding what¡¯s left of his party was probably the best thing he could do. Just because Moon betrayed him it didn''t mean everyone has. Cijo seemed like a decent guy, and while Lan was¡­well Lan wasn¡¯t the brightest, but something is better than nothing, at least. Still. It''s going to be hard to kill that bastard. Generally, a Wolf was anywhere in between level 40 and 70 The level difference early on was extremely steep. Since Moon just reached Wolf, he was likely at least twice as strong as him. The stat difference plus the skills he has was at about¡­ yeah, double is an optimistic guess. His high monster rank plus Sentient Killer was the only thing keeping him in earshot, and that advantage is quickly vanishing. He¡¯s gonna have to let go of his grudge. The only way Nilbog could possibly win is a dagger to the eye when Moon is asleep, and that was not something he was willing to do. Steeping that low would haunt him much more than letting that scum go free. There was a way out, of course, but it was even more shameful than killing someone in their sleep. The solution, just like every problem he¡¯s had and will likely ever had, is to just use his damn Shapeshifter skills. ¡°You know, sometimes it feels like you have it out for me,¡± Nilbog said out loud, for some reason. He looked up with a surprisingly fresh smile. He searched for a sign that The Game was watching, that it was listening, but of course, there was nothing but the dangerously nearing storm. After getting all the crazy out of his system, Nilbog started on a slow trot. The storm was a minute behind him. He kept his eyes peeled for monsters. It was obvious where other parties traveled from. Even for his inexperienced eye their tracks were easy to find. Broken leaves and branches paved the way. It was a disadvantage for the ones in the lead, but only if the party behind them was fast enough to catch up. But if that was the case, why lead at all? Orbs, Nilbog guessed. He ran past each area, looking for them. He searched every corner and groove that had no signs of travel, and was lucky to find two of them after going through a few areas. One had an orb that recovered 10% MAX HP and Life Force, while the other for 10% MAX and Mana. Considering how easy it was to find them found them, the ones ahead probably got better stuff. He used them right then. His HP went up to 108/130 and Life Force 117/120, and Overall STM to 470. Just because his Overall STM was not near 0 it did not mean he didn¡¯t feel it. The closer he got to depletion, the harder it would be to move, even if his STM bar was full. If the entire Dungeon area was a perfect dome, then the center was around a 20-minute walk away. Twice he entered an area that already had a party in it. He kept his distance, though he did check them out. One of the groups had an archer, while the other had a Mage. Both had a much easier time picking off monsters. They each had a Wolf or two in their group. Nilbog estimated his party to be slightly below average. Moon was the member with the greatest combat capacity, while Lan had adaptable buffs. Cijo was also reliable¡ªhe must have had some unique skills he didn¡¯t tell them about. On the off hand, Moon was an asshole, and who the hell knew what Gale was up to. The guy just vanished. And for Nilbog? It was hard to measure. He¡¯d never fought a human before. Seventh Sense activated. Nilbog¡¯s stopped in place, raising his daggers to a guard position as he glanced around him. Nothing was there. He took a step back, keeping his ears at attention. The glass leaves were everywhere. Sneaking close without crushing one was near impossible. That only below ground, and the trees above¡ªtheir branches were thick and intertwined, providing enough space to hide behind. He took a few steps back, letting his feet lead. He spotted nothing, but he did feel like he was being watched. ¡°Could you go away?¡± Nilbog said. Guess not, he thought after the pressure did not abide. He was about to make a retreat when he caught something in the trees. He stared at one of the branches, unsure from which tree it extended from, and was not entirely too surprised to have the bark open, turn towards Nilbog with three milky eyeballs, and then slowly reach for a different tree to attach itself to.
Level 49 Sloth Ent Monster Rank: D
The thing was less monster and more like four branches attached to a rock. It was practically a land starfish. On its four limbs grew more branches, allowing it to blend in with the rest of the trees. His senses tingling again, causing him to snap his head around. There was nothing in sight, but he darted forward anyway before a shockwave threw him off his feet. He fell face first into the dirt, and since this was becoming a relatively normal routine for him, he was able to roll with the momentum and continue his sprint with only a small delay. It was a different Sloth Ent. It hovered above him, its limbs wrapped around a different tree. One limb was poking through the ground, right where Nilbog had been moments ago. It was a bit thinner, only a few feet wide, and had stretched at least double the thing¡¯s own height. Slowly, the sharp trunk detached itself from the ground and retracted. It grew thicker as it returned to the Ent. Nilbog watched with curiosity, only realizing he should run when it attacked again. He sprinted forward, dodging the trunk, then twisted around as fast as he could. He stabbed with both of his daggers with all his strength.
No penetration! You have dealt 1 Damage! Minor penetration! You have dealt a whole 5 damage! A couple hundred of those and the thing might notice you!
Oh fuck off. Contrary to the notification, the thing did indeed notice him. The smaller branches attached to the branch struck him, leaving throbbing bruises around. He sprung back with bright red skin and a little bit of bleeding. He lost two HP for his trouble. Trading damage did not seem like a good idea. In fact, fighting did not seem like a good idea. As the Ent began to retract its limb, Nilbog turned face and began to step away from the beast. He got a whole three steps before curiosity held him in place again. He didn¡¯t want to fight, but he sure wanted to learn a bit about it. It was such a strange creature. He also had the Red Orb, and while dying was still not a good idea, it did allow him to take a few risks. It drove the fear away. So how did this thing work? What was the trick? There had to be one. The Game rewarded cleverness and punished overconfidence. Dodging is relatively easy, but so what? Nilbog couldn¡¯t damage it. It didn¡¯t even have Life Shield¡ªits skin was just that thick. Its flat Damage Reduction was higher than what Nilbog could deal. It attacked again, this time much quicker. Fortunately, the tentacle''s size decreased the further it traveled. He dashed to the side, avoiding it without much effort. It struck the ground, denting it a good couple feet, and then reached for him with the branches attached to it. Nilbog ducked and weaved through them, keeping an eye on the other limbs. The Ent needed them for balance, but he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that was a trick too. He knew the answer to the puzzle, when he studied it for the second time, but he simply did not want to acknowledge it. Hitting its limbs would not do much damage, but hitting the core, especially the spot where the limbs connected, was bound to bring it down. For the limbs to be that flexible the joins its body had to lack Armor. The only inconvenience about that plan was that it was hovering nearly 20 meters up in the air. The way up was to climb that log of an arm while dodging the branches, or on the easier side was to have a precise ranged attack. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how impossible this was for him. She could probably do it, Nilbog glumly thought, somewhat regretting the refusal of giving up his body to a malevolent death spirit that went with the ironic name of Life Siren. Iris probably could climb all the way, too, and Shon would have been able to burn it. Moon might have been able to bring it down with a Life Force Slash. But he wasn¡¯t them. He was just Nilbog, nothing more, maybe a little bit less. As the last bit of its body retracted, Nilbog turned tail and began sprinting away. He kept an eye on behind him, in case it wanted to give chase, but apparently he was not worth the effort. Both Sloth Ents returned to their position. They wrapped around a tree, letting their limbs act as thick branches. It was probably lighter than it seemed, otherwise its size would have bent the trees it was attached to. Nilbog couldn¡¯t see a mouth on it. How would it eat him from up there, anyway? Still, the rewards were too low for the risks. It was wiser to avoid it in this situation rather than waste time and resources. The Dungeon requirements only mentioned they needed to survive and kill the boss, not kill everything they see. He finally spotted his party a way off. He stopped when he saw them and wove his way around the forest ground as best as he could. He snuck behind a tree to their side, letting himself go prone to hide under the cover of the up-breaching roots. There was another party a short distance away. They stood without their weapons drawn, though the scorched corpses and the smell of blood was enough menace to send the shivers down Nilbog¡¯s spine. 41.5 Two of the four were large, bulky, and with a sword and a shield. Scars littered their heads like a messy drawing, leaving their faces disfigured and oddly shaped. The third was a spear-bearer, and though he was thin, his height and long arms gave him extra range. All of them were Wolves. The fourth was a familiar swordsman with a bow strapped to his shoulder. A quiver with half a dozen arrows was loaded. It was Shon, the fire swordsman. He did not wear his black leather armor nor wielded his magical sword. Instead, he wore a white quilted jacket and had a plain, though finely made sword scabbard on his side. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to believe you?¡± Moon said in a mocking tone, ¡°With that bow strapped to your back? And without you being branded? Who the fuck ar-¡° ¡°Quiet!¡± the Lan hissed. ¡°Ignoring his tone, the idiot does bring a good point. How can we trust you? Where did you come from?¡± ¡°You have no alternative,¡± Shon said, shrugging. ¡°Be glad that you¡¯re not worth the points as we recover our resources from the last fools.¡± He pointed at the corpses around him, as if the smell didn¡¯t draw enough attention. ¡°If you want to inconvenience us by running into your deaths, then go ahead. Be my guest. You¡¯ll save me the STM of coming to get you.¡± ¡°Like hell we¡¯ll-¡± Moon began, but was stifled with an elbow to the left by Lan. Both Cijo and Gale were missing. Even with his injury, though, Nilbog trusted Cijo to survive one way or another. ¡°Fine,¡± the Lan said. He held his spear in one hand while the other grabbed Moon by the back of his shirt, dragging him along as they went towards a different direction. From what Nilbog already knew about the Lan, retreating was what he would have done regardless. It seemed he wanted to put on face. ¡°Hold it,¡± Sai said, folding his arms. He tapped his foot against the ground as he shook his head.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What is it?¡± the Lan replied, tensing. ¡°Won¡¯t you take the sneak hiding behind the tree roots?¡± Sai said, looking in Nilbog¡¯s direction.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%.
Nilbog¡¯s legs and arms pushed up in a panic, but his upper body remained attached to the ground. Panic almost gave him a heart attack before he glanced around to find Iris standing behind him with one knee pressed against his shoulders and a hand against his mouth. Her face turned red as she muffled her giggles.
Iris The Furious: Wolf
She had a dagger against Nilbog¡¯s neck, freezing him in place. It was an uncomfortably familiar series of events. ¡°Quite,¡± she said, chuckling. ¡°Let¡¯s make a fool of the idiot.¡± Well, when she put it that way¡­ ¡°Nice try, but both of them have died,¡± he said, laughing as he walked away. They didn¡¯t turn back as they walked out of the area. Shon stood awkwardly, his mouth agape. He balled his hands into fists and shook them at Nilbog¡¯s direction. ¡°Iris! That was the cue to bring him out!¡± he yelled, his face red. ¡°Serves you right! Acting so haughty!¡± she said, finally letting the laughter explode. He felt it quiver through her body. Nilbog couldn¡¯t do anything. His arms could not reach around to knock her off, nor did he have the strength to even bulge. The best he could do was not provoke her. ¡°Fine. Do what you will with the kid and come along,¡± he said, stopping once he saw Nilbog. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll take care of this. You go ahead.¡± Iris tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡± she said, looking from Nilbog to Shon. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Nilbog flinched. Even the panic and dread he was feeling stopped to comprehend what he just heard. I mean, really? He didn¡¯t expect her to remember his name, but was he not even worth a pause from her? Maybe a hey this individual looks familiar at the very least? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, dear Iris. Time is ticking, points are running.¡± ¡°Alrighty,¡± she said, shrugging. She jumped over Nilbog and joined the rest of her teammates. They walked away, leaving Nilbog and Sai behind. 42 Two of the four were large, bulky, and with a sword and a shield. Scars littered their heads like a messy drawing, leaving their faces disfigured and oddly shaped. The third was a spear-bearer, and though he was thin, his height and long arms gave him extra range. All of them were Wolves. The fourth was a familiar swordsman with a bow strapped to his shoulder. A quiver with half a dozen arrows was loaded. It was Shon, the fire swordsman. He did not wear his black leather armor nor wielded his magical sword. Instead, he wore a white quilted jacket and had a plain, though finely made sword scabbard on his side. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to believe you?¡± Moon said in a mocking tone, ¡°With that bow strapped to your back? And without you being branded? Who the fuck ar-¡° ¡°Quiet!¡± the Lan hissed. ¡°Ignoring his tone, the idiot does bring a good point. How can we trust you? Where did you come from?¡± ¡°You have no alternative,¡± Shon said, shrugging. ¡°Be glad that you¡¯re not worth the points as we recover our resources from the last fools.¡± He pointed at the corpses around him, as if the smell didn¡¯t draw enough attention. ¡°If you want to inconvenience us by running into your deaths, then go ahead. Be my guest. You¡¯ll save me the STM of coming to get you.¡± ¡°Like hell we¡¯ll-¡± Moon began, but was stifled with an elbow to the left by Lan. Both Cijo and Gale were missing. Even with his injury, though, Nilbog trusted Cijo to survive one way or another. ¡°Fine,¡± the Lan said. He held his spear in one hand while the other grabbed Moon by the back of his shirt, dragging him along as they went towards a different direction. From what Nilbog already knew about the Lan, retreating was what he would have done regardless. It seemed he wanted to put on face. ¡°Hold it,¡± Sai said, folding his arms. He tapped his foot against the ground as he shook his head. ¡°What is it?¡± the Lan replied, tensing. ¡°Won¡¯t you take the sneak hiding behind the tree roots?¡± Sai said, looking in Nilbog¡¯s direction.
Sentient Killer Activated. The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%.
Nilbog¡¯s legs and arms pushed up in a panic, but his upper body remained attached to the ground. Panic almost gave him a heart attack before he glanced around to find Iris standing behind him with one knee pressed against his shoulders and a hand against his mouth. Her face turned red as she muffled her giggles.
Iris The Furious: Wolf
She had a dagger against Nilbog¡¯s neck, freezing him in place. It was an uncomfortably familiar series of events. ¡°Quite,¡± she said, chuckling. ¡°Let¡¯s make a fool of the idiot.¡± Well, when she put it that way¡­ ¡°Nice try, but both of them have died,¡± he said, laughing as he walked away. They didn¡¯t turn back as they walked out of the area. Shon stood awkwardly, his mouth agape. He balled his hands into fists and shook them at Nilbog¡¯s direction. ¡°Iris! That was the cue to bring him out!¡± he yelled, his face red. ¡°Serves you right! Acting so haughty!¡± she said, finally letting the laughter explode. He felt it quiver through her body. Nilbog couldn¡¯t do anything. His arms could not reach around to knock her off, nor did he have the strength to even bulge. The best he could do was not provoke her. ¡°Fine. Do what you will with the kid and come along,¡± he said, stopping once he saw Nilbog. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll take care of this. You go ahead.¡± Iris tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡± she said, looking from Nilbog to Shon. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Nilbog flinched. Even the panic and dread he was feeling stopped to comprehend what he just heard. I mean, really? He didn¡¯t expect her to remember his name, but was he not even worth a pause from her? Maybe a hey this individual looks familiar at the very least? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, dear Iris. Time is ticking, points are running.¡± ¡°Alrighty,¡± she said, shrugging. She jumped over Nilbog and joined the rest of her teammates. They walked away, leaving Nilbog and Sai behind. ¡°How were you going to do it?¡± He asked, rubbing his hand. His voice lacked the humor he used with Iris. Each syllable was uttered slowly and with purpose. He didn¡¯t have the same emotional tone he had when he was about to burn Nilbog¡¯s face off at the caf¨¦. He was enraged but in a silent, calculated way. That did not bode well for Nilbog. Nilbog¡¯s was already weaker than Shon at the caf¨¦, but now he was a Danger Rank higher. Strength, Agility, Armor, Soul. He was outclassed in all of them. Was there anything he had? If not me then¡­ Nilbog¡¯s eyes surveyed the area around them, looking for the Sloth Ents. Using their chaos was the only way out of this. He needed to get there once Shon lets his guard down. ¡°Lady Olivia told me,¡± he said, walking towards him. ¡°That I was seconds from losing my arm.¡± He unsheathed his sword, the flames from his hand immediately coating it. A blue shell covered the rest of his body. ¡°For all her faults, Lady Olivia does not lie. I misjudged you for a weakling, and thus I became the fool. I concede the loss then, and I now challenge you to regain my pride.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°How would I, a Cub then and a Cub now, be capable of cutting your arm?¡± Nilbog instantly replied. Lady Olivia didn¡¯t order Shon¡ªshe manipulated him to get rid of Nilbog. That gave Nilbog the chance of doing the same. ¡°If Lady Olivia is known for not lying, then she only told you a part of the truth ¨Cyou would have truly lost his arm, as in Lady Olivia herself would have cut it off had you not let go of me.¡± ¡°One¡ªThat¡¯s a possibility, but the possibility that she told the full truth also remains. Two, regardless of one, I will inflict punishment upon you for daring to disrespect me.¡± He walked forward, using a 3rd Rank Kinetic Shield. Blue mana spread across his body. It behind a blue tint as he moved. ¡°Ugh, over-sensitive much?¡± Nilbog said casually with a roll of his eyes, though beneath the facade he was despondent. Things just kept getting worse. Fighting was near impossible now. He couldn¡¯t block the flames, couldn¡¯t dodge his precise attacks, and had only a single telegraphed attack that could penetrate his Shield. Shon wasn¡¯t blind like The Defier¡ªthe red aura covering his weapons was an obvious sign. Nilbog rummaged his head for solutions. The only thing that came out was that Shon used the word punishment, not kill. He might just beat Nilbog to a pulp, burn him here and there, and maybe take a single limb. It wasn¡¯t the best news, but it was something. Dying wouldn¡¯t end him completely, but with Kara The Defier likely waiting at the end of the Dungeon¡¯s gates, and with no points to buy All Or Nothing Defense, he would be pretty much at her mercy. And that... thing is not something Nilbog wanted to be at the mercy of. Shon sprinted at him with a fast but controlled speed¡ªit wasn¡¯t a reckless charge as Nilbog hoped. He could change directions without a pause. Sentient Killer activated. It¡¯s fifty-fifty, then, Nilbog realized as Shon came close to striking range. His daggers lit up in red aura as he prepared Lethal Strike. The Agile Hunter Enhancer activated alongside it, adding 25% Strength and Agility to the attack. He took a deep breath, focused in, and charged forward to meet Shon head on. Shon¡¯s eyes widened but did not stop. At the last step, just the sword began to swing down, Nilbog dashed towards Shon¡¯s side, swinging his dagger to the left as he did so. With Lethal Strike¡¯s increased effects Nilbog¡¯s attack connected. It struck the side of Shon¡¯s sword, causing flames to fly on the other side. The sword itself flew out of Shon¡¯s hands, which was beyond what Nilbog was hoping for. Lethal Strike coated both of his weapons for a single attack¡ªthat meant each dagger was its own Lethal Strike. That¡¯s what Nilbog hoped for, at least, and his gamble ended up paying off. His other dagger retained its red hue. With Lethal Strike still active, Nilbog went for the head.
You have taken 24 damage blunt Damage! You have taken 12 Fire Damage! You have taken internal damage! Your Shapeshifter trait has negated internal damage. You have resisted a stun status effect.
When Shon¡¯s fist connected with his stomach. As Nilog bent over as Shon¡¯s fist drove itself to his spine, Nilbog realized what happened. He didn¡¯t knock the sword out of Shon¡¯s hands¡ªShon let go of it. His punch sent Nilbog scraping back against the ground with a mouthful of blood falling behind him. Mid tumble Nilbog found his feet just in time to see Shon sprinting at him. He swung as his sword flew into his hands. Nilbog scrambled down, letting the wave of flames streak above him, then rolled to the side as Shon¡¯s sword plunged itself into the ground. Nilbog kept rolling, escaping Shon¡¯s sword as it scraped against the ground in its chase, but could not avoid the flames that extended from it. He took 8 fire damage before he rolled some more, stuffing out the flames. He got to his feet before Shon was able to charge him again. Shon stood in his spot, staring at him with frowned brows. It gave Nilbog enough seconds to gasp for a few breaths. ¡°Why are you not using Life Force?¡± Nilbog¡¯s insides were mashed up. His Shapeshifter¡¯s trait prevented internal damage but it didn¡¯t take away the pain. His short-range meant he had to go in, not out. Without Lethal Strike active he had to prepare for his daggers to bounce instead of entering. The eyes or neck were his only options. ¡°You¡¯re no mage,¡± he said, dragging his sword against the ground as he walked towards Nilbog. Flames spread behind him. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Nilbog thought about running again, but didn¡¯t see it working out. His opponent was a mage¡ªShon wanted distance, not Nilbog. ¡°Whatever it is,¡± he said, pointing his free hand at Nilbog. ¡°Use it before you die. 2rd rank Fire Bolt¡± The moment he saw flames gather at Shon¡¯s palms Nilbog sprinted to the side, making himself a harder target. Running straight at him was suicide. At least this angle made it more difficult. Shon pointed down at the last moment. Nilbog changed direction too late¡ªthe bolt struck the ground below him before he could react in time. The explosion took him off his feet, sending him sprawling forward half aflame.
You have taken 12 fire damage! You have taken 6 fire damage! You have taken 5 fire damage! You have taken 3 fire damage!
The pain blocked out everything. The lower half of his body got cooked in a few seconds. Nilbog rolled on the ground, trying to put the fire out. The glass leaves that pricked him were an after-thought. He didn¡¯t even notice Shon¡¯s footsteps until his foot connected with Nilbog¡¯s chest. It threw him sprawling across the ground again. Nilbog stood up, then fell straight down as Shon¡¯s fist connected with the side of his face. He crawled away, spat a few teeth, and stood up again. His daggers were missing, so he just brought his hands up. ¡°Show it. Why won¡¯t you show it!¡± he yelled, tossing his sword aside. He sprinted at Nilbog with his fists. When he swung Nilbog ducked and stepped forward, punching Shon for 4 shield damage and bruising his fists. In return Shon¡¯s elbow struck the top of Nilbog¡¯s head, taking 7 damage. Nilbog resisted the stun effect and punched Shon¡¯s groin for 5 more shield damage, broke his own fingers and took 3 damage from the impact. Shon took a clump of Nilbog¡¯s hair in his grasps and lifted him off his feet. Nilbog threw punch after punch at Shon¡¯s face, who just stared back unblinkingly. He waited until Nilbog¡¯s STM ran out. ¡°Is that it?¡± he said with horror. ¡°This punching bag is what was about to harm me? Me?¡± ¡°Told you, idiot,¡± Nilbog said, spitting a tooth and a mouthful of blood at him, but he dodged that one. Shon tossed Nilbog back and grasped his face. He smashed it against the ground, landing on top of Nilbog. Flames began to creep down his arm towards his hand. ¡°Do it. Do whatever you were about to do. My honor demands it!¡± Nilbog clawed at Shon¡¯s arm as it squeezed his face, the flames nearing slowly. ¡°I will burn you, I swear it,¡± he said, tightening his grasp. When the flames reached his wrists, Nilbog let his hands drop beside him. He focused every part of himself to do precisely the opposite of what Shon wanted, whatever it was. The pain swallowing his entire body pushed him but Nilbog just stared back at Shon. He wasn¡¯t going to make a squeak. ¡°DO IT!¡± he screamed as his entire body turning aflame. Nilbog bit him. Whatever was left of his teeth grinded against the flames and the solid shield covering Shon¡¯s hand. Nilbog glared back, not breaking contact. It froze Shon. Nilbog felt him shake as the flames that covered him began to disperse. It left him drained and with a shallow breath. ¡°I hate this. All of you freaks have a special power but none of you know how to use it. Not Iris, not filthy you dog, not even Don. Why? Why won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Jealous?¡± Nilbog said, smiling. ¡°Lady Olivia¡­was right, you are a chi¡ª¡± Shon released his grasps as his other fist crashed into Nilbog¡¯s nose, flattening it against his face. It knocked his vision and began to take at his consciousness. He couldn¡¯t see Shon stand up, but he did hear him pick up his sword and the sound of his footsteps going away. ¡°C-Child,¡± Nilbog croaked, moments before a kick finally turned the lights off. 43 Kara stood in front of the Dungeon. A blue force shield extended all around it in a dome. Through the mucky shield, Kara could see the storm spitting fire, lightning, and Kinetic rays. They exploded on top of each other with enough power to shake the ground. Nothing could be seen beyond it. Just how is she able to pass it with her Life Siren¡¯s Soul? It was difficult, but it should have been impossible. Just what are Sirens? Did they blatantly break the laws of magic, or did does it seem that way because Kara lacked understanding of it? With a click of her tongue, Kara gave up on the matter. No point about fretting about unknown answers while her new body might break itself somewhere off. Time in Dungeons moved at different rates, most often faster. A minute in here could be five in there. He was too important to lose. She couldn¡¯t bear stay in this condition for another day now that she remembered how everything was supposed to feel. She didn¡¯t know how rare Dancers were, and how hard they were to tame, but after almost a week, he was the only one she had felt to be compatible with her. Some were a match, but not like this. Not to the degree in which she could use their body. She wasn¡¯t about to let this chance go. This was everything she had been holding to cursed life for. When Kara had failed to use Life Siren¡¯s Acquisition on him, a notification informed her that the creature had gained resistance to her for the next three days. She''ll keep him safe over the next three days, or maybe even negotiate some terms. She''ll have another go then. She laid down on the grass, setting her cane beside her. She had found a suitable spot within the forest dense line of trees, close enough to the storm, but still concealed from anyone''s sight. She hid her Life Force, mana, and heat signatures, and just in case, she cast a 5th rank Kinetic Shield. A value of 500 Kinetic Shield would slow down a good barrage. It would give her enough time to blink back to her body. Her three Notes gathered in front of her, combining into a Greater Note. A milky liquid form floated from her body into it, changing its form from a large black sphere into the dark outline of her human body. Being in Life Siren¡¯s Soul did not mean invincibility, of course. Her Greater Note was just a seal. Whenever she would lose focus, the dark shell of her skin would peel off, letting a bright white light escape. Every bit of that was precious Mana escaping. Milky white was the color of pure, unconverted mana. It was like match¡ªharmless until a spark turns it, and the rest of the forest, ablaze. It would be a lie of Kara wasn¡¯t proud of the destruction she could bring. It would be tragic, of course, but impressive nevertheless. And all it takes for all that Mana to change form is one careless inclination. Emotional stability was the core foundation of a Mage. The weaker the shell, the easier for emotions to unwittingly convert mana into a different state. Now, Kara thought, snapping her eyes to the gloomy clouds above. Time to hunt that brat. The storm was impossible to pass through using normal means. The ground was likely just as protected, if not more so. Nothing was diggable. Rarely anything was exploitable. The Game liked its rules. Siren¡¯s, among a few other support classes and professions, were exceptions. She could use her Siren skills on low levels without penalty, and as long as she was in Life Siren¡¯s Soul, she was allowed to enter forbidden areas¡ªbut being allowed and actually getting there were two different things. The storm would not be kind to her. She was immune to physical damage, but passing through Mana, such as torrents of fire and lighting, did make it difficult to keep herself together. After a slight build-up, Kara bolted towards the top in a curve, wondering if there was a limit. She was technically still going towards her Dancer, which allowed her to increase the range that she could travel in. Nope, the limit is still 20 meters up, Kara noted as she plummeted back to the ground. It was the same as the last time she had lost control; her Soul forcibly returns to her physical body at a vastly increased speed when she leaves the boundary lines. Though she was in ethereal form, the ground offered enough resistance to feel as if she had fallen into hard mud. She floated out, thinking of her destination just as she had done earlier, when she first reached her Dancer. Just like how Notes needed to be connected to each other, a similar concept was applied here. Tightening her fists, Kara floated towards the storm. She would have to take the gamble; last time, the storm was thinly clad, and Kara was able to pierce through the layers easily. This time, however, the storm had expanded greatly, increasing the distance she would have to travel through. It made her hesitate. She knew little about what would happen to her Soul if she were to make a mistake in there. Unlike other Souls, hers was a fragile little thing. Four decades of exploding, reforming, gaining consciousness, and then exploding once her rage resurfaced took its toll. Oh well. Her hand stretched in front of her, attempting to push against the pressure. She took one heavy step after another, her legs sinking into the ground every so often. At least it wouldn¡¯t be the first time. It was far worse than she imagined. Lightning, torrents of fire, flying boulders, trees, and carcasses of dead beasts made each step a tortuous process, and that was the easy part. She was a fool to think Fusion Mana would not be created here. In concentrated pockets of the storm, Gravitational Mana attracted all other states of Mana into miniature black holes the size of a speck of dust. The pressure would increase exponentially, fusing the different Mana states into one unstable form. Like a pulled arrow, the moment the Gravity Mana runs out, it would be released. Everything in the range of a couple of meters would into nothingness, and then collapse just as quickly as it stretched. It was the greatest known power to exist since the beginning of history, and it was something Kara had once solely desired. Amusingly ironic, considering what she wanted now was just a functioning body. Things became a blur as the ravaged ground under her flashed by. She wasn¡¯t moving herself anymore¡ªsomething just pulled on her. A few seconds later, she found herself way past the storm. Directly below was her collapsed Dancer. Beyond the cover of the tree were a group of humans battling it out against¡­ a group of kids? Their arms were much longer than their short legs and squat bodies. They barely topped 4 feet but had more reach than a typical person. It allowed them to attack with some funky angles. Either they were goblins, or a human family with a very special genetic line. There were 6 of them, each equipped with a variety of different weapons¡ªmaces, daggers, swords, shields and spears. The human party fought in a circle with their backs against the trees. The corpses of other humans laid around them-- a different party-- and some basic guesswork let her know that these goblins just joined the party.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. One person¡¯s Life Force signature caught Kara¡¯s attention. If she wasn¡¯t familiar with him already, she would have mistaken him for another goblin. He barely had a foot on them. Caldain is well beyond level 50, and there are six in this party, not five. One of his support class skills, then. Just like Kara, it probably meant to allow him to teach and guide younger rankers. Caldain is a Survivor, just like Iron-Eyed Ovalia. While he can no longer level up anymore, and was a few years from dying of old age, finishing The Game forty years ago gave him a few tricks. He was a Dragon when she first met him ages ago. The decades on his human body, however, brought him down to a Tiger. Not powerful, but he was reliable, and dare she say trustworthy. He had a couple of hundred soldiers under him in Dlar, and was one of the reasons she chose to rest inside this kingdom in the first place. He was one of the only few people that knew of her current existence. He was in the center of the party, parrying and slicing. He kept his body low, almost on a crotch as he fought with the two, sometimes three goblins at the same time. Caldain provoked a strike by stepping forward with his small hand shield and, stepped back before the monster even moved to strike. Once the monster swung at empty space he went in with precise thrust at the creature¡¯s neck. If only one of them swung, then Caldain blocked the strike with the shield and thrust his blade at the other. Now that¡¯s what I call being a step ahead of your opponent. The others, on the other hand¡­ Now that¡¯s what I call being a step behind your opponent. The goblins played around with their tank in a fashion similar to how Caldain played with the goblins, using their mobility to strike him from below and around the protection of his shield. His Life Shield was quickly diminishing as the big oaf waved his sword around. The female Warrior was obviously low on STM and Life Force, while the other, though lacked a sense of tactical thought, did have decent reflexes. He dodged strikes through pure reaction skill and held his own well against two, and sometimes even three different goblins. The Rogue and the Ranger on the flank had some decent teamwork. The Archer fired arrows from the back, and whichever goblin attempted to charge him down was harassed and focused by the Rogue, constantly using his Agility to engage and disengage until the Empowered Arrows did their work. Interesting, but not what I came here for, Kara thought as she floated back to her ticket to glory. She inspected it, and then was quickly horrified to find out it was a broken mess. Even with her limited vision she could sense the dents all over his body. What the hell happened? More importantly, if he was beaten that badly, why was he even alive to begin with? She hadn¡¯t planned on using Requisition again, but this changed things. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to at least try. She was at 70 Siren points, but him being a Dancer removed the point cost. She hummed, gently at first, and then let it grow in intensity.
Life Siren¡¯s Requisition You are in the process of possessing this body. Maintain control until the Soul submits to exert dominance over their body. Be warned that if Life Siren¡¯s Requisition is successful, it will permanently damage your Dancer¡¯s ability to be impacted by your Songs.
To complete your Dancer¡¯s Initiation, you must fully explore their Essence. Would you like to begin the dive?
Kara opened her eyes, all other thoughts ceasing. She saw trees towering above her, almost covering the sky gray as it intersected with the branches of another. She smelled the dirt and tasted the blood and sweat in her mouth. It was all so beautiful. She remained still for a few moments, trying to remember how to move once again. In the spur of battle her instincts had taken over, but now that she had the time to relish in every sensation, she found that moving her limbs, and even breathing was incredibly awkward. Her fingers poked her cracked lips and rubbed her nose. Pain spread wherever she touched, but she couldn¡¯t stop. She pressed her hands against her cheeks, pushing and tugging, and was surprised to feel something dripping down. Her vision blurred as her Dancer¡¯s eyes shed water. What a weird malfunction, she thought, sniffing. She wiped them away and feasted on the world one again. She didn¡¯t care how she looked, or whether this was a male body that belonged to a monster¡ªshe used every sense to its fullest, but most of all, she felt¡­peace? Joy? It was an odd feeling that threatened to explode. Not the usually violent one that needed to be pushed down but a warm and pleasant one that shook this body. After delivering her Soul to this body, her Greater Note broke apart into her Notes. They zig-zagged in random directions around her, doing a poor job of imitating what she was feeling. Instead of thought, they resonated with emotion. That was new. She still couldn¡¯t move her feet, otherwise, she would have started running just for the sake of it. She needed to get her money¡¯s worth before her Dancer gained consciousness. If he could boot her once, he could probably boot her twice. Out of selfishness, Kara declined the "dive." If the process had any resemblance to what she experienced with others, then it must have involved exploring an important event of their lives. That would likely wake him up. What about his character sheet? Surely, if he was able to resist my powers, then he must--oh spirits below, what am I looking at?
Nilbog Stats & Parameters
Level 20 Strength 8
Species Human (Shape-Shifting) Agility 17
Class Sentient Killer Endurance 14
Profession Life Dancer Constitution 13
Age 1 Soul 12
HP 31/130 (+13/Hour) Life Force 96/120(1.2/Minute)
STM 140/140 (+7/Minute) Mana 83/120 (1.2/Minute)
Overall STM 323/700 (+12/Hour) Danger Tier Wolf

Skills

Soul Siphon (Racial Skill) Shaper (Racial Skill) Shifter (Racial Skill) Sentient Killer (Class Epic) Murderous Lolie (Unique) Seventh Sense (Monster Unique) Lesser Bleed Resistance (Common) Dodge (Common) Short-Breath (Common) Agile Hunter (Enhancer Uncommon)
He was one year old. How did that make any sense? 44 Monster Born, Kara immediately guessed. It was rare, but not unheard of. Sometimes monsters escaped the Dungeon or Raid they were created at. He could have recently escaped his. The real question was why he was still level 20. He should have gotten stronger since the last time she saw him. This did not bode well. Why did The Game allow him to be a Dancer? He¡¯s a Shapeshifter, Kara read again. Stories told of a monster that was able to transcend the limitations of the Soul and change bodies at will, something that no being could do. Souls weren¡¯t something you could plop anywhere¡ªif that was the case, then Kara wouldn¡¯t be stuck with a corpse. The same likely applied to Sirens with probably limitation she was not aware of. She was immensely curious about it, but the status screen wouldn¡¯t give her any information on any of the skills. When Kara heard footsteps, she fought against every instinct to run and laid back into her original spot. She still couldn¡¯t control her feet. The throbbing was there, and she could shake them, but complex motion was still out of the picture. She needed to remember more before she could try to escape. If Caldain was going to carry this body with him, she might as well take the free ride¡ªshe just couldn¡¯t alert him to her presence. Friend or not, his morals applied to everyone. He would not approve of her. ¡°Damn it that was a wash,¡± a young man said. Kara did not open her eyes, nor leave the body, but her Siren Skills still worked. Her Notes hovered around. By focusing on them she could see the vibrations it drew. ¡°Your clothes are dirty, Yan?¡± Horn said, his accent giving him away. He was from one of the Free Tribes, a group of people Kara held in high regard. There were hundreds of tribes in the East, ever fighting over precious oases, both from among themselves and the monsters that also required the water supply. With a limited population in the desert, many warriors leave it for adventure in the outside world. Instead of the experience boost humans had, the Free Tribes had a base stat increase of 30% to Strength, Agility, and Soul, making them better Life Force warriors than any other race. Horn was no different-- Just like his kin, he was wide, around seven feet tall, and naturally muscular with likely dark skin. He was covered in pieces of heavy metal that acted as if it was armor. The bends, twists, and holes were clear even in her Siren Vision. It shouldn¡¯t have been made the sounds it made sound. If she had to guess those pieces of the metal was a significant reason behind his incompetence. ¡°He meant that it sucked,¡± Aron said, his voice bitter and frustrated. ¡°Such things happen more often than you would like,¡± Caldain said. ¡°The lesson here is that life sucks, and that you always have to be prepared when it really wants to tear your day up.¡± Good. Make jokes. They took a bad fighting, and this is the point where everyone starts blaming each other. ¡°Did¡­ did you just¡­?¡± Aron began speaking, then stopped. He twisted his face, and even without being able to see it, Kara was genuinely impressed by the disdain on his face. From the shape of his body and the two metal pieces by his sides, Kara assumed he was the rogue. ¡°What type of curse were you inflicted with to sink that low?¡± ¡°Oh, I get it!¡± the other warrior said. ¡°It¡¯s because the Thalls wanted to tear us up with their swords, and they were short-- low. Nice, both of you get spear points for those clever puns!¡± he said, pointing both his fingers at Caldain and the rogue. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± the rogue began, and upon noticing looking at Kara¡¯s direction, stopped. ¡°The kid is still out,¡± Caldain said, walking towards her. He bent down, placing two fingers on her neck. Kara almost jumped, even when she prepared for it. ¡°His Danger Rank turned into Wolf, for some reason,¡± Caldain said, letting a heavy sigh escape. He stood up, shaking his head. ¡°How the hell?¡± Aron said, looking from her to Caldain. ¡°He was a Cub a moment ago.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we¡¯ll find out. Aron, take care of him. He¡¯ll be joining our regiment. Everyone else prepare to leave. We sustained heavy damage for these points.¡± Yan picked her up, plopping her on his shoulders. Her head swung against his back as they began to walk towards the center. Every bruise in her body spasmed, causing her to almost yelp.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Scent was something Kara never appreciated. Rarely did she have a particular need for it, but only after losing it did she realize how precious it was. It made things more real, gave objects concrete attributes. Seeing the forest was one half¡ªthe other was smelling. That¡¯s what sparked emotion. True, all she was able to smell were the different variety of blood and sweat, but mixed with it was the smell of wet leather and dirt, both which Kara had dearly missed. Touch, and pain in extension, was another sensation Kara had mixed feelings about. Its absence was peaceful at first, but as time went on it became emptiness. Thus, as the warrior hopped, tripped, tripped, and bounced her on the sharp edges of his shoulders, combined with the branches which poked and cut her, a part of her couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgia. The other part, though, wouldn¡¯t have minded beheading the warrior for his incompetence at walking in a straight line. She almost did hurt the bastard when his hands got too frisky, but a warning from her Notes froze her in track. Caldain was looking in her direction. Sound¡ªshe was making it. She was humming out of habit. These past few days she had gotten used to keeping her Notes active that she had not noticed. ¡°Say, did you have fun babysitting the kid while we fought for our lives, Yan?¡± the rogue said. ¡°I did more damage than you,¡± Yan replied. ¡°That¡¯s because you were the only one that didn¡¯t fight two battles in a row, idiot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Yan hesitated for a moment, causing Kara to wince as his shoulders sunk further into her guts. ¡°Stop, little Aron. You''re being foolish,¡± Horn said. True. Caldain¡¯s attempts, and my suffering, to lighten the mood is going to naught because of you. ¡°Fighting each other won¡¯t solve anything,¡± Horn said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give the kid a break. Here is the deal. Criminals are bad. We soldiers are good. Good soldiers kill bad criminals that attack us. People who would have been killed by bad criminals now happy. Follow?¡± ¡°That''s bull, and you know it," Yan snapped. ¡°Most of them are commoners like us who were on the wrong side of things. Who are you to decide that they should die for you to get points?¡± ¡°Ah, the classical words of a coward. Missed a spot? Maybe about how they have daughters and mothers waiting for them at home?¡± Yan chuckled, his grasp tightening around Kara¡¯s hips. ¡°If that was the case, Aron, then my level wouldn¡¯t be higher than yours, so fuck off, prick.¡± ¡°You¡¯re avoiding the subject, coward. We¡¯re not asking you to murder, we¡¯re asking you to defend yourself from humans.¡± He¡¯s about to have to defend himself if he doesn¡¯t hold me better. ¡°They¡¯re pressured to attack others. They don¡¯t know any better, but we do. It¡¯s straight murder, and I am not going to become lik-¡± ¡°Enough," Caldain said, his voice barely above a whisper. Still the same, everyone silenced as if he had bellowed. "Do not be conceited. I did not pick you five for your petty squabbles. Focus on the task." As time passed, and Kara grew comfortable with moving her fingers and toes. Caldain avoided every fight, conserving their resources. These were still the beginner dungeons, but for a 4 star even Tigers would struggle. The fact that this dungeon supported team killing was quite troublesome. Just a few more minutes. Kara began moving her other muscles¡ªshoulders, biceps, neck, mouth, and even her tongue. They were damaged and bruised, but miraculously enough there were no injuries. It looked like he was beaten with blunt force, likely fists, which made it even more strange. He had to have a skill that prevented internal damage, as well. Kara¡¯s attention returned to Nilbog''s character sheet. Seventh Sense was an interesting one. She''d never heard of senses beyond the sixth. Murderous Lolie she knew about. It another bad Joke by the game¡ªKids that killed a Sentient creature below the age of 10 received it. It increased the chances of learning more unique skills that leaned towards¡­gorier outcomes. It wasn¡¯t an entirely beneficial skill¡ªthe increased risks and chances of attaining cursed equipment made other Reward Modifiers much more useful. Besides that, it was not healthy for kids to go on murder sprees. There was another odd thing about him¡ªfrom his age, which could be anywhere from a single month to eleve, he shouldn¡¯t have much battle experience, but the way he fought showed otherwise. Dodging, parrying, and astute judgment under pressure was not something easily attainable. Being talented plays a big role, but not to his degree. In addition, why a level cap of 20? Even goblins had more than that. Even if the rumors were wrong, Shapeshifters are extremely rare¡ªyou would think it had a respectable rank. Little was known about how to become a Shapeshifter, or the different variants of Shapeshifters, as there was no way to identify them. It was said, however, that they could become any race if they meet the requirements, and not just in looks. They could gain racial skills, like a Lordan''s Dual Source. Unfortunately, she was the last Lordan on the surface. She had rushed to judgment¡ªthe joy of living again had distracted her from all the flaws this body had. Skills came from the Soul, meaning it was very unlikely she¡¯ll be able to use his skills, or even allocate stat points. Life Force and Mana was another issue. His Soul was bond with this body. Just because she was inside his body it did not mean she owned it. His class was another issue. She didn''t know much about it, but if it was solely focused on hunting Sentients, then that was an issue. The best items and skills are gained from Dungeons and Raids, not killing other people. It did not bode well if the same rules applied to monsters as to Sentients when it came to classes. Changing someone''s class without doing at least a 7-star Dungeon is impossible, and she''ll have to find that Dungeon too. That might mean she¡¯ll be left her with a body that cannot gain experience, skills, or effectively use Life Force and Mana. Her hope was that Requisition will fix that. If it doesn¡¯t, she¡¯ll have to reconsider her relationship with Nilbog once he wakes up. She felt like she could prod him, but she didn¡¯t dare do that yet. There was so much she wanted to experience before risking it. She hadn¡¯t eaten for forty-two years. And a shower. She dearly missed a hot bath. 45 As time passed, the only thing left, as she was occasionally by interrupted a bump in the road, was for Kara to find out which of her skills she could use. Back then she was fully able to use Kinetic Mana as well as Third Movement: Deviation and Fourth Movement: Amplification. The cost for those used her own Equilibrium bar, but the Mana was siphoned from Nilbog''s Soul. Life Force was a trickier thing. It was more difficult and costed more than the effects it had. She blamed his body for that¡ªit would take quite a bit of work to stretch those pathways. His skills, and her passive skills did not seem to be usable here. Considering she was an 11th Ranked Kinetic Mage, the cost of channeling Kinetic Mana should have been substantially lower. Most likely, whenever she used his Mana or Life Force, the process went through her Dancer''s skills rather than hers. That meant as long his body met the requirement for the skill, he didn¡¯t need to know it as long as she did. That was likely why she can use Deviation and Amplification, and not her other class skills that had skill requirements he did not have. It also meant she can use any 1st rank Life Force or Mana skills she knew. Not quite a blank sheet, but... She swallowed that thought, refusing to become complacent. Not everything was set in stone. There was much to be tested. ¡°What should we expect?¡± the Ranger said ahead. I would like to know that myself. Kara tried to dim the excitement growing in her heart, but it was too much. There was hope. She had a real chance at becoming something once again. All she had to do was get her Dancer to cooperate with her. ¡°What will we do?¡± he asked. ¡°I can see a couple of groups ahead. Some of them are fighting. We can crash the party, but that will leave-¡± ¡°-Us vulnerable to attacks from other parties,¡± Yan finished. ¡°We¡¯re too low. Guessing we¡¯ll pass?¡± ¡°Those Thalls messed up our plans. We gathered a decent amount of points and orbs. Probably worth a few skills with add-ons. I¡¯m sure you all know how much I hate gambling?¡± Caldain said. I don¡¯t need to see your eyebrows twitching to know that your bullshitting them, Caldain. ¡°We¡¯ll stick to the edges of the storm,¡± Caldain decided. ¡°Rest up. We have a dozen minutes or so before it ca-¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± the archer hissed, causing everyone to drop to the floor. That included Aron. The sudden descent caused her to slip off and to strike the ground face first, but not before her left-hand shot towards the sword that was tied down to his waist, holding the hilt for a second, and pushing it on its axes. 1st Life Force Levitation. She was not able to fully clutch it, though, and was forced to let go of the sword as she smacked into the ground. As the belt snapped the sheath towards the front, however, the blade floated out of the sheath on its own accord. It hovered in the air as Yan walked away. Kara stretched her hand backward as she tiptoed out, letting the blade float towards the cusp of her hand.
Uncommon Life Force Infused Longsword Weapon Type: Sword
Slash: ¡ï¡ï Thrust: ¡ï Durability: ¡ï¡ï An old but well-crafted sword, the steel has gained the special ability to trap the Life Force inserted into it. The cost Life Force Enchanting skills is reduced by 20%.
Using his Life Force felt like drinking mud instead of water. A simple 1st Life Force Rank channel cost her 10 Life Points, roughly triple its actual cost. There were four possible reasons for this: a penalty was applied because she was using Life Force that was not hers, he was unconscious, or it was because of his broken body. What was odd, however, was that those same penalties did not apply to Mana. Why, Kara did not know. Was it because he never used it before, and now she is creating the appropriate channels in which the Mana travels from the Soul? The other theory, which she liked a lot more, was that she was just that damn good. Unrealistic, but it did make her feel good about herself. Sneaking away, Kara found a spot to rest in. She did not bother hiding her tracks. None of Caldain''s party would pose a problem to her. Not that they would have a reason to, anyway. Caldain might be a grumpy leprechaun, but he was a sweetheart. She could see why Nilbog chose a young body--It really did give him a lot of leeway. Those that only recently became adults were at a severe disadvantage to the older rankers. They were often pitied and underestimated for their bad luck.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. With her escaping, though, his consciousness would be cleared. I tried, he would say. I did what was required of me. Ask no more, condemn me no longer! The bastard never changes. Kara did, however, conceal the pulsing of her Life Force. There was no cost to this beyond it being annoying, like wearing tight lairs of clothing from toe to mouth, but the benefits were worth it. She became invisible to most Life Force Detection skills. She did use 6 Life Force points to Life Force Enhancement on her eyes. Not only did it increase her eyesight, but any objects containing Life Force glowed through walls. Kara had quite the array of 1st rank Life Force skills to use. Life Force Slash, Pierce, Burst, Palm, Ball, and Bellow were the offensive ones, but their cost was so enormous it made little sense to use them. Life Force String, Empowerment, and Levitation were the only feasible ones. Fighting without skills, Life Force and barely any Mana... She was a slightly higher than average soldier that could be found in any dirty ditch, or a super-soldier for a few moves before they dropped into that ditch. It was more than enough. Deviation and Amplification were still functioning. Before she could fully confirm her current combat capacities, however, she needed to fix it. As beautiful as it was, being at 30 HP was not a feasible way to carry out the rest of the Dungeon. The lightest touch and she¡¯ll drop dead. It was time to use her Siren skills again. She didn¡¯t have precise control over the outcome of the Song, but she could push it towards a certain way. When Nilbog lost his hand she desired a healing effect. The Song accommodated to the situation. She was at 60 Siren points¡ªshe had two shots at getting a healing effect. The issue, and the main reason why Kara broke off from Caldain¡¯s group, was that most of these healing effects were Life Stealing effects. Those buffs healed her when she dealt damage or killed creatures. That meant she¡¯ll have to find a decent group of monsters or thugs to take out. That, and she just wanted to fight. Not flinging bolts over the distance, but real metal against metal clashes that she could feel vibrate down her bones. All she had to do was not to be so abundant with her Life Force and Mana use¡ªshe didn''t have an upward of two thousand points to spend, after all. She pulled up his status screen, eyeing the Shapeshifter race. If the rumors were true that any race could evolve into a Shapeshifter, then her becoming one might solve all her problems. From the storm¡¯s progression, she figured there were about two to four minutes. That pushed it a bit, as some fights might extend long enough for the storm to make a person do foolish things in a fight. After a while she hooked around, heading to the center. She peaked through the bushes, scouting ahead. It seemed like she found the final stage. The previous areas she went through were lush with bushes and covered with intricately woven tree lines that covered the skies, and had a diverse flora inhabited by various insects and birds. The smell and colors had literally taken Kara¡¯s breath away. If her memory was correct, it had all the qualities of a rich forest. The area ahead couldn¡¯t be more different. The sparse trees that stuck out of the ground were dry poles with no leaves or any other life around their trunks. The dry stone was cracked throughout, with little in between. The open field allowed Kara to see other parties moving forward. There was no cover to hide behind. Other than the few that encountered giant Ents that rose from the ground, most parties stuck to themselves. She spotted Caldain¡¯s party at the same time they spotted her, but they were a way off. It¡¯s a bit sad, that I won¡¯t gain anything for anything I do here. Maybe Nilbog might at the end, though everything was uncertain at this point. It was something to hope for, as the first contestants already appeared. They were actually waiting for her in ambush, though their efforts were laughable. There were three of them. Kara shrugged. It wouldn¡¯t make a difference for her. She walked straight into the ambush, yawned for the dramatic effect, and then walked out, without any of the monsters reacting. Stupid Ents can¡¯t detect those that conceal their Life Force while underground. Some of the trees were actually the top half of Ents. The rest of its body remained underground, ready to break through the brittle ground at a moment¡¯s notice. From the signature of their Life Force, Kara estimated them to be seven feet each, half as wide, and hovering around level 50. No action yet, but this encounter did reveal to Kara a few vital things. First, monsters in this Dungeon did not scale with the number of people or levels, as the Phases always do. They might be planned or randomized encounters. Considering she is going solo, this was a major disadvantage for her. Secondly, anyone that could not detect Life Force would be in for some unexpected trouble. Unlocking Vision empowerment was possible at the 1rd Life Force rank, but the person still had to train or buy it, which was a bit uncommon at this level. That could be used to her advantage. Those Ents would probably decimate a clueless group of fighters, and there were many clueless fighters roaming the wasteland. Barely any of the parties out there were well optimized. That was not an oversight by Iron-Eyed Olivia. There were too many people in Dlar and not enough Dungeons. She did not have the resources to waste on soldiers that will die at the first challenge they meet. These randomized parties ensured that those that lacked the character to survive were quickly removed from the picture. The golden line, of course, was not having too many of the low levels die. It wasn¡¯t a bad decision per say. Some kingdoms assisted everyone in their leveling to have mighty armies or focused their resources to make a small group of elite fighters. The second path offered greater rewards if they could control the rankers they create. Having them grow too powerful and leave once their sponsor kingdom ceases to be useful was a common event. Five parties were in the open. Two additional ones were fighting three giant Ents. The open ground ensured that everyone was able to keep a tab on each other. Imagine one party that wanders into the ambush. The one over will pounce of the opportunity, only to fall to a different Ent lair. The chaos will be a joy to watch. Quite clever. Kara kept an eye for any party that was not aware of the Ents. The ones that knew were quite obvious, as though Kara could not see too far out with her Enhanced eyes, she was still able to see them scuttle around certain areas. There was a notably strong party that did not belong with the prisoners. Five Wolves. They must be the party from the Anima she heard about. They would pose a challenge, so she gave them a wide breadth. After finding a party that fit her descriptions, Kara began to jog towards them. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything special about them. They were probably just poor folk caught on the wrong end of the straw, but Kara no longer had the luxury to cherry-pick her opponents. 46 ¡°Watcha¡¯ doin¡¯ brat?¡± the oldest of them said, spitting the side. ¡°Mommy ain¡¯t here.¡± Why does every one of them spit so much? Kara thought, shaking her head. Humans. ¡°Not here for my help. I¡¯m here for yours,¡± she said nonchalantly, eyeing the group. Four warriors and one Bowman. They were a pack of Cubs. Extremely weak, considering the second Phase already passed. They likely avoided fighting. ¡°Ay? Here to shine mine shoes from all the shit and muck? Or mine nails with your kitchen knife?¡± the man said, lifting his feet and then wiggling his arms forward. It was an amazing feat of dexterity, as he seemed to be in his forties. At that age and two Phases past, and only a Cub? People like him had no chance. ¡°Your nails, ankles, and a decent portion of your face,¡± Kara said ignoring his remark to deliver the punchline. It will increase your chances of wooing the Ghouls. No promises, though." No one laughed, unfortunately. Yet another good reason to off-them. Their faces went dark when they saw her Danger Rank. Or, at the very least, a lack of it. Hiding her Life Force hid her Danger Rank. ¡°An unknown Danger Rank, you bastard.¡± the oldest of them whispered. ¡°Can¡¯t be higher than a Wolf. ¡°Alright, alright you mutt. You got a clever tongue and a sharp sword. Go away now, before I come over and spank you. Shoo, shoo!¡± he said, waving his hands dismissively. ¡°What? I¡¯m challenging you pricks to a fight. Are you seriously going to cower from me?¡± ¡°Wait, you were being serious?¡± one of the younger men said, his chuckles still escaping his lips. ¡°You actually thought we¡¯ll charge you, thinking your easy points? Best case scenario it''s a trap--you might be a Tiger, for all we know. Worst-case scenario we get a dumb child¡¯s blood on our hands,¡± he said. ¡°Bro, take it easy. He¡¯s just a kid. Doesn¡¯t look older than 18 to me.¡± ¡°Nah, probably older. If he can hide his Life Force, then something is up with him. Seems to be using some type of skill; the way he moves and speaks is too odd. Probably a Disguise skill and from a well-off family,¡± one of the others said, scratching the beard on his chin.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Seriously? Must be great with the ladies, if he can do that.¡± ¡°Family groomed him for The Game, probably,¡± the bearded man said, shrugging. ¡°Suck¡¯s he¡¯s an idiot though, if he thought we would just charg¡¯ in.¡± Well, this was always a possibility. Kara shrugged. "You would be surprised how many people fall for it." ¡°Yea,¡± the old man said, putting a hand on one of his teammates. ¡°You not wrong about that, mutt. These fools are top clowns. They would have shat with you if it weren¡¯t for me, Dylon save mine sad soul.¡± ¡°Let the bastard Dylon take all of you,¡± the Bowman said, nervously glancing over his shoulder. ¡°We have a storm coming. How about we kindly bugger off?¡± ¡°Right. Good riddance, mutt.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but try not to make an ass out of yourself,¡± the younger man said, walking away with the rest of his teammates. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that way,¡± Kara said. If they were smart enough to not be Kara''s points, then having them dying to some Ents would be embarrassing. ¡°Pulling on our leg again? What is it this time?¡± the young man said, turning one shoulder to her. He cleaned his ear with his pinky, not looking particularly interested. ¡°Narlam, you prick. Stop wasting time on the brat. Monsters could pop out anytime!¡± the Bowman yelled again. ¡°I hear you! Stop hollering! Just stay alive for a few more moments you irritating dickhead,¡± Narlam said, but when he noticed Kara staring, he bowed. ¡°My apologies, your great highness for the vulgar words.¡± ¡°Forgiven,¡± Kara replied, waving her hand. ¡°You see those trees over there. Looks suspicious, don¡¯t you think? The spaces in between them, and the dirt under. Almost as if trees can wal- ¡°Damn Ents!¡± Narlam said, slapping his head. ¡°I was wondering where they popped from. You were going to lure us towards them, weren¡¯t you? Probably get a ton load of points for getting us killed.¡± Kara withheld her answer. It was only natural to play the Game the way it¡¯s meant to play. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad about it,¡± Narlam went on, ¡°I would have probably done the same.¡± It was a lie. She didn¡¯t need her Notes to tell her that. Their Souls were too mellow. From their reaction towards her, they purposely avoided any conflict with the others. The Second Phase had been a purely PVP conflict¡ªsomeone who did not want to fight other humans did not gain anything from it. ¡°Narlam, damn it! Whatcha idling for? I don¡¯t want to be caught by that damn storm!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming! And I got news! Better pay me a silver if you want to live,¡± Narlam said, facing away from Kara. She could have caught him down right then. A small burst of Life Mana into her legs, or even tossing the blade at his back. ¡°See you, kid,¡± he said, walking away. ¡°Luck be with you.¡± Kara scratched the back of her head, wincing when her fingers felt the crunchy sensation of the lice. This was exactly why she avoided non-rankers. They just did not understand what it took to live through the Games. They might be fine now, but each Phase will get progressively harder. Most Phases scaled with levels to a degree, but barely any of them scaled with points earned or Danger Rank. That meant people that blindly leveled up will eventually face opponents much stronger than them, while people that farmed the most points while gaining the least levels will always out-power their opponents. Kara shook her head. She needed to find a party that realized the disparity of their situation. 47 "Which one of you ugly pricks wanna 1vs1 me?¡± she said, spitting to the side. Kara decided to give this business another try, but with a slight variation to her opening line. They were a five group party with four men and one woman. Two of the men were Wolfs. In Kara¡¯s eyes, they differed little from the last vagabond group she had conversed with. Some were burley, some were scrawny, but they all had that gaunt look upon their faces. Their reaction, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t be more different. She barely got another word out before a barrage of snickers, insults, taunts, and unexpectedly detailed descriptions of what they were going to do to her mother came out one after another. But seriously, what my mother have to do with this? Instead of fighting her right then, however, they first fought among themselves for the right to grant mercy upon the mentally deranged kid, as they put it After a short discussion, the Wolf among the Cubs stepped out. He was no typical peasant worker¡ªhe either soldiered or hunted monsters for a living. A fervor rose within Kara¡¯s heart as she faced her opponent. Her fingers itched fiercely, tightening and untightening her grasp on the hilt of her sword, unable to contain herself any longer. She shook her feet, one after another. ¡°Do you know,¡± Kara began, a smile spreading on her face, ¡°Of freedom? To move and twist without shattering like glass?¡± ¡°This will be a quickie,¡± he said, brandishing his blade across the frigid air. ¡°Good luck next time, sorry you got fucked up. Happens to the best of us." He must have invested in external Life Force skills. Considering he did not debuff her already, he most likely leaned towards the offensive branch. Life Force Blast, Slash, Pierce, and Burst were the common ones at this level. His 3rd Rank Life Force didn''t seem to be a rare variant either. It provided 40% of his current HP as a Shield. Regarding his sword buff, it seemed to be either a sharpness, weight, or some type of on-effect toggle with low requirements. Even though she wasn¡¯t using any Life Force skills, he wasn¡¯t completely underestimating her. He was treating her like a Wolf. His reaction was understandable, though. For her to be anything higher than a Wolf at her age and with such poor equipment was ridiculous. But life could be so absurd, little human. I doubt you¡¯ll learn that no matter how many lives you have. Kara gathered her Notes around her, using another Wrath Song. This time, she didn''t the Song itself. She focused on all her current emotions, her desires, and the life she felt.

Hunter¡¯s Awakening Song Rarity: Epic

These five sacrifices are only the beginning of your journey for justice. Depending on the ways you kill the marked targets, you will recover up to 25% of your maximum HP. Duration: 3 minutes.
Fortunately, even with Nilbog unconscious, her Song worked as if he was the one in control. The flavor text proved it. Kara did not seek justice--she could care less if what Shinkro did was right or wrong. She only sought to make him experience a fifth of the agony she had felt. A quick death would be too merciful. In a twisted way, her song reading Nilbog for killing his opponents in a special way was because of her. She didn''t take him to be as cruel as her. Still, she was right. He did have a worthy goal. Survival isn''t enough for a ranker--a consuming desire to achieve power at all costs was what made a ranker successful. He lifted his blade high into the air-- too high, already giving Kara a fatal opening. Using a Life Force Burst skill the distance could be easily cut, but that would have cost her too much, and more importantly, would have dissolved the chances of Kara having a proper sword fight. If The Game wanted style, she''ll give it style. Kara stepped back and turned to the side, letting the flash of the blade whiff by her as it went down. She struck it aside when it attempted to follow her. His sword went high up into the air while hers stayed at hip-level. His sword had a simple weight buff. The force behind the blade was far greater than what her opponent was swinging with. He stepped after her, swinging down his blade from the top right corner. Kara dug her feet into the ground, planting them firmly, and twisted her hips in conjunction with her upper body, swinging her sword up from below it. His Strength was embarrassingly higher than hers, but his sword was still knocked to the side when she struck it from below. It whizzed over her head when she ducked. The abrupt change in motion, combined with his own strength, caused her opponent to stumble past her carelessly as she stepped to the side. She clenched her teeth and swung as she dashed past him. Her sword struck his ribs, sending sparks off as it bounced off. She dealt 35 Shield Damage. The man spun, his mouth panting and his eyes bulging out. He had turned his back on his opponent for just a second, but in a short moment, death had loomed close to his heart. He had a good amount of Shield to protect him, but one penetrating hit to a vital was all it took to bleed out. He snapped his sword up, sweat running down his brow. She flicked her wrists, disappointed. She was too rusty. Her flow from a defensive maneuver into an offensive went smoothly with little wasted movement, but the parry itself could have been better. The height difference and body structure made things a bit more difficult. It also didn''t help that being half their level. Even for her, this was a bit much. ¡°Ha! The kid is playing with him!¡± one of the men said. They weren¡¯t being terribly subtle about the way they began circling Kara in attempts of preventing her escape. ¡°Your shaking, silly person. Finally realized you''re out of your depth?" Kara said with a huff. She began stepping back, glaring at the men that attempted to encroach their duel. She began humming, focusing on her Notes. It provided increased visibility of the fight all around her, especially for the archer. ¡°Lucky bastard. Getting cocky, eh?¡± the man said, edging forward with care. He was weak but he was no fool; the difference in skill was clearly shown. A swordfight was not something he was going to win. This allowed Kara to easily anticipate his next possible move¡ªhe was going to use his skills. She focused on his left hand. He lunged forward, raising his sword high in the air with his right arm, as his left swung behind him, out of sight. That gave it away. She immediately sent a dozen Life Force points into her left hand as she parried his strike. This time, the force of the blow knocked the sword from his hand. He brought his left hand forward, a visible amount of Life Force coerced within his open palms. "3rd Life Force Pal--" She pushed his hand to the side before he finished the incantation. A short moment later, an explosion resounded behind her. Life Force Palm. Most of them consisted of discharging a concentrated amount of Life Force in a direction. It left him wide open. Kara¡¯s left index and middle fingers, outstretched and tightly woven with a Life Force, thrust forward. She used an Amplification on her thrust, doubling its momentum and giving her the extra penetration she needed. Her fingers went a few inches into his neck cut to the side, spraying blood upon his teammates a few meters away.
Full Penetration!The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. You have dealt 42 shield Damage! You have dealt 7 HP damage! You have dealt Devastating Bleed Damage!
¡°Good day, thank you for the points,¡± Kara said. By the time he fell to his knees, Kara had already ran away with her sword floating back into her hands. Devastating Bleed Damage was at least 9% MAX HP damage per second. A small wound like that would have been easily covered with Life Force Texture, but no one at this level could possibly do that. After a micro stun, the rest of the party began chasing her, throwing arrows, rocks, two hand axes, and more poorly worded insults. As she dodged and wove her way around the small trees, Kara received some good news and some very, very bad news she had been expecting. One: the gap between this body and others were not as enormous as she thought. She could beat fools of that caliber all day long. Two: None of his skills activated. Things were not looking good. Requisition only said that it would dominate the body, not the Soul. It did not mention anything about gaining skills or accessing character sheets. Considering the limited power of profession skills, it was unlikely it would allow her to body-hop with no major disadvantage. Kara didn¡¯t want to admit it, but beyond having the pleasure of regaining her senses, she was no closer to her goal than when she first started. Nilbog¡¯s corporation wasn¡¯t an option anymore¡ªit was a necessity. Kara¡¯s relaxed jog turned into a struggled walk. Her body was in mid-recovery. Her missing teeth grew back and the bruises, cuts, and disfigures on her body began to fix themselves. She regained 32 HP, putting her total at 70. Her apparent lack of concern made the ones behind her more livid. The nearest one to her leaped high into the air with his axe as his Life Force Enchantment sparked into full power, and was then wanked back to the ground by an Ent¡¯s branches. The rest of the fools were no better off as the Ents rose from the ground, upturning the earth. Their branches, now seen to be giant claws, either smashed against the ground or on soft flesh, helping them rise from their holes. Once out, the Brwaller Ents stood half a dozen meters tall. They were effectively giant humanoids, the only difference being their skin was wood. Below it they were flesh and bone. Their arms were long and the tips of their fingers were knife-like, and they had inanimate branches sprinkled on their bodies to act as camouflage. The other two were called Hinge Ents. Those were just trees that had four legs connected to their trunk. They had enormous eyes, a wide maw in the center of the trunk, and a dozen different thorns protruding from its body. The inflexible wood forced the Brawler Ents to swing their entire body in one direction, slowing their attacks down, while the other two with smaller thorns were quick but relatively tame with their damage. Though the humans took great damage from the ambush, their axes, large blades, and mostly Strength-based builds enabled them to deal decent damage to both Ent types. They were foolish but they were not completely inept. The men immediately spread and surrounded the Ents, using their cumbersome size against them. They wove directly under them, cutting away at the foundation. They made decent progress and got into a rhythm. The Ents were relatively unintelligent creatures and were easily provoked into flaying their limbs at the tank while their damage dealers did their job. Life Force Thrust, Slash, Burst, and party-wide buffs enabled them to deal decent portions of damage. They chopped off the wood and dug into the stiff flesh underneath, causing ooze to splutter out of the wounds. The creatures were resistant to bleed and slash attacks, but having the branches being chopped off began to hinder them. The two people that wielded swords focused on being a distraction, while the one man with double hand axes was the core damage dealer. Being one man down did not seem to hinder the party¡¯s performance too much. In a few moments, they already knocked one to the ground, rendering it immobile. Their archer also proved useful, serving to be both as a distraction and a damage dealer. He hopped and weaved within the cluster of Brawler Ents, using their unmoving branches as steppingstones, and aggroing them with Life Force Infused Arrows. His attacked punctured through the layer of wood, though it was obvious that he would run out of arrows well before he could bring a single one of them down. That was the issue with the Ranger and Mage classes. Though they had powerful attacks and buffs, most were more limited in ammunition and mana. Their resources would run out far quicker than melee fighters. This Ranger, however, was both skilled and intelligent. Instead of using his arrows to deal damage, he instead used it as a catalyst. The Ents swung at him as he hopped across their giant bodies, unaware, or uncaring, that their claws smashed into their brethren. The ground shook as the Ents fell, sending splinters everywhere as the wood tore. He climbed, circled, and repeatedly dodged near-fatal hits. That was a Ranger''s job. So many backline archetypes believe themselves to be the damage dealers when they were more suitable to provide utility to the party. At this point his bow was strapped to his shoulders, his focus resting solely on dodging the Hinge Ents¡¯s thorns. He was playing a dangerous but rewarding game. His sharp focus and natural flow made his movement clean and crisp. It made him worthy of his Wolf rating. He caused two Ents to fall and hopped onto the third, throwing his arms into the air to catch a branch. Pure instincts, or more likely Sixth Sense, saved him from being skewered by Kara as she leaped from the opposite Ent. They flew past each other, her blade aimed at his stomach. In an instant he bent forward, the odd flexibility body somehow allowing him to twist his body just in time. Kara¡¯s blade struck his stomach at a bad angle, bouncing off without dealing much damage.
Minor penetration! You have dealt 27 Slash damage to Ranger¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 4 Slash damage to Ranger¡¯s HP!
He missed the branch and tumbled through a few with his back before he found something to grab, by which Kara had already landed on the other side, turned, and got back to chasing him. Slipper bastard. If she had a better angle she might have dealt a good blow. She used an Amplification, too, leaving her with 3 Equilibrium. His 2nd Rank Life Force Shield would provide 30% of his current HP in Shield, and considering how low a Rangers HP was in the first place, it probably gave him something around a 100 Shield. She hounded him from Ent to another as the giant creatures moved and swung their limbs. Both had to constantly abandon the current Ent they were straddling and to leap onto the Ent which struck their own down, which involved not only dodging the claw, but also the thorns around it. The Ents hindered her as much as it hindered the Ranger, who struggled with the large amounts of things attempting to kill him. Then again, all he had to do was to hold on. Though the Ents that fell did not die, they did take substantial damage. They made easy prey for the rest of his party. All he had to do was stay alive long enough, and to keep an eye on her. ¡°I need help up here!¡± the Ranger yelled. ¡°Right man, just give ma¡¯ a sunset or two to get up there¡¯ with ya!¡± one of the men replied as his axe took a chunk of wood off the Ent. Kara couldn¡¯t leave him. He was too much of a danger to stay alive. Dodging swords was one thing, but dodging Life Infused Arrows was a whole different story with this body. She could use Deviation to alter the course of the arrows, but that required her to actually face it when casting the skill. Her opponent was no amateur either. With his greater Agility, she simply could not catch up to him. In addition, the sword which she held made climbing and swinging difficult. It allowed the Ranger to get ahead far ahead of her and to climb to the Ent¡¯s top, by which he had the luxury to toss his bow from his shoulders to his hand. When the Ranger leaped from the Ent, he twisted his body around mid-air, casting 3rd Rank Life Force Infusion. Now! Infusing her legs with Life Force, Kara dashed after him, channeling Kinetic Mana to further push her from behind. When she reached the maximum Speed, she used Amplification on herself. By the time the Ranger had his arrow pulled back, she was mere feet away, her sword reaching for him. A mixture of fear and surprise was clear on his face, but in mid-flight and at such a short distance, he held all the advantages. Even though the Ranger was still out of her reach, Kara swung with her blade. The Ranger released the string, causing the arrow to leave his bloodied fingers in a snap. The arrow was too quick for her eyes to catch it, but considering how Kara had lived the decades, it wasn''t quite the disadvantage. She tracked the Life Force Infused in it, the Kinetic Mana its movement caused, and finally her Notes to guide her. She struck the arrow with the flat side of her sword, causing it to bounce off. It struck bounced off, striking the Ent behind. She slashed again, this time causing her sword to finally break a line in his Armor.
Minor penetration! You have dealt 32 Slash damage to Ranger¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 6 Slash damage to Ranger¡¯s HP!
With a high-pitched scream unbefitting of his gruff looks, he cast a 2nd Rank Life Force Push before she could slash again. It slowed her enough for him to escape her striking range. He landed first and burst running in one fluid motion. He began to take the lead with a few hops, pumping Life Force through his body without care. It was not a speed that her legs could possibly catch up to.
Penetration! You have dealt 21 Pierce damage to Ranger¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 34 Pierce damage to Ranger¡¯s HP! You have dealt Moderate Bleed damage to Ranger!
Kara¡¯s Kinetically thrown and Amplified sword impaled itself through the Rangers back. He glanced down mid-leap, seeing the sharp metal bulge out in between his chest, and then glanced back to see her a few meters off, her hands stretched forward. ¡°You...threw it?¡± the Ranger wheezed out as he fell. He bounced from branch to branch until he landed on the ground. Before he could pull the sword out, Kara landed directly on his chest. She felt the bones sink down as the last of his Shield began to run out.
You have dealt 17 Blunt damage to Ranger¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 5 Blunt damage to Ranger¡¯s HP!
¡°Swords are just oversized knives,¡± Kara said as she took the blade out and jumped to the side as an Ent¡¯s foot turned him into mush. 48 The rest of the hunt was child play for Kara. She retreated to a rear position, positioning herself behind the scrawny trunk of a dying tree, opposite to the storm. The cover was small, but her body was even smaller. She lifted her arms above her to avoid having them stick out, the tip of her sword nearly poking out of the top. She hid her Life Force once again, observing the Warriors with her Siren¡¯s Web as they struggled with the overwhelming HP and defenses of the Ents. With the Ranger gone, being a man down, and an unknown person hunting them, they would realize this battle was a futile one. This round was a survival game, not a kill game. Getting involved in fair fights was not a good use of resources, especially when the enemy was an HP sink. Two of the four Ents died before they called to run away. The first Warrior that passed Kara did so without noticing her. The second did far too late. Kara jumped on the third, letting him impale himself through the neck with her blade. She stepped to the side, allowing his momentum to pull it free as he tumbled past.
You have dealt 13 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s Sheild! You have dealt 35 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s HP! You have dealt Devastating Bleed Damage!Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
This was one of the few ways to kill higher level foes. Getting hit by a high penetration strike to a vital, like running straight into a sword with your neck, for example, will cause a swift end. Neither of his allies paused. The charge of the Ents shook the ground as the herd charged, as if an earthquake was heading their way. Kara did not rush herself. Walking to the side was not an option-- she simply would not be able to distance herself in time. The Ents may have had poor sight, but the bleeding body of the Warrior a few steps away from her oozed out his life. They would focus on him rather than her. Walking as quickly as she could, Kara ducked and weaved through the two giant legs of the Ents, and then did her best in twisting her body as the branches attempted to snap her in half. She passed with a few light lashes on her skin. She glanced behind her, seeing the whimpers of the poor guy cease as one trunk came down onto his body. More followed as the trunks dented the grounds with their stomps. After the Ents resumed their chase, not a single piece of the warrior was left. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time I head out,¡± Kara whispered to herself in a distracted manner. The sweat ran on her skin, the cruel cold giving peace to pulsing muscles. Though this body was foreign and lacking in glamour, it had a certain durability to it. It felt tight, enveloping, and well put together. It would not break and fall at the joints. She spent 8 Mana and recovered 75% of her HP in total, bringing her back to 129 HP. Not completely recovered, but 3 out of 5 targets was adequate.
The Song has concluded
Maybe she couldn¡¯t go the full distance with this body, so what? At least life was bearable again. She¡¯ll find a different way to get Shinkro. She began jogging, following the sunken earth the Ents left behind in their wake. It ensured that the path was clear, and though she was confident in coming out victories against any foe she might face, she had little need to fight any longer. Her HP was nearly full, and her resources were high enough for any emergency that might arise. She was set to get Nilbog out of this Dungeon alive. Everything else will follow. Hope. She could see it, and soon, she would taste it. 49 Most drill sergeants were scoundrels. In one form or another, they usually said something along the lines of I¡¯m not here to teach you how to fight¡ªI''m here to teach you how to note poke your eye with the sharp end of your sword! Kara always thought it was an overdone joke, something most humans used in order to gain an aura of hardness about them. They desired themselves to seem cold, apathetic, and mature. At one-point, Kara had realized this was a trait shared by all intelligent species, which ironically made them that much less intelligent. After jogging with her sword unsheathed, however, Kara realized the grim reality-- it was very possible, as even she found her blade coming close to her face. Without a sheath, a misstep might cause the forgotten blade to cause an embarrassing situation. And she was certain someone had poked one of their eyes out in front of a decent crowd. Naturally, everyone from one edge of the world to the other, if not the Abyss, heard all about it. One mystery solved, at the very least. As for the chaos erupting and rumbling of the earth, it was only to be expected. The ground barely stopped shaking for a single moment as the Ents rose up one after another. Party after party became involved in their own altercations with monsters or other parties, further adding to the noise. The storm was closing in quickly. Dark clouds slithered on the ground like a giant wave, crackling and spewing lightning in vicious roars. It was just less than a few minutes away and it did not seem intent on slowing. The enclosing circle and growing tensions pilled up on the inexperienced. Those that had previously avoided encroaching on the Ents liars were now had little space to maneuver, lest they come into shooting distance of the next party. The real catalyst, however, were the ones that unknowingly stumbled upon the giant menses, which then made them run away, and straight into another Ent Lair. In their escape, the Ents chased them in the vicinity of other parties, and because it was unlikely for all members of a party to be able to conceal their Life Force, more fights ensured. Or they run away, thereby causing even more chaos. Thus, it left the entire field to be covered with Ents. It was lovely to watch them scuttle about. For situations like this, and many others, Kara was glad to work alone. Well, alone and a half-living monster slumbering within the body she would soon be permanently borrowing, but who was counting? She jogged on, ignoring most of the fighting brewing around her. Miraculously enough, none of this had woken Nilbog. Or maybe he was awake, and he was just watching without making noise¡ªanything was possible at this point. She knew next to nothing about the mechanics behind her Siren skills. She would prod around in there once she was in relative safety. Exploring his ¡°essence¡± was the first thing she was going to do. She returned her attention to the battlefield, counting an upward of a hundred, though she suspected most would fall in this period. A part of her--a tiny, winey part of her, searched for Caldain¡¯s party. She wondered how they fared in the turmoil. If she was them, she would beat it out of there towards the center ignoring all the petty squabbles. Too much chaos and the chances of getting stuck in the middle of a battlefield was unfavorable in the best of times. Having a third party crash your fight was never a fun time. Every half-wit familiar knew where the true rewards laid--the eye of the storm. It would likely be a large boss with enough firepower to keep a hundred people busy. Though she couldn¡¯t see anything suspicious, she had a good guess about where it was hiding. A few instances barred her path, the first being party who thought a solo was easy prey, and the other an Ent. The first was lost by speeding up, the second was by slowing down. A particularly smart group noticed Kara¡¯s smooth sailing through the battlefield. Seeing her leave gave them the bright idea of following along. Unfortunately for them, Kara did not want to have a group of murdering thieves at her heels. She jogged towards an Ent territory, walking once she reached within their sensing range. She glanced behind her, and was surprised to see them deftly avoid the Ents territory. At least one of them could see the concealed Ents, then. Her best guess was the woman glaring at her; she would be trouble. All Wolves weren¡¯t created equal, and that one seemed especially nasty. Three others were Wolves and only one was a Cub. Kara placed her features in the back of her mind as a target of caution: she wore her black hair short and messy, as if she cut it with a sword, and had a face full of unsavory scars that were caused by a sword. It was enough to match the men she was with, as if it proved her worth. If one thing, it proved a deadly lack of care for her face. Her type wasn¡¯t particularly rare among humans. The greatest shame for Lordans was to have their skin marked by an unworthy opponent. Glancing behind her, Kara noticed them gaining ground on her. It would be difficult to shake them off, and sprinting too quickly would alert the Ents around her. Why did they seem intent on following her? That Life Force user, having seen Kara able to conceal adeptly, should have realized she was no easy prey. How much did humans count for? One point? Three? Kara wasn¡¯t sure. There was always a hidden reward mechanism, though it generally increased with the level and Danger Rank. It was no secret that defeating stronger opponents yielded more points, but there was still a risk involved. They would have better luck elsewhere There wasn¡¯t enough time or resources to spend on them; let them follow her. Worst case scenario she blasts herself out of there. Her priority was getting this body out of here, not to farm points, or enjoy herself. She needed to conduct many more experiments before she took on such large risks. Dodging a few more Ent camps, Kara made her way forward. Her Life Fore and Mana sense was limited in this body, but her Notes were not. With her three Notes and using Life Siren''s Web, she could sense within up to 80 meters around her. Not that she needed to, of course. She can just see. There were seven parties ahead of her, two behind, and four on the side. Two of the four nearest to her already seemed to be skirmishing. Those were the biggest fools. They see rivals before them, and then they forget the big prize waiting at the end of- As she got closer, she was able to recognize one of them. Of course, it would be Caldain. For all his talk of caution, he always ends up in the thickest of things. The battle was even for the most part. Caldain, with Horn, Lia, and Yan held the front line well against what seemed to be a group of three Warriors and two Rangers. Three were Wolves and two were Cubs. Caldain¡¯s own Ranger and the Rogue, Aron, worked in unison, though they achieved little on the sidelines. Aron ran at an angle, and though he could dodge the arrows with ease, he made little distance forward. His Ranger kept the other side on their toes. Running head-on against two arrows with little to no cover was a death sentence. The best that both sides could do was keep each other busy. If I was the rogue, I would run behind the enemy frontline, and have their Rangers risk hitting their own men. The enemy party had 4 Wolves while Caldain¡¯s party had only Yan and him. They were losing with a man advantage.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Still, what could Kara do, right now? Striking from behind was a no brainer, but with that group at her heels, she might only bring more trouble than it¡¯s worth; that¡¯s assuming Caldain¡¯s crew won¡¯t cut her down then, thinking she was the enemy. Should she even do anything? The risk was too huge. In the last fight she picked, the variables were laid out. Her opponents were few and she had a back-up plan. But here? A thousand things could go wrong. This precious, precious body could¡­ No, Kara thought glancing behind her. Those people were vultures. They would strike whoever was vulnerable, her or Caldain¡¯s, and she couldn¡¯t let that happen. Though a stingy bastard, she still considered him a comrade. Abandoning him here would be a betrayal of his trust¡ªhe would do no different. No matter the circumstances, Kara would never stoop that low. She fell back on using the Ents--that would surely break the fighting. She glanced around her, heightening her perceptions of Life Force. Even though the trees were identical, all wispy and withered, her eyes saw nothing below the ground. She frowned. She was unable to use her Notes to scout below ground, but what happened was clear. There were Ents there, below most trunks. The issue was, they were all dead. Whatever¡¯s destroying this land, we¡¯re getting closer to it. Even the Ents are perishing. Was the boss an Ent monster, or was it an undead? That monster type was the only one able to show these signs. Kara started running forward, sword ready in hand. The moment she broke into a sprint, so did those behind her. There was no way she could deal with them by herself, and neither can Caldain¡¯s¡ªtogether, though, there was a chance. She could probably handle three Wolves at most, though she¡¯ll have to deplete all the resources she was saving for the final boss. She was down to 100 on Life Force and 89 on Mana, and back to 3 out of 5 for Equilibrium points. For that to happen, though, she needed to end their fight before the other party arrives. If she could get the first strike into their backs, she might be able to deal a fatal blow by using an Amplification. She was able to escape the eyes of her foes, expect Caldain¡¯s own crew gave her away. They stared for a few moments, surprise on their face. It was all that was needed for them to pay attention to their surroundings. The men she was supposed to ambush began to turn around, and in a fit of pure instincts, Kara released the sword as her arms pumped backward. Now unarmed, the sword flew behind her with her Life Force, so that when they towards her, they only saw a kid running towards them. And a party of bloodthirsty Warriors following at the heel. Hopefully, that would take his attention away from her unknown Danger Rank. When they heard hear nearing, one of the men momentarily broke off from the melee to deal with Kara. The other men, noticing they were about to be flanked by a different party, began to fall back towards the side. Fortunately, Caldain did not make it easy. He maneuvered to keep them in between him and the upcoming party. He was quick enough to also push aggressively, taking advantage of the numbers advantage. With his technique and hulk of a Horn, the other party quickly began to be pushed back. The man who turned around needed to finish Kara quickly. He was going to immediately attack. ¡°Please help!¡± she yelled, glancing behind her quickly. She enchanted her legs with 1st Rank Life Force, spending a couple of dozen points to increase their durability. She couldn''t spend too much, however, or the aura would have shown to the naked eye. ¡°Get behind me!¡± he said, and then brought his sword up. She nodded, and unsurprisingly, when she neared, he lunged at her. Kara did something she had not done for over half a century: she leaped forward, allowing her enchanted legs to slide her in between his legs. She reached towards the sword before she passed him, using 20 Mana to cast 1st Rank Kinetic Push on her sword. Kara then bounced up, and stepped to the side, reaching behind her. Fourth Movement: Amplification.
You have dealt 78 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s Shield ! You have dealt 46 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s HP! You have dealt Devastating Bleed Damage!
Through the usage of her Notes Kara was able to aim the sword even without looking. It struck him so hard that his lower body went forward while his upper went back. The man topped backward, and with a smooth gesture, Kara yanked the blade out and struck it into the side of his ally. The man turned back with shock, in disbelief over the 48 Shield damage she dealt. Because of his Life Shield, and Kara¡¯s low Strength, she couldn¡¯t fully penetrate. A few HP was all she could manage. Lia, however, could do much more. She lunged forward, stabbing him through the neck. With his Shield already weakened, the blade easily went through. His friend turned towards her with a diagonal strike. She did not have time to block. Instead, ducked underneath, letting the blade cut the tip of her hair. She landed right in front of the thrust of Yan. Kara stepped back and bent forward, avoiding being impaled through her stomach but taking a hefty 6 damage as the Enchanted sword cut her ribs. The pain was a back thought in Kara¡¯s head, the surprise quickly turning into an opportunity. Her left hand went down, guiding the thrust forward. It was weak, but with a pump of Life Force and a momentary increase of her strength, she was able to make him step forward with her, correcting the trajectory of the blade to strike the opponent in the chest. She let go, hoping the momentum and one more step from him would drive the blade through, as her hands shot forward, holding the wrists of the opposing man as he attempted to swing towards them. She could not completely stop him, as the difference in Strength was far too large, but it was enough to slow him down for Caldain''s soldier to-- Her Notes found him stuck in his spot, body shaking as he held his sword weakly. Son of a-- She tapped into her Mana to blast him away, but her opponent was too quick. His hand released themselves from Kara¡¯s grasp and caught them. He pulled her towards him, his face livid and uncaring she was unarmed, and thrust his blade forward. She used a Deviation, but she could only move it a few inches to the side before the sword went through her abdomen with little resistance, stopping only until the hilt dug into her skin.
You have taken 28 Damage Pierce Damage! You have taken Moderate Bleed Damage! You will take 8 Bleed damage per second for 1 minute!
Kara gasped, the agony overloading all the senses she had reclaimed. Blood spurted out of her mouth onto his shirt. Still he did not let go; it was his last act, and in the back of her mind, Kara understood. If she was going down, she might as well take someone with her¡ªIt was the same for him. His death was assured with the fall of his teammates. The last of his party already started running, leaving him trapped in the circle. His muscles pulsed, the last of his Life Force pumping into his arms. Before he could cut the rest of Kara¡¯s body in half, Caldain¡¯s sword rammed him from the side. Too late, Kara numbly thought as she fell to her knees, clutching the blade with her hands. Taking it out would turn the Moderate bleed damage into Devastating. She poured Life Force into the wound, solidifying it around the sword. The damage per second went down from 7 to 3 at the cost of 46 Life Force. Already her HP was down to 97 from the initial strike, leaving the rest to go with the bleeding. Blood spurted out of her mouth as she rolled to the side. The earth shook as its coldness burned into her cheeks. Chaos fell above her, deaf to her ears. If Caldain could¡­Kara desperately thought, bending her head to search for him, but it was too late. The party that has been chasing against Kara now fought against Caldain, leaving no time for him to help a stranger. There was no way out. She was adept with self-healing wounds, but without 3rd Rank Life Force Source she could not use them. No one in this area should be capable of healing such a wound at this level either. Life Siren''s Song had 5 minutes before it would be up again. She looked up, finding the boy responsible for her death still frozen in his boots, his arms shaking. I should not have relied on him. I shouldn¡¯t have tried saving them. I should have used Mana to attack rather than save it. I should have... All the plans and hopes she had placed on this body vanished in one strike. That¡¯s what happens when a level 20 gets stabbed. No damage reductions, no shield, no healing. A sense of dread began to close around Kara. Back to that filthy body. Back nothingness. A part of her wanted to stay, to feel herself die again. Who knew when she could find another Dancer again? How long it would be before she felt anything? No, I won''t let it go. Kara gathered herself. She had no time for remorse. There was still a chance. She withdrew her Notes towards her. Finishing Nilbog¡¯s Initiation was the final option she had. It was all she had left. If she can''t fix this body, then maybe, just maybe, the Shapeshifter can.
To complete your Dancer¡¯s Initiation, you must fully explore their Essence. Would you like to begin the dive?
No! A voice inside her yelled. He was awake. The moment Kara attempted to go she was met with resistance, but nowhere near enough to the degree she''d thought. Turns out, she wanted to live as much as she wanted him to. 50 Kara found herself floating in a swamp. Trees and a variety of giant mushrooms grew out of the green stained water, letting only the tiniest rays of sunshine to seep through, and even then its hue was more of an emerald rather than a yellow. In the corner where the sun couldn¡¯t reach were pink flowers with a firefly-like light shinning from the bud. Their scent was potent enough to conceal the smell of rotten eggs that came with bogs I can see. These weren''t just glimpses of memories she was accustomed to. She was inside it as if it was its own world. Her senses worked fully. Directly below her was a three-foot, purple translucent creature. The color of its skin shifted from different shades of dark blue as it moved, becoming light purple when it jumped. Its blue butterfly wings fluttered as best as they could, giving it an extra foot of reach on each leap. Through the blurriness of its flesh Kara could see its bones bend and flex like rubber. Its eyes, another hallmark of fairies besides the skin, were completely neon purple and unblinking. There was no hair or nose to speak of. It looked to be a child, by fairy standards, and above it was a green halo. Life Force Pacify. It turned weaker monsters friendly. This must be Nilbog, otherwise, the memory wouldn¡¯t begin here. Which means the rumors are true. Monsters could not evolve across species¡ªa goblin will always be a goblin, and a fairy will always be a fairy. The fact that he became a Shapeshifter meant that the Shapeshifter race did not follow this rule. Nilbog¡¯s low weight and the fluttering of his wings allowed him to quickly traverse the bog, something that could not be said for the Fire Ants following on his heel. Their sharp legs pierced through, and if they weren¡¯t each a few meters tall, it would have sunk them to the bottom. Instead, they dug the ground up in their pursuit. If her memories served her correct, they were level 40 Rank C monsters with poison and decent hive power. Their jaws, two large mandibles at the side of their mouths, clicked and snapped at a few inches away from Nilbog¡¯s wings, causing him to jump and yelp each time the sounds got closer. Anything that was in between those two blades was cut in half, the venom seeping out sizzling against the ground. Trees, rocks, and even each other were snapped apart. Considering their level and size, devouring a thousand of little Nilbogs would do little for them. This must have been a Dungeon otherwise the ants wouldn¡¯t have behaved so strangely. He existed the encasing of the grass, dodged a few skimpy trees, and jumped straight into a battleground. The Ant Queen stood in the middle of it all. Over 10 meters tall, it punctured the earth wherever one of its giant feet landed. It went through the hard dirt like it was mud. It¡¯s body, however, was riddled with countless punctures, burns, slashes, and arrows. Its shell was crumbled and burned at parts, as if struck by a meteor. A dozen Red Ants protected her on all sides from humans. There were 6 of them with the typical roles--Warrior, Tank, Mage, Ranger, Rogue, and Healer. Not a Dungeon, but a Raid. 4 stars, if her guess was right. Nilbog sprinted past, his feet bouncing off the ground with every explosion. He stumbled in holes and open crevices of the earth until he fell before a woman lying on the ground. Around her stood Sprits of varying colors and sizes. They were in the shapes of Wyvern¡¯s, Manticores, humans, Vandrans, and the Free Tribe folk. Any Fire Ant that entered their parameter were quickly crushed, cut, burned, and electrified. She likely had some type of Necromancy class. They were a rare breed of Life Force users that were able to capture the Soul of creatures that died and to re-summon them Spirits. She might have been the one that used Pacify on Nilbog. The Spirits, not sensing any malice, allowed Nilbog to near her. A clever bunch, considering they were remanence of the dead. He dropped to his knees, clutching her hand tightly. ¡°Nelly!¡± he yelled, though his mouth did not match the pronunciation of the words. The brain filling in for the missing bits, no doubt. These should be his memories, after all. It didn¡¯t mean they were completely real. ¡°N-Nil?¡± she wheezed, blood dripping though her mouth. ¡°I...fine...Jack...B-Betray...¡± Her stomach was open, her guts spilling out. One of her legs were missing, as well as a decent portion of her waist. She did not look fine. It was amazing that she could even breathe. But Kara saw that she would heal, and very soon at that. Her Spirits were transforming their Life Force into live matter. Limbs, organs, nerves¡ªthey were all coming back. Likely part of her class, as well. No ordinary skill could heal this quickly. What was truly odd, Kara noticed, was her wounds: it was cut by a blade, and no Fire Ant was able to wield a blade with their limbs, as far as she knew. Jack betray? He was the one that did this? A quick look showed only two people with a sword--the tank and the warrior that was mounting the Red Ant. The purple liquid in Nilbog¡¯s eyes fell like tears down his cheeks as he held her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll get him! He¡¯ll know what to do!¡± he said, running off. Nelly¡¯s hands reached for him, though neither her mouth nor hands had enough power in them. She watched as Nilbog went towards the Red Queen. He got surprisingly far until a lightly armored man with an eye patch landed in front of him. The memory once again fluttered; words become static, the colors fading, faces blending. After a pause a red flask was handed to Nilbog. ¡°This will save her! She¡¯ll die without it!¡± the man said hurriedly. Nilbog paused for a brief moment. Even on the face of a fairy Kara could see the distrust clear on his face. A few precious seconds passed by until a group of Fire Ants began rushing towards them, making the decision for him. Nilbog sprinted in the other way as the man turned around, his body turning into a flash of light. He bellowed something, and then the ground shook followed by an explosion. A Life Force Flare fired from his palm into the sky, exploding into a star figure. That was how rankers communicated across distance and in secrecy. Two Fire Ants charged towards Nilbog. One was pinned to the ground with a Life Force Web by the man, but the other Fire Ant avoided it. It ran straight at Nilbog. Without stopping it swiped at him with its front leg. It was too fast for Nibog to react¡ªhe was cut in half. His upper body went up while his legs kept on running. His wings fluttered, gained a bit of distance, and landed on Nilbog¡¯s lower half. His body re-glue itself, and Nilbog kept running. Before the other Fire Ant broke free of its chains a huge heap of metal crashed into it. He stood on top of the Fire Ant with his shield and giant sword. Brown ooze covered each part of his white and blue armor. The Life Force Flare called him. What''s the secrecy for, though? The man with the eye-patch could have just called for him. He looked from the fur armored man to Nilbog, to the flask in his hands, and then mouthed something Kara could not hear. An argument ensued. The only audible word was the name Barlom. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. It sounded familiar, but Kara couldn''t put a finger on it. Soon Nilbog was followed by Barlom. He leaped from one Fire Ant to the other, blowing them apart like¡­..well, like insects. He protected Nilbog until he reached the safe zone of Nelly''s Spirits, which by itself was strange. Why was he wasting precious time to protect Nilbog? If he wanted to get the potion to Nelly, who didn''t need it in the first place, Barlom could have jumped straight there. It was an easy puzzle to solve, but sadly, it did not seem little Nilbog figured it out. He fell down next to her, nudging her until she opened an eye. ¡°Drink!¡± he said, pushing the red flask against her lips. She was unresponsive. She only shook her head weakly, so Nilbog reached with his fingers and opened her mouth. Before the liquid touched her lips Nelly cringed, her eyes opening wide. A shiver went through her body. She attempted to close her mouth, but Nilbog stuck the flask in. This will save her, the voice repeated. She will die without it, it said again, echoing. The Spirits floated vigilantly above, ensuring that no one would hurt their Host. "How frustrating," Kara said, shaking her head. Behind Nilbog, outside of the Spirit¡¯s range, was Barlom staring quietly. The world began to lose its color. The Spirits vanished as Nelly died, but the Pacify skill controlling Nilbog did not. She wasn''t the one that cast the skill. The picture paused then, frozen in time/ This will save her. She will die without it, the voice repeated. The world turned murky, its colors of gray, yellow, and brown twisting and combining until a new scene unfolded before her. A large man in blue and white armor stood in front of Nelly''s body, directly behind the Nilbog. Nilbog slowly turned around with an expression on his face that Kara just could not describe. "J-Jack," he said in a whisper. His quivering hands held Nelly''s arm. He kept shaking her. Jack grabbed Nilbog by the head and thew him away. Nilbog''s flesh bounced off the ground like a ball, striking a boulder and falling still. The man¡¯s helm vanished into blue particles as he fell to the ground. Dark hair and green eyes¡ªit was much too similar to the face that Nilbog currently had. Barlom, the old mage, and the same eye-patched man surrounded Jack. Barlom walked forward, his sword glowing with Life Force. Jack did not flinch. The fool lost his will. Even when Barlom¡¯s sword pierced him through the back, Jack did not react. He just let himself bleed to death. ¡°For Dlar,¡± Barlom said, jerking the sword off. Jack fell on Nelly''s body, his blood mixing with hers. ¡°We won¡¯t have monsters, and monster lovers, rule our kingdom.¡± ¡°You mean your kingdom, Barlom,¡± the woman said, cackling, though her face quickly died down to scowl. "Our goals are different, though, in the end, I am no different than you." ¡°It''s too late for regrets. Burn the bodies. We must find Eikko before he gets the King¡¯s Egg.¡± ¡°It was far too late, dear Barlom. He caught on faster than I expected. He''ll find it any minute now,¡± she said as fire began to form in front of her. ¡°3rd rank Fire Hound.¡± Out of the fire, the shape of a large dog formed. It growled and leaped forward. A black claw burst from under Jack¡¯s corpse, going through the hound and smashing Olivia into the ground. Both Barlom and the man in fur armor dashed for her aid. Barlom slashed the claw in half while a burst of Life Force from the eye-patched man covered her. Jack¡¯s body was tossed to the side as Nelly''s body floated up. Her skin ripped apart as a dark blob began expanding. Black bolts began to explode from her. ¡°Damn the fates, she''s turning into a Shade!¡± Barlom yelled, his shield propped in front. Each bolt left a dent and pushed him back. ¡°F-Finish the Raid,¡± the mage croaked. ¡°We can¡¯t beat it.¡± The blob of corrupted mana began to form into a woman¡¯s shape. Its shell flowed like flames as it began to expand. Two pure white eyes formed on its head. It glanced from Jack''s corpse, to Nilbog, and then to Barlom as they ran away. With a ground-shaking screech the Shade bolted towards Barlom, leaving Jack¡¯s body and the monster who used to be Nilbog behind. Kara didn¡¯t need to see the rest, and apparently, neither did Nilbog. The memory froze as Nilbog reached for Jack¡¯s body. ¡°Poison,¡± Kara said, turning behind her. "Out of all the different ways it could have gone, it had to be poison." Nilbog stared back at her in his fairy form. He was taller with wider wings behind him with a face held no emotion in it. ¡°It should have saved her. She would have died without it,¡± he said, his voice seraphic. It echoed throughout the frozen world. ¡°She would have lived if you had done nothing. Her Spirits saw you as a friendly creature. They would have stopped Barlom, but they didn¡¯t stop you.¡± He paused, or rather, the flowing liquid in his eyes did. Then, when he finished guessing how much Kara now knew, the swirl resumed turning. He kept his silence. "You ate him, didn''t you?" Kara said, sighing. Kara will never be able to attain that race if that was the case. If she had a body that she could eat with then she wouldn''t need the Shapeshifter race in the first place. "You perfectly copied his body, that¡¯s why no Detection skill can work on you¡ªit¡¯s not a Disguise. Biologically, to the bone, you are a human. That¡¯s also how you, aside monster created in a Dungeon escaped without the Game deleting it. It removed all the Bog Fairies, but a sentient Shapeshifter? No, that the Raid didn¡¯t create." Nilbog didn¡¯t respond. Kara sighed. He was going to be difficult--he didn''t seem to care about his life. ¡°Here is the thing-- I don¡¯t care about your life either, or the rest of this wretched world, in fact, but I do need you. Help me and I¡¯ll help you get justice in return.¡± ¡°Getting revenge won¡¯t change what I did, nor will it bring them back,¡± he said, his voice stale. ¡°This isn¡¯t about you¡ªthis is justice for them. Rankers killing each other is fine, this is what The Game is about, anyway, but treachery is not. Use the life you stole to right the wrong. Heal your body and fight!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Anything short of that is a lack of¡ªwait, what?¡± ¡°You get to use this body, and in exchange, Barlom, Olivia, and Wynjo will receive judgment. Destroy them. Rip them apart. I don¡¯t care.¡± Kara was speechless. There was no surprise or hesitation in his voice. Where is the stubbornness, the incoherent rambling of what was wrong and what was right? She thought he would despise his powers. Wasn''t that why his body still hasn''t met the "requirements?" Was she wrong to think this? I feel¡­duped. Am I overthinking this? ¡°So are you actually able to destroy a kingdom?¡± he said. The underlying assumption was obvious¡ªhe wanted proof that she could fulfill her promise. ¡°Uh,¡± Kara said, waiting until her mind caught up to the conversation. Killing them this early on wouldn¡¯t pose a challenge. ¡°It¡¯s not whether I can, but whether I¡¯m allowed to. Being directly involved in killing lower levels would endanger myself.¡± Of course, there are other ways around that. Doing so was just not the wisest course of action. The moment they die Nilbog would have no reason to cooperate with her. There was nothing that guaranteed his word, or his motivation. ¡°Right, of course," he said, and if he could roll his eyes he probably would have. Sharp. Noticing Kara''s obvious lie wasn''t special--having the discipline not to call her on it was. It wouldn''t have changed her answer. He''s still a child with an attitude, though. He should have acted ignorant for more than a handful of reasons. "And how are you going to do this?¡± he said. "They have a kingdom." And you have the broken ranker in history on your side, both literally and figuratively. "The normal way, of course. It won¡¯t be easy, but if we complete difficult Dungeons and rank high in the Phases we¡¯ll catch up in a couple of months. Levels will mean less when we hit the top 100s.¡± Nilbog paused. It was hard to read his fairy face, but for a second she thought he narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°You weren''t able to catch a level 20 like what, three times? And what''s this sticking out of my stomach? Seriously, why should I trust someone with that track record to do anything?¡± But there were reasons for that! Not only had she forgotten how to move a body, but she also started as a near-dead level 20 against foes at least twice her level with little skills to use. And that wasn¡¯t even what killed her¡ªtrying to play the hero and save Caldain was what done it. If Yan was capable as a thirteen-year-old child then¡­ Kara, of course, mentioned none of that. That wouldn''t change the fact that she did have an embarrassing streak of failures. She couldn¡¯t use her past record as the 44th First Ranker to her credibility, and nor could she show an impressive amount of power without sacrificing a portion of it. She had no real proof. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have anything to lose,¡± he said, saving her from embarrassment. He shrugged, looking back on his old self. He doesn¡¯t believe it¡¯s possible, damn it all. Why does the sole conqueror of the surface have to prove themselves to a one-year-old Shapeshifter? This was more than just humiliating. She was like one of those old hags that tried to convince the younger ones that she did, in fact, once have it.
You have seen your Dancer¡¯s Essence
This was a new level of irony. Before Kara screamed, her senses faded, and she once again found herself in the pitless darkness of the real world. 51 Nilbog woke up to a vicious hunger in the pits of his stomach. It burned fiercely, sending him up in quiet screams instantly. He held it in out of habit, though. No reason to alert anyone. ¡°Quickly,¡± Kara said overhead. ¡°What...did you do¡­ to my body,¡± he groaned. His entire body flared in an intense burn. It was as if his bones turned to mush. He could only imagine how worse off he would be if his Shapeshifter did not prevent internal damage. After all, a freaking sword was stuck through his stomach. Like hell Lesser Bleed Resistance can do anything against that. Bodies were littered around him. A few paces away a fight was occurring between two groups. If you can complain, you can heal, Kara said. Open the Shapeshifter related skill descriptions while you do that. For Jack, he thought as he crawled towards the same person that had stabbed him. Nilbog regained consciousness before the fight began, but he had held his tongue. He wanted to see what she was capable of, what she wanted to do. He witnessed her helping a party, but it didn''t mean she didn''t do it for the points. While there still was no guarantee that she would uphold her part of the deal, Nilbog had little choice but to place his faith in her. He made a mental command to open all Shapeshifter related skills. As he did this, Kara crashed into his body. He felt her looking through his eyes. It was an eerie feeling.
Shapeshifter (A-Rank Race)
Your sole goal remains to be the death of all Sentient life, but as a monster hybrid you have gained the unique ability to participate in the Game as a Sentient rather than a monster. All critical modifiers to your Husk¡¯s vulnerabilities are removed. Internal damage, including damage done by poison, blunt force, or self-inflicted damage, is negated. Damage to your Heart, however, will cause significant damage. You will not be able to use your Shapeshifting skills to recover damage done to it.
Siphon Soul (Racial Skill)
You are now able to Siphon Souls. Souls will reside in corpses for up to 24 hours. You may only Siphon Soul creatures with a higher rank than you if you played a major role in their death. Siphon Soul will allow you to either store or use the Soul to heal. Healing Power Per Heart: 25% of your MAX HP. Healing Uses: 4/4 (5/Hour)
Shaper (Racial Skill)
You can create Husks though the use of Souls. You will gain the race¡¯s Racial Skills, but you will not be able to change your stats. You may only medium-sized husks. To create a Husk, you must use 5 Souls belonging to the race of the Husk you chose. You may create specific Husk by only using its Soul, but you will not be to gain EXP or its Racial skills until you fulfill its Soul requirements. You can store 1 Husk(s). Stored Souls: 0/5
Shifter (Racial Skill)
You may use your stored Souls of equal Rank to your current Husk to either Heal or Morph. Healing Power Per Soul: 25% of your MAX HP. Healing Uses: 4/4 (5/hour) Morph: You may alter your Husk with parts of different creatures. To gain a part of a race you must use a Soul belonging to it. You may close wounds through this method, but you will not be able to regain HP. Morph Uses: 4/4 (5/hour)
Facing his memories removed every doubt he had. In whatever form it took, those three needed to die. Becoming a vicious scoundrel was the least he could do. He couldn¡¯t escape his fate, and neither will they.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Nilbog reached for the corpse in front of him. He pressed his hand against its chest, pushing until ripples extended from the corpse¡¯s chest. After a small resistance, Nilbog¡¯s hands plunged in, ignoring its flesh. As Kara mentioned, It''s Soul was its where its heart resided. Using Soul Siphon, Nilbog yanked his hand out, taking its Soul out. A small white glob jiggled in his grasp. It shinned and moved like a heatless flame with the wind. ¡°For¡­Nelly,¡± he said, as he tossed the Soul inside his mouth. *** Kara left before the Soul touched Nilbog¡¯s mouth. She felt what he felt when she was inside his body, and she had little desire to have the first thing she¡¯s tasted in four decades to be a human Soul. Maybe later. His body began healing. Combining the total healing he can get from the Soul Siphon and Shifter, can heal for 200% percent of his original constitution every 20 hours, which was about 260. Things only good better from there. Not only did he lose all damage modifiers to vulnerabilities, much like how a Ghoul could still attack with a sword through the head, he could also use a Soul to morph his body. That meant closing wounds or adapting to different situations. It didn¡¯t mean he would heal, but damage from bleeding is easily controlled now¡ªlike that sword being stuck through him. Having an arm chopped off is no longer a disaster. Some monster limbs are even more proficient at skills than others, like Fairy''s wings when casting External Life Force skills. Or maybe growing another set of arms. Combining the best parts of different races was not a far off dream. By itself, it was not a front-line focused race. It had great utility and survivability, but in terms of combat, it wasn¡¯t as good as other rank A monsters. The true glory of it was is that no race was barred from the Shapeshifters grasps. Just you wait, brother. I¡¯ll catch up, one way or another. She can see the possibilities. It was doable. She had all the right tools¡ªthe rest is up to her execution. A Life Force explosion caught Kara¡¯s attention. Caldain¡¯s crew had not farewelled well during the meantime. One fight after another left no time for their STM or Life Force to regenerate, leaving them in quite the bind. Horn and Caldain held their own, though the other two Warriors did not. They fought shoulder to shoulder while the Ranger and Aron once again fought at the sidelines. The enemy Rogue was able to fend off Aron while still chasing down the Ranger, not allowing him to send in arrows at his friends back. Everyone was a Wolf, but the difference in experience was clear. Caldain¡¯s too weak. He must have enormous debuffs. Probably the reason why he¡¯s able to enter a low-level area. Kara was no different. In the end, their experience and utilization of their skills were supposed to fill in that gap.
Choose a branch. Beware that this decision will significantly impact your Profession.
Single Tune Gain complete control of the Dancer. You may use your skills as long as your Dancer meets the requirements for it, but while in Single tune your Dancer¡¯s non-racial skills will become inactive. While in Single tune, you may use Life Siren skills at 50% effectiveness. You may use Single Tune 20 minutes with a cooldown of 1 hour. For Single tune to activate, you must have successfully used Life Siren¡¯s Requisition on your Dancer. Duel Duet Co-exist with the Dancer. The Dancer will be able to move and cast skills independently from you. You may use your Dancer¡¯s resources and body for no more than 2 seconds for every 10 seconds that pass. You may use Duel Duet 20 minutes with a cooldown of 2 hours. You may decide to take complete control with the permission of your Dancer at the cost of halving the left over time of Duel Duet. For Duel Duet to activate, you must have successfully grasped your Dancer¡¯s Essence.
So it was possible--Single tune was what Kara had originally wanted, but the 20-minute duration was a severe limiter, and even with training she¡¯s unlikely to increase it to an adequate amount. Having a few hours of the day to complete Dungeons was not optimal. She¡¯ll never be able to catch up at that rate. This skill wasn¡¯t meant to give her a permanent body. Treating it as such would put her at a disadvantage. On the other hand, with Duel Duet, she could raise Nilbog into becoming powerful enough to be useful. A fight against Shinkro would only last a few minutes at most, anyway. She didn¡¯t need an hour. Plus, Kara would be able to utilize two classes instead of just one. It would be in a limited capacity, but the potential of it working...it wasn¡¯t an option. Going with Single Tune would provide her with nothing but temporary relief. The main issue with her Sky And Earth Weaver class is that it required duel sources: Life Force and Mana. The Lordan race was the only Sentient race that had a body that can host a Soul which uses both Sources at the same time. Shapeshifters, however, seemed to be immune to internal body damage. It wasn¡¯t quite the same, as some skills specifically required the Duel Source racial skill, but it was a start. A really good start. It¡¯s all or nothing.
You have chosen Duel Duet
You may no longer cast Life Siren''s Requisition on Nilbog
Capturing and using your Dancer''s essence has caused you to learn a new Song: Steadfast
Steadfast Steadfast generally provides defensive buffs that became stronger the more damage someone negates, blocks, or avoids damage.
Interesting. She had been wondering how she would gain more songs. With that done, Kara floated down to Nilbog. He had guts, she had to give him that. Now that he used all 4 Souls from the previous party to fully heal himself, he stood staring at her with expectant eyes. His clothes, previously brown, were now dyed in his own blood. The blade that was in his stomach was now held by his own hands. Show me, he seemed to say. Show me what you can do. Kara could only oblige. She began to cast Duel Duet as she floated down to him, letting her spectral form enter without resistance this time. 52
You have healed for 100% of your current Husk¡¯s HP with Soul Siphon
You have completed the requirements of your husk. You may now gain experience. Racial trait Curiosity added. You have gained 1st Life Force Source. You have gained 1st Mana Source.
Curiosity (Racial Skill) Slot: Racial Skill
Increase experience gain by 30%. This applies to character level, skill growth, and professions.
1st Life Force Source Slot: Life Force Source
You may use up to 1st Life Force Skills.
1st Mana Source Slot: Mana Source
You may use up to 1st Mana Skills.
HP 130/130 (+13/Hour)
STM 102/140 (+1.4/Second)
Overall STM 262/700 (+336/Day)
Life Force 97/120 (1.1/Minute)
Mana 61/120 (1.1/Minute)
His hunger for Souls was finally quenched. Nilbog never felt so much pleasure before, he didn¡¯t even know such pleasure could exist, but it all felt dirty just the same. Spitting and cleaning with the cuff of his shirt only made it worse. He hated it. Nilbog dispised how good it felt. If only he had vomited, or if the Souls had tasted like he was eating a burning log of wood, then the guilt would have lessened. But it didn¡¯t. He was a Shapeshifter, and Shapeshifters devoured people¡¯s Souls with relish. Nilbog was no different in that.
Your Siren has begun casting Duel-Duet
Show me the weapon stats, Kara said as she entered his body. It was a weird sensation, as if he suddenly had a different heart. Inaudible echoes rang in his mind, though the more he tried the more elusive they became. It would take some time to get used to.
Common Rusted Longsword Weapon Type: Sword Weapon Star level: ¡ï
Slash: ¡ï Thrust: ¡ï Durability: ¡ï An old sword handed from one inexperienced soldier to another.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Not that one, she said sharply. The one next to it. Nilbog nodded. She probably had some skill that gave her more information. He walked over and nudged it from the dead man¡¯s hands.
Common Rusted Longsword Weapon Type: Sword Weapon Star level: ¡ï
Slash: ¡ï Thrust: ¡ï Blunt: N/A Durability: ¡ï¡ï An old sword handed from one inexperienced soldier to the other.
He stopped and stared at the dirt blade for a few seconds, blood and dust stuck frozen to it. It was identical. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Not all equally stared weapons are equal. Their range might be different, and are closer to breaking to the next star than others. ¡°So is the difference¡ª¡± It¡¯s negligible, but an advantage nevertheless, she said, her voice becoming stronger. Caldain¡¯s group is losing, as always. That fool¡¯s luck is something not even I would be jealous of. ¡°Didn¡¯t take you for the caring type,¡± Nilbog said. In fact, she seemed the opposite of the caring type. Oh well, she likely had reasons. ¡°Are you going for that Rogue? One versus three should make it quick.¡± That would take too much time. He would just run away. We need to help the frontline now. They¡¯re outnumbered and exhausted, and our time together is limited. ¡°Strike them from behind, then? Wait, we?¡± Wasn¡¯t the entire point of this was that she wanted control? I¡¯ll intervene if something goes wrong. Like this, Kara said, and suddenly his body began to run forward without his consent. Have it back, she quickly said, releasing her grasps. Nilbog stumbled forward, cursing quietly. ¡°Give me a warning!¡± I have limited control, so don¡¯t be lax. I¡¯ll be able to cast various 1st Life and Mana skills, you¡¯ll feel it coursing through your body. ¡°How? What skills, wait!¡± Nilbog said, but it was too late. Kara had already pushed him towards the enemy. A Wolf stepped to meet him. ¡°Greetings, young Wolf,¡± he said, bowing slightly. He was old, tall, and fit. There was intelligence in his eyes.
Sentient Killer Activated
I''m a Wolf? Since when? First lesson. Always Scout the enemy before a fight. Kara whispered. A strange, warm sensation grew in the back of his head. Accent, age, clothes. It¡¯s all information. Ever fought experienced fighters before? Enough to run away, Nilbog thought back. The man did not seem intent on charging forward. He was likely recovering his STM, and would be on the defensive. He¡¯s a warrior, not some farmer. He seems in his thirties, he has more fighting experience than usual, though if he¡¯s this old and only a Wolf, then it¡¯s likely he doesn¡¯t have anything out of the ordinary. Expect Sixth Sense and all basic combat skills to be filled. He might be on the upper tiers of Wolf. Also, I will be using 1st Life Clay. Nilbog inched forward. A warm, slick liquid began to gather around his left entire arm, concentrated within his palms. What she was doing was beyond any of his understanding. Things were escalating far quicker than Nilbog¡¯s used to. He stepped forward and swung overhead. The enemy knocked it aside and stepped forward, also testing Nilbog with a light attack. Nilbog motioned his legs to step back and to knock the blade aside. It was the most basic thing to do. Scout the enemy, get a taste for combat, and then decide what to do. Even Nilbog knew that much. Apparently, though, this was not the way Kara did things. Nilbog¡¯s legs lunged forward, and all he could do in his panic was meet the strike with his sword. Nilbog attempted a parry and then a counter, but the Warrior released a battle cry and pushed forward. He yelled a 3nd rank Life Force Pulse. Immediately a wave of Life Force erupted from his body, nearly knocking Nilbog off his feet. Nilbog began to lose strength in his shoulders, but worst was that his sword began to break. His left hand, now covered in a concentrated amount of Life Force, suddenly caught the blade, moments before his sword broke. His other hand dropped his weapon and swung towards the sword''s hilt of the enemy. The additional Life Force that Kara sent to protect his hand did not last more than a second before the sword began to grind against his own flesh, but it had done its purpose. Nilbog¡¯s hand would crush the Warrior¡¯s fingers before the sword cut him. The warrior yanked his hand back, letting Nilbog¡¯s fist smash into the hilt. As his fist struck, Nilbog pushed towards the opposite direction with his other hand, causing the sword to spin in circles. Deviation, Kara whispered. The blade suddenly went from twisting in the air to jetting forward. The warrior stumbled back, and either through sheer luck or unimaginable skill, swung his fist. It struck the blade at an angle, redirecting the blade away from the center of his chest to only pierce his shoulders.
Penetration! You have dealt 47 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 16 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s HP! You have dealt Minor Bleed damage!
He brought up his other hand in defense, the pain twisting his face. The one he defended with fell broken to his side. Ripples spread his Life Force Shield but it still held. Nilbog had control over his body, once again. He was about to bend down to pick up his sword, but was surprised to see it already back in his hands, pointed directly at the Warrior¡ªhe lost track of how it had gotten there. This time, with his own control, Nilbog stepped forward and swung, not letting the enemy pull their sword from their shoulder. The enemy swung his fist at the same time, casting a 3rd Rank Life Clay, the same skill that Kara had used. His fist was covered with enough Life Force that Nilbog¡¯s rusty blade was unlikely to slash through if they connected. That was how large the difference was between Nilbog and others. His opponent was able to reliably hit the side of a sword mid-swing. Going faster wouldn¡¯t help. Instead, Nilbog strained his shoulders, slowing his attack for an instance, changing the timing of his strike. The Warrior¡¯s hand met with nothing but open air. His eyes widened, his calm demeanor crumbling into panic as Nilbog¡¯s sword came down. It struck his head and bounced off, dealing 34 Shield Damage and leaving a small cut behind. He grabbed the sword at his shoulder as he stumbled backward for space, but Kara took over. She lunged forward, striking his feet with a low kick, and kept spinning as she whispered Deviation. Kara finished spinning before the warrior even landed¡ªshe even seemed to have slide forward while doing so. At some point she switched to a backhanded grip for her sword. In one fluid motion, she drove it back through the warrior''s head. His legs bounced off her shoulders as he finally fell to the ground.
Critical Penetration! You have dealt 29 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 351 Pierce damage to Warrior¡¯s HP!
Killing an enemy twice your level has further increased the experience gain. You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You are now level 26!
¡°Holy shit,¡± Nilbog said. It was all he could say as he stared at the corpse lying under him. You can gain experience now? Kara said with such a nonchalant tone that made Nilbog feel silly for being impressed. I needed four more Souls to full-fill the requirements of a human body. Good. Next target now¡ªget moving! Right, Nilbog thought, swallowing. His heartbeat widely, drowning out all other sounds. He could feel the blood furiously pumping through the veins in the side of his forehead, and he could feel the vibrations coursing under him. "Huh? Vibrations?" Off in the distance, in the center of the field, the earth began to rise.
53
So many things happened, so many things there were happening, that not even the joy of leveling up was absent. He moved in a daze, following Kara¡¯s meticulous instructions. Now that the enemy was outnumbered 6 to 4 and flanked, it was only a matter of time they fell or escaped. Kara didn¡¯t bother chasing them. Let¡¯s hurry up. The boss is waking up, she prompted as Nilbog moved forward. It was an enormous Ent, rising higher than any tree in the forest. It was higher than Dlar¡¯s walls and larger than anything he¡¯d seen before. It was as if someone took over thirty Ents and just mashed them together. A hundred meters? A hundred fifty? It was so large that Nilbog couldn¡¯t even judge. ¡°How the hell are we going to take down that thing? It¡¯s like a mountain,¡± Nilbog said, shaking his head. ¡°Through teamwork and the power of friendship,¡± someone behind him said. Nilbog turned to the side, staring at the tiny man. He was the first black-skinned human Nilbog had seen. The head of a green turtle was itched on top of his bald head with its hands extending up to his cheeks. He had no facial hair. This is called sarcasm, Kara whispered. Oh really? Thanks, I didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Good work,¡± the man said. ¡°I am Caldain.¡± ¡°I am Nilbog, and this makes us even for the favor you have done me,¡± Kara said, using his mouth. Hearing himself talk without him felt viciously uncomfortable. Caldain stared at him intently for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s leave, everyone. Most of our STM and Life Force should recover by the time we join the party,¡± he said, taking everyone with him after a roll-call. He didn¡¯t ask how I recovered? He is a man of a certain authenticity. This makes him predictable but trustworthy. The storm field was nearing dangerously close. Nilbog could feel the coldness radiating from its edges. Lightning spewed within its core erratically, some even escaping the boundary line and striking ahead, turning the ground into a crisp. You better get their Souls quickly, Kara said. For now, we need to use your stat points. Add 6 to Constitution and 12 to Soul. Nilbog had a thousand things he wanted to ask. How can she use both Life Force and Mana? How did she move that sword like that? How did she move like that? So many questions that he did not even know where to begin. We did this to give us something to play with for the boss fight. We won¡¯t need Strength since we¡¯re mainly using mana and Life Force to deal damage. Do you understand why we''re doing this? He didn''t, but he did as he was told to move things along. Hopefully, there would be time to get everything out. Nilbog took a breather and checked his character screen. For once, it was different than how it first looked since he was officially born.
General Base Stats & Total Stat
LevelIf you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. 26 Strength 8 (8)
Species Human (Shape-Shifting) Agility 17 (17)
Class Sentient Killer Endurance 14 (14)
Profession Life Dancer Constitution 20 (20)
Age 1 Soul 23 (23)
HP 194/200 (+20.2/Hour) Life Force 174/230 (+2.3/Minute)
STM 128/140 (+1.4/Second) Mana 175/230 (+2.3/Minute)
Overall STM 252/700 (+336/Day) Danger Rank Wolf
He expected his body to become dense with the Constitution upgrade, or for his Soul to suddenly feel stronger, but nothing really happened. All he felt was a little bit better. You seem surprised, Kara said. "I thought I would...feel better. Stronger. But I still feel like shit." Nilbog said. What was he expecting anyway? The Game removes desynchronization caused by changing stats. Nilbog nodded slowly. That probably translated to "The Game takes care of it." All other parties had already made their way ahead, making Nilbog one of the last ones to stick around. Fortunately, this made taking their Souls easier. Three had died, while the two others escaped. The warm and squishy texture of the white blobs he yanked out made him shiver, but he held it down. Kara was watching him. She had existed his body, obviously not desiring to taste what Nilbog taste. If only she knew. How could something so horrible taste so perfect?
Souls: 0/5 > 3/5
Nilbog began joging towards the Ent, pushing back on his conflicted emotions. He changed his attention towards the Ent. The parties that fought ahead barely managed to stay on their feet, and Nilbog was sure he saw a couple of bodies soaring through the air, walloped like a ball with all their limbs pointing in the wrong direction. The boss used its branches like whips, and some of them were the size of the colossal trees Nilbog had passed. There didn¡¯t seem to be a blind spot; just like a tree, it had branches on all sides. Most moved independently of each other, though some, Nilbog noticed, were inactive. They simply stopped moving for a period. Or was it that the Ent could only focus on a limited number of branches to move? Did that mean everyone had to rush it? Even so, what then? As Nilbog neared, he could see a pile of bodies littered at the base of the Ent. There was little space to dodge there. ¡°Fire?¡± Nilbog asked. No, Kara replied. Too large with an enormous amount of Life Force. It¡¯s a weakness, yes, but it''s too simple. Look deeper. ¡°You talk as if you--¡± Of course she already figured it out. ¡°Give me a hint?¡± He asked, though he kept his hopes down. She didn¡¯t seem to be the person to just give an answer. I already did. Fuck, Nilbog said, giving up. If she knew then there was no reason for him to wrestle for the solution. She''ll tell him eventually. Don¡¯t give up. I won¡¯t always be there to think for you. I wasn¡¯t going to give up! Nilbog was about to ask her for another hint, but a part of him feared her answer. She probably would not be satisfied until we¡¯re in the...center of the danger. Deep into it. A nervous smile crept on Nilbog¡¯s face. Cold sweat began to drizzle down his spine as his blood went cold. Ew. Can you stop that? Was Kara¡¯s only response to the overwhelming apprehension budding within him.
54

Giant Undead Ent Giant Undead Ent is a raid boss monster created by the 4 star Much like its smaller predecessors, an Undead Ent possesses wide AOE attacks, excellent range, and a very tricky defensive mechanism. Though it retains its weakness to fire, Giant Undead Ent has gained the ability to utilize Life Force in order to protect its self. Giant Undead Ent has been seeping the life from the earth, swallowing up both Ents and the surrounding wildlife. It lays immobile in the earth and has grown an intricate root system below it. HP: 12,023/15,000 Boss Rank: D

15k total was a funny number, and for that to be only rank D? ¡°Yeah, there is no way that¡¯s the actual boss.¡± There is always a way to win, that is how the Games are made. People tried, that was for certain. There were two types of crowd. Ones that wisely kept their distance, and the foolhardy who attempted to scale the monstrosity. The majority of those were Warriors, Rangers, and other nimble archetypes. It wasn''t as impossible as Nilbog thought it to be, but a good portion still fell to their untimely deaths. The Giant Undead Ent had two different attack methods. It was either able to thrust forward one of the leafless trees attached to its body like a spear, or it used the thin, numerous, and long-reaching thorns attached to those very trees. The logs were near unstoppable with their size, and the thorns could not be blocked by either sword or shield as they would simply bend around their target like a flail. They had to be completely cut or dodged. As crazy as escalating it seemed, Nilbog at least he had a lifeline--two, in fact. Nilbog was sure Kara would take over when things got messy. Chop chop. We¡¯re on a time-limit. I can only help you for 20-minutes every two hours. If I take direct control the leftover duration is cut, and we¡¯re already down to 17 minutes. Also, as long as it¡¯s not life-threatening, I won¡¯t be intervening. ¡°Why not? Didn''t you say you can provide limited help?¡± Nilbog said nervously. She couldn''t read his mind, could she? Speaking and thinking felt different, but he could never know with this one. You need fighting experience. Our end-game potential is much higher if we work in tandem rather than in separate. ¡°Argh.¡± As much as Nilbog wanted to complain, it was sound logic. His plan was simple: After the Giant Ent smashed one of its trees onto the ground, or a group of unfortunate people, a slight pause would occur before it lifted back up, much like how the Sloth Ents themselves attacked. Nilbog would jump on then and climb the Ent. Some people were targeted by dozens of different thorns, however, and that Nilbog did not understand why. Far to the right, a large thorn was coming with a low attack. Everyone jumped up when it neared, dodging easily, though a few unlucky ones were struck by their guts when the thorn twisted up to their surprise. Nilbog studied the pattern intently, and when it came to his turn, he lunged as high into the air as he could, making his body parallel to the ground as he flew. The thorn twisted up, its pikes missing his chest by a few inches, and fell away. Nilbog landed awkwardly but kept moving forward. Wasteful but adequate. You couldn¡¯t figure it out, so you just jumped higher than its range in both situations, Kara commented. It was tiring to do constantly, but it did guarantee his safety. The thorns attacked in other directions, as well. A few whips came down from above him but those were easily dodged. He sidestepped most of the attacks, and when the whips came in a horizontal, sweeping pattern once again, Nilbog was confident enough to wait until the last moment to jump or duck. The added Agility from his Dodge skill gave him the extra boost he needed, though if he had Accumulation Dodge it would have helped more in this case. The closer he got, however, the less time he had. From one sidestep to a dock to a lung and a roll, a certain pattern became familiar to his body. It flew naturally from one movement to the other, his body pushing through at higher speeds than he had ever reached. The wind pushing against his face felt glorious. Decrease your speed. A tree began its swing. It aimed for the group Nilbog had been chasing. It was nearly perfect. Nilbog just had to speed up a bit to hop on before it would lift off. I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you, Kara say again, this time with a lot less enthusiasm. Yeah, but he could make it. He felt it. Nilbog sprinted with full power. Everything began to become a slight blur as his brain struggled to keep up with his body. Each step was a leap as he began to cut the distance towards the- A thorn came from the top right corner. Nilbog angled towards the left, and then to the right as another came down from the other side. He jumped, dodging a sweep, and instead of landing on his toes, Nilbog rolled forward, dodging a thorn as it swiped above his head. He crawled up, breathing tightly. More thorns reached forward. Dozens of them swung into the air, suddenly aimed towards Nilbog. Ah, he thought nervously. The thing targets those that move the fastest, doesn¡¯t it? I told you so, Kara said, though from her tone Nilbog could have sworn she knew he was going to ignore her. She''s trying to teach me a lesson, just like the guards back then, Nilbog thought to himself. The only difference was that he really did deserve it this time. As much as she could have simply just that, Nilbog could have also just as simply listened. It was just for a moment, but becoming slightly more powerful got to his head.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The thorns fell from the sky like a hail of arrows, piercing through the rough dirt with ease. A line of them marked each step and turn Nilbog took. Some even sprung up from the earth, the spikes aiming for his kneecaps. They grazed his skin and dealt little damage, but with a dozen light cuts the bleed damage began to add up. He crawled and rolled, jumped in between the thrusts and sweeps, and ran on the thorns in attempts to escape the increasing onslaught. He could not slow down. He needed to keep moving. He heard a humming.
Your Siren has begun a Song

Steadfast Runner Each successive Dodge increases your Agility proportional to the difficulty and execution of the Dodge. Abrupt or sharp changes to momentum will reduce the bonuses. Attacking or reaching 0 Agility will end the Song. Current increase to Agility: 5% MAX bonus to Agility: 50% Duration: 3 minutes

Nilbog could not think; he didn¡¯t have the time to. The pain did not register. All he could hear was the beating of his feet, the amused, nearly humorous, humming of Kara¡¯s song, and the thorns cutting the air beside his ears. Soon it became impossible to dodge. His hands knocked aside the thorns aimed for his vitals, letting them dig into his hands instead of his heart. He wasn¡¯t even sure he was the one moving his body. 181, 162, 151, his HP rapidly dwindled as the bleeding damage accumulated. Lesser Bleed Resistance could barely do a thing to stanch the bleeding at this point. Shapeshifting while sprinting, much less dodging, rolling, and crawling, was just impossible. He barely knew a thing about it. Wrong-way, Kara said. Nilbog snapped his head to the side mid-flight. Through the barrier of thorns, a few long leaps away, was the fallen tree. It held no leaves ir color, just long springy lines of dead, gray wood, with thorns attached to them. At the junctions, where the tree attached to the trunk a long distance off, a dark brown ooze seeped out of the cracks. Only when it began to rise did Nilbog remember what he was here for. Without thinking, his right hand reached to the side. He grasped one of the thorns and did his best to ignore the fire growing within his palms. He swung mid-flight, dodging the hail of thorns lined up ahead of him, and throwing himself in the direction of the rising Giant Ent tree. He landed on his left foot, pushed forward with it, and leaped up to with his right foot in one movement. It was the highest leap of his life, but even that was only good enough to get one hand over a skimpy branch. He pulled on it as the tree rose, not truly expecting to be able to pull himself up. Somehow, however, he did. With only the strength of his left arm, he propped himself up to the branches and onto the tree. Kara did not say anything. He could only hear her humming increasing in rhythm, increasing in volume with each step. He ran ahead with only the slightest pause, his muscles screaming. He had to keep his Song Bar up and to staunch the bleeding at some point. The thorns did not relent. Through the branches they snuck their way, attempting to spear through him as best as they could. They attacked him from tricky positions and difficult rhythm. His Seventh Sense did him a blessing by helping him sense those. Sprinting would have helped him escape easier, but his STM was vanishing excruciatingly quickly. Slowing down meant being skewered by at least half a dozen different thorns, but at the very least his job was simplified: find a footing through the branches and the incline, dodge the thorns that sneak around the branches and thrust at him from the front, and watch for the STM that was running out faster than his HP was. He smiled. Everything hurt and there was nothing to smile about, but he smiled nevertheless. He would have chuckled too, but he did not have the breath for it. Knowing he could resurrect gave him an unhealthy amount of confidence. Nilbog quickly caught up to the party that had boarded ahead of him, and then quickly raced past them. A few of them uttered a few confused statements before the thorns chasing Nilbog caught up to them. They had been running, but not nearly as fast. While the thorns were busy with them, Nilbog was given a much-needed breather. He had nearly 53 STM left. His lungs could barely keep up with his heart. He tried to access his storage of Souls to close his wounds with a Shaper''s heal, but his concentration broke each time a thorn reached for him. He had to keep dodging. Let me take over, Kara said. You have two seconds. His body began to move without his direction, and now he could truly tell it was Kara¡¯s doing. Kara did not dodge as much as she just moved out of the way, if what he was seeing made any sense. She didn¡¯t panic, nor did she move on reflex alone. Her movement seemed rehearsed, almost as if she planned her steps beforehand and was just playing to the script. Nilbog returned his sights inward. He couldn¡¯t use a Morph to close the wounds as the bleeding was all over his body. He was planning on using the rest of his Souls to counteract the damage, but the first one he used removed all the bleeding when it healed him. It left him at 124 HP. Nilbog took back control just as Kara''s time was up. He stumbled for a few steps, had a couple of close encounters with a few pesky thorns, and nearly fell over the side when he realized how far they climbed. He resolved to avoid glancing below him--he did not want to think about what would happen if he fell. Just because he can come back to life didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t afraid of being turned into mush. Just when his STM was just about to run out Nilbog found the opening. The entrance to the Giant Ent¡¯s true body was concealed by the wood raising higher at the end. A couple more steps were all that required. Finding his breath, Nilbog ran on, vaulting over the mound and throwing himself straight into the crevice. The wood parted for a few feet into the trunk and then narrowed to a closing. Nilbog stuttered to a stop, nearly crashing against the rough wood. It was blocked. ¡°Shit,¡± Nilbog whispered, spinning around. He had to quickly move before- The thorns reached over the small mound. They rose into the air and then snapped down towards him. With his only escape route being caught off, Nilbog leaped over to the side.Nilbog caught one of the branches hanging under the tree and swung forward, catching one after another. The entire tree began to move once again, attempting to shake him off, but that was a lesser worry than the thorns hooking around. Before they reached for him Nilbog threw himself towards one of the bigger, more reliable branches, and took a wider swing. Using his momentum, he tugged at the branch as he pulled himself up. Except the branch snapped off, tossing him forward instead of up. He screamed, his hands reaching towards a different one but it was already too late. He plummeted towards the ground. His mind went blank as he tossed his limbs about. He had missed every other tree that would have slowed down his fall, and touching any solid ground now would turn him into cheese. Squished cheese. Damn it he was hungry. 1st Rank Life Clay. 1st Rank Life Clay. 1st Rank Life Clay. Nilbog¡¯s Life Force yanked itself from every inch of his body into the palm of his hands, causing it to glow. His body cried as if he had torn off his own skin. Kara spun his hands in circles. Just when he was about to fall past the lowest branch, she tossed the lump of Life Force over it. A solid rope of Life Force wrapped around it. Third Movement: Deviation. Instead of straight down Nilbog went to the side. He swung at an angle, passed the ground by a few feet, and flung himself back in the air at blindingly fast speed. Nilbog could barely keep his eyes open as the wind crashed into it. The ground wasn¡¯t an issue anymore¡ªthe tree that Nilbog was going to crash into was. 1st Kinetic Burst, Kara whispered again. Mid-flight a burst of air blew from Nilbog''s side. Branches came close to Nilbog as he zipped by, but none touched him. His way to the top was perfectly clear. In a few seconds he himself far above his previous position, nearly to the top of the very Ent itself. He floated momentarily in the air for a moment before dropping a few feet into an open crevice. Kara walked in without as much as a pause. His sword, having floated beside him this entire time somehow, pierced the wood in front of him. Without breaking stride, she picked up the sword, swinging it around. ¡°Lesson number one: Always listen to me,¡± Kara said in his own voice, and then began to hum. Red orb or not, hearing her say that made him wish he had just fallen to his grim death.
55

Duel Duet You have used the second active effect of Duel Duet. For gaining complete control over your Dancer¡¯s body, the leftover duration of Duel Duet will be cut in half. You now have 6 minutes 14 seconds until Duel Duet¡¯s duration runs out.

¡°How about you recover these wounds?¡± Kara said, glancing around her. That worked much better than she expected. With the trouble he brought upon himself, she doubted he¡¯ll be able to voice any complaints about her instructions for the next few days. As the outside light began to dwindle, glow vines crawling along sides the tunnel lit her way. A Game prop to make things feasible, surely, as it made no sense for the Undead Giant Ent boss to lay down a visible pathway for those trying to kill it. Can you stop movi--

Song Bar Current: 46% Max: 50% Duration left: 1:56

Walking keeps it going? ¡°Slows its loss, and not walking, but walking with style.¡± It was more difficult than it seemed. Nilbog¡¯s STM nearly struck 0. She had to wait for it to regenerate before she could breathe easily. Can you not move my butt like that? Nilbog grumbled, but still got to work on mending her flesh. The cuts might have been closed but the pain remained. She felt like her entire body was on fire, the half-hundred cuts brought upon by those pesky thorns throbbing relentlessly. Nilbog used another Soul to recover 50 HP, leaving them with a single Soul in storage. If he finds another corpse to Soul Siphon, that would leave them with a total of 2 Shifter¡¯s uses before it ran out of charges. Meanwhile, Kara kept humming for the Song. She was accustomed to multi-tasking. Flesh wounds did little to distract her from her skills. Getting up without a single point of damage would have been child¡¯s play for her, but the issue was Duel Duet¡¯s time restriction as well as Nilbog himself. It was worth the price. It¡¯s better to teach the kid now rather than later, where she might not have control over the situation. That, and he was strangely fearless. There was something he wasn¡¯t telling her¡ªdid he have a respawn token? She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he received a permanent respawn token for the work that she did to those Ash Goblins back there. It was probably just for this Dungeon, otherwise, Nilbog surely wouldn¡¯t just throw one of the most valuable things in existence away. Still, she should praise him for his deceitfulness. It was good for him to this overly cautious. It would serve him well in the future. His senses were not too bad, if truth be told. His true constraints were his mindset. There is little glory for those that simply try to get by instead of attempting to excel. Hopefully, that will change, now that he has a clear goal. No one but him will drive the stake through his enemy¡¯s hearts. The path forward began to branch off, the glow vines separating for each of the three different tunnels. A maze to delay the hunters who have not invested in any Scouting skills, no doubt. The wrong paths likely held traps or monsters. She neared the wall, letting her hand graze over the glow vines as she walked. Using both Siren¡¯s Web and Siren¡¯s song was impossible. Without her Notes the Song can not continue. Kara resorted to more primitive methods. Closing her eyes, she let a small portion of her Life Force drop into the vines. 1st Rank Life Sonar. The Life Force streaked through the vein she had touched, separating at each junction. It allowed her to sense any other Life Force that was within 10 meters of the veins. Being blind had its advantages. You learn to do without. Many 1st Life Force skills were just as useful as higher tiered ones. It was a technique learned from how bats use their own Life Force to see. For humans, it was an excellent way to map out the foreign territory, though for it to travel long distances a conduit was required, such as closely tied tree roots or even a rope. Any long object worked though the organic ones were the best. The boss monster was up, in the center of the head, it seemed. The glow vines were ultimately connected to his core. Seeing that, Kara took the shortest path. ¡°Second lesson,¡± Kara began. ¡°There is always a way. Some are easier, some are harder, but if you¡¯re bright enough, The Game will reward you for it.¡° She did a quick stat check. Just like in her body, she inherently knew all her current numbers without having to physically look at them. Regardless, sometimes seeing it helped out her thoughts.
HP 175/200 (+20.2/Hour)
STM 16/140 (+1.4/Second)
Overall STM 182/700 (+336/Day)
Life Force 143/230 (+2.3/Minute)
Mana 179/230 (+2.3/Minute)
Equilibrium 3/5 (+1/Minute)
Flow 39%
Duel Duet 6 minutes 54 seconds
Speaking of which. A couple of mobs trundled towards Kara. They were a mixture of human and tree, each having a large hunch of wood growing on their backs. It encroached into their flesh, guiding their movement. With widebodies and large claws, their weak spots seemed to be the spots where the wood did not fully cover the flesh and very close combat, where they wouldn¡¯t be able to move their cumbersome body around. There was little reason for fighting them. Each second she delayed could be the difference between ranking first or second in this Dungeon. Sprinting would cut into the still-recovering STM bar, so she jogged. When they swiped, she ducked low enough that her knees skid across the ground, and then jumped forward when they swung vertically. If the attack came from the corner, then she dashed right under it. She maneuvered in between them, dodging their clumsy attempts, and ran past, increasing her Song Bar by a few extra percentages. Their attacks were fast when they began it, but they signaled it beforehand with a predictable attack pattern. This was basically the tutorial for the low levels. It required tactical skill and planning instead of pure reaction speed, a vital skill for fighting efficiently. Unfortunately, she could not spare the time or resources to let Nilbog experience this first-hand.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Another mistake could ruin their Dungeon, and they didn¡¯t have that luxury anymore. They were already behind the crowd. There was a lot of catching up to do, and the EXP boost from this Dungeon was too good to pass on. 1000% experience boost wasn¡¯t something to shrug off. Nilbog gaining a total of 6 levels from killing two people was ridiculous. Kara increased her pace. She skipped by a few more mobs until her jog became a full-on sprint when her substandard STM allowed her to. Finally, Kara arrived at the entrance to the boss¡¯s lair. Flames blocked her way. They crawled up the walls and onto the ceiling, dropping ash above them. She could hear sounds of fighting ahead. If you can use 1st Life Force skills, why not use Life Shield? ¡°It¡¯s not worth the cost when we have such little HP,¡± Kara said, studying the mana that¡¯s causing all this fire. These were no typical flames. ¡°Let¡¯s see here, the fire has extended duration, extended spread, and 40% more burning power. Considering the general level, this must be a skill belonging to an epic class, or a skill gained from a title. We have decent talent in there.¡± How do you know this? Nilbog was a curious child. That was good. He had much to learn. ¡°Magic is a science,¡± she replied. ¡°Study enough and you won¡¯t need the Game to tell you how it works. Know enough skills, skill synergies, items, and archetypes, and you¡¯ll be able to map out your opponent just by using your head.¡± Now that she was mostly sure he got a token, she could be even more brazen with her fighting. The healing was also extremely convenient. At this rate, their only limiter to doing Dungeons will be their Overall STM. Watch this, Kara said, excitement budding. She breathed in the scent of burnt wood, letting it fill her lungs. It felt good, to feel the wind molecules part before her as she sprinted head-on into the flames. She fully understood the need for Nilbog to break into a sprint Him having 1st Mana Source allowed Kara to use any 1st Mana skill she knew. That was the only true requirement to use any mana type. Specific mana types like Kinetic Mana or Fire Mana could be unlocked later for increased bonuses. For now, she¡¯ll have to deal with the steep costs. 1st Black Hole. 40 of her mana went up her spine and crawled down her arm, becoming a miniature black hole at the tip of her sword. It was just enough to hold a ball of flames together, but not nearly enough for what she wanted. Moments before she crashed into the inferno, Kara leapt into the air, swinging her sword from the bottom right to the top corner. She kept spinning straight through the flames, using a 1st Kinetic Burst and an Amplification to give her more speed. She used a Deviation to cause the flames to follow her Back Hole. In total, Kara used 2 Equalbriams and 73 mana to became a tornado of fire. The flames followed the tip of her sword as she soared through the air, but she was far too quick for them to catch up. They trailed her as she dove back into the ground as 1st Kinetic Burst guided her course. Her sword struck hard flesh, her speed pushing down the metal to the hilt. The impact nearly shattered her bones. The boss was a large humanoid at least four times Nilbog¡¯s height. It was a combination of flesh and wood. Vines spread throughout its muscular body, their bulge masquerading as human veins. There was nothing but depthless darkness in its eye sockets. It had no hair or any indication of a mouth, ears, or nose. The sword pierced through its neck, right above the collarbone. Kara did not stop moving. The Ent Core standing on the solid ground meant touching it would reset the charge on her class skills. She released her hold on the sword and used her final Equalbriam point on a Deviation to spin herself out of the way. The torrent of flames finally caught up. A blinding amount of flames smashed into the monster with an explosion that tossed Kara further away. The ground shook as a vicious sound of wood breaking reverberated through the entire liar. It was a wonderful scream.
Critical Penetration! You have dealt 87 damage! You have dealt 313 Fire damage! You have dealt 50 Fire damage! You have dealt 34 Fire damage! You have dealt 53 Fire damage! You have dealt 23 Fire damage! You have dealt a deadly blow to a Dungeon boss! You have dealt 32 Fire damage! You have dealt 20 Fire damage!
Kara did not land on her feet, unfortunately, though she did roll a couple of times as she landed on her shoulder, reducing the damage taken to only a few points. She stood up, flexing her shoulders as she stared at the flaming pyre. Flames covered the boss as it thrashed around. Eight other people were hunting the boss. A fast glance showed three archers, two warriors, one girl duel-wielding daggers, and one spell-sword responsible for the inferno enveloping the lair, most obvious by his flaming sword. Seven stared at Kara in disbelief, frozen still. The only one not frozen was aflame from being caught in the blast radius. It felt good, damn good. The sensation of having the sword sink in, of flesh parting tenderly, and the movement-the rhythm-the explosion! It felt exhilarating to have the beast roar and falter, and the audience certainly did not hurt. It''s been a while since anyone looked at Kara like that.
Life Siren¡¯s Song Steadfast Sprint has finished
Another explosion resounded. A wave of Life Force blew from the center of the circular room, ruffling her hair. Only a few flames were left on its now scorched black skin. 1st Grasping Eyes, Kara muttered. Grasping Eyes was one of the more useful Epic skills she''d learned, courtesy of her old profession, Grimoire Keeper. Even though it was an Epic, it only cost her a few Life Force points.

level 50 Incomplete Undead Ent Core Incomplete Undead Ent Core is the true boss created by the 4-star Dungeon. After siphoning enough Life Force from the forest life, the Giant Undead Ent began to catalyze it within its heart. After devouring the Life Force of humans, its evolution into a Sentient Monster began. The more organic life perishes around it, the stronger it becomes. Ent Core poses a powerful body capable of limited morphing. Its intellect is low, causing it to have predictable behavior, and remains an instinctual being. It has high defense and a high HP pool. It¡¯s resistant to slash attacks and has a thick layer of Life Force Armor. It possesses strong single target attacks but has reduced AOE effectiveness. Its HP pool is linked with the rest of its body. Each percentage lost will travel both ways. The more time passes the stronger the Core will become. Taking damage accelerates this process. Failure to kill Incomplete Ascended Undead Ent Core before the Dungeon finishes will allow it to finish its evolution, transforming it into a 5 Star Raid. It will have reduced rewards and high penalties on the surrounding land if it is not cleared within a designated timeline. Shield: 0/600 HP: 1430/2340 Monster Rank: D

"Not bad.¡± Worth the price to deal a quarter of the boss¡¯s HP with a single strike. It was a shame there was no bleeding damage--the flames cauterized the wound. After a pause, the shock waned. Arrows began flying again and the warriors moved. The Ent Core swung its fists around, causing a gale of wind to follow each powerful movement, but the warriors were adept; they either stayed out of his range or struck from behind. Sometimes it feinted a charge forward and instead spun around, but that only worked a few times, evidenced by the crumbled bodies at the edge of the room. Everyone left standing was too experienced to fall for obvious tricks. Finding no hold, the Ent Core sprinted towards the archers. Its muscles bulged abnormally as the wood flexed, each step causing the entire lair to shake. The frontline was supposed to step in at that point and at the very least hinder its movement, but none of them wanted to risk anything for their rivals. One archer began to sprint to the side, though when he realized he wasn¡¯t fast enough, he shifted towards the wall, barely slowing down as he neared it. Before he ran straight into it, he leaped and kicked off the wall. At the same time, he fired an arrow directly below him. A wave of Kinetic Mana was released from the arrow, sending him above the Ent Core as it crashed into the wall. He fired three arrows as he fell, all enchanted with enough Kinetic Mana to pierce through the Core¡¯s skin. Each arrow threw him back further into safety. When the Ent Core pulled its right arm back and raised its left leg high into the air, as if to throw something, the archer instantly knocked an arrow towards the ground. When the Ent Core¡¯s arm thrust extended like a whip, he fired it, bumping him up a few precious feet in the air. He landed on the end of the spear-like hand, another arrow ready and fully charged up. When the Ent Core began to return its right hand the archer flipped backward, releasing the charged arrow while upside down. Even from where Kara was standing, she was still able to feel the air blowing against her cheeks. It went into the boss with a loud crunching noise, diving deeper than any of the dozen arrows on its body. The archer landed on her his feet a safe distance, panting from the large number of resources he had used, but had already nocked an arrow in case the Ent Core pursued. It didn¡¯t, and was instead approached by the melees, now with further caution of the extending limbs. ¡°Was that the first time it extended its limbs like that?¡± Kara asked one of the archers to her side. He had been standing, nodding his head in approval. ¡°Yea. Your ridiculous attack brought it to ¡®it¡¯s next stage. That kid is something as crazed as you,¡± he said, and moved closer towards the boss. Kara whistled. That Mage barely looked to be in his twenties but was skilled enough to go toe to toe against a boss using a bow and Kinetic Mana--it was a tough combo to master. Sitting on the sidelines and dodging attacks was easy, but predicting a monster¡¯s attack pattern in the heat of the moment was something praiseworthy. Very few people had identification skills as good as Grasping Eyes to tell them the monsters moves. The Game was being extremely considerate in these early Dungeons. It was no coincidence that the Core Ent used its surprise, ranged attack against a ranged unit who was already a distance away. It was both to ensure that the mage had escape tools, as every backline unit should if they had any desire to live, and for the others to keep in mind that bosses usually had ranged attacks. It would have been a disaster if it had simply used its swipe attack in the early stages to catch those staying at the edge of its melee range. Unfortunately, as easy as it was, it was still out of Nilbog¡¯s league. She did want him to get a taste of a boss, considering that they would be meeting them often, but the risk was far too high. His level was far too low, and she hadn¡¯t even seen him fight mob monsters yet.
Duel Duet You have 4 minutes 52 seconds remaining until Duel Duet''s duration finishes.
Break¡¯s time over. Kara picked one of the swords laying on the ground. There was enough dead around with all sorts of weapons. None of it was special, and would have a hard time penetrating anything, but at least it gave her options. Slowly, a decent, if slightly daring plan began to take shape. 56
She picked a dagger for the other hand. She momentarily picked up another sword to use 1st Life String on it. She attached the string to her left hand. After a pause, she also picked up a spear from under a mangled corpse, attaching a string around it for her right hand. Not bad. Each weapon took a few points to bind, much lower when she had forcibly taken over. The string attached to the weapon would manifest when she activates the skill, pulling it towards her. ¡°Say, is there a reason that Fire Swordsman is staring at us in a very affectionate manner?¡± Kara asked. He¡¯d been staring at her non-stop. If he had a Blood-lust skill it would have activated twice over He might try to kill us at some point, Nilbog said. ¡°That will be true for everyone, at some point,¡± Kara replied as she moved forward. She had a total of 95 mana and 174 Life Force left. She wanted to leave Nilbog some Life Force for after the Dungeon, just in case someone attacks him before she can get here, but it didn¡¯t seem possible anymore. She needed to guarantee the first spot, and that Fire Mage didn¡¯t seem to be holding anything back. 1st Life Enhancement.
1st Life Enhancement Slot: Enhancement
Increase Strength and Agility by 20%. Duration: 3 Minutes
It was expensive. The cost was 20% of her Max Life Force, which was 46 points. It also capped her Life Force bar by that much, lowering it from 230 to 184. The Ent swung its right arm towards the people to its front, causing all of them to leap backward. Kara was the only one to dash in, ducking low enough for her nose to scrape against the floor. She stepped to the right and then to the left, getting under the Ent Core as it swung diagonally with its other arm. Short-Breath in combination with Basic Dodge gave her a noticeable boost in speed. It was a decent combo.
Minor Penetration! You have dealt 21 Slashing damage to Ent Core¡¯s HP!
The blade barely made a cut on the Ent Core''s skin. Its damage reductions were too high for any weak attacks. She quickly pulled it out and stepped under its arm. The Ent Core¡¯s right fist left a large dent where Kara was standing. Seeing their chance, all three people to its front had charged forward, putting in a couple good stabs after her. Kara did not bother slashing from its side. Instead, she jumped forward, placing a foot against the monster¡¯s thigh as she climbed onto its back. The Ent Core swiped with its left arm and kept spinning around, missing Kara as she dug the dagger into its back. She¡¯d only gotten minor penetration with 12 damage, but more importantly, she had a good grip. She swung along with the Ent Core, holding onto its back as it turned a few rounds. The stench of burnt flesh and wood exacerbated as her face pressed against its shoulder-blades. When the Ent Core stuttered a step to the side, off-balance as its limbs returned to their original forms, everyone not hit by its attack took advantage of its opening. The others lunged forward, stabbing and slashing, but Kara was still not in position. She kicked its buttocks and climbed up, her dagger going into its neck as she raised herself to its shoulders. It was another minor penetration but this time it dealt 26 damage. As expected, it had significantly less damage reductions there. Thorns suddenly thrust from its eyeholes to impale a surprised warrior. The attack didn¡¯t penetrate, but it did toss him back a good distance. Arrows flew at the Ent Core, and though they did not fully pierce through, they did leave a couple holes behind. Still on one foot, the Ent Core reached for Kara with one hand while the other defended itself from the people to its front. Kara jumped up into the air, hoping none of those arrows would hit her. She avoided being grabbed, but the Ent Core¡¯s hand remained above it, waiting for her to come back down. Seeing that made Kara decide not to drop. She balled up and kicked her feet up into the air, letting her drop face first. She let her sword lead but instead of thrusting it into the Ent Core, Kara allowed the tip to gently rest on its palm. She wiggled her body to adjust for the erratic movement of the Ent Core and the vibrations caused by the attacks it was received. Finding little use for her dagger, Kara dropped it to tug at one of the Life Force Strings she had attached to her left. One of the swords on the ground began to skid towards her. When the Ent Core¡¯s began to close its hand, Kara used 1st Kinetic Burst on her head for the push up into the air. She allowed the tip to once again rest on its closed fist, buying her another second. Her left arm swung to the side as she flung her wrist up, causing the sword to fly into the air. The Ent Core, not finding Kara, stomped its foot down and swung that arm down, causing Kara to jump back into the air again. Its fist extended forward, squishing one of the warriors against the ground. Kara balled up again, this time throwing her legs under her, and her arms high into the air. As the sword finally reached her hands, she landed with one foot on each shoulder, the Ent''s Core head reaching up to her knees. Keeping her legs straight, Kara, with both swords in hand, swung downward with all the force she can muster, using an Amplification on her swing to make up for her lackluster Strength.
Critical Penetration! You have dealt 195 pierce damage to Ent Core¡¯s HP! Critical Penetration! You have dealt 241 pierce damage to Ent Core¡¯s HP!
Kara felt her swords digging deep into its brains, going as far as the hilt allowed until the blade stopped against the back of its skull. Before she was able to twist her swords and deal even more damage, a swing from the Ent Core¡¯s hands caused her to jump backward. The dumb thing smacked itself, each hand on both sides of its face. While that typically would have resulted in little damage being done, the Ent Core apparently did not yet know how swords worked, or how smacking them would not stop the pain. The two blades went even further in, fully piercing the inside of its skull. The twisted blades appeared on the back of its head, each dealing around a hundred damage. At first, she doubted whether the Ent Core even had a brain, with it having thorns coming out of its sockets and all, but from the way it began rampaging around the room, she knew she dealt a true strike. There was little reason in even having a head if that was not the case. It was probably copying human bodies in its natural instincts to become a sentient being, something most monsters did.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The thorns left its eye sockets as well, singing widely, but that only added to the damage as it pushed against the metal. "Third lesson: always look for the jackpot," Kara said as she pulled on the spear. Bosses were rarely a matter of simple brute strength. Most of them had vulnerabilities that could be taken advantage of. The Ent Core began to rage. It charged around the room, swinging wildly. It was probably the first time it had experienced that much pain in its existence, with it being a tree and all. Its face, previously absence of mouth, ears, and nose, now had a large circular hole below its eyeholes. A larger, four-meter tall thorn appeared from it. It curved into a ball at its end with brown-reddish thorns sticking out of it. It smashed into the ground, sending splinters everywhere. The tremors spread throughout the chamber. Those with arrows began to run out, but the last few were used with precision, being fully charged with Life Force and exploding into its face. 6 people were left standing, waiting for the next opportunity.

Level 50 Incomplete Undead Ent Core

...

HP: 730/2640

After a break to allow her STM to regenerate, Kara chased the Ent Core down. It was dangerous, but she could not wait any longer. She dropped the spear and picked a sword from one of those who had recently fallen, and the dagger she had discarded. It did little damage, but it had its utility. Not taking a single point of damage allowed her risky maneuvers, though it was important to remember that a single hit might take her out. Healing wasn¡¯t effective when you¡¯re dead. Unfortunately, she could not just wait for it to finish an attack before moving in. Her time was too short. Hearing footsteps behind her, Kara glanced back to find the little rogue at her heel, a giant smile plastered on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you...you were good!¡± she yelled over the tremors of the Ent Core. Know her? Kara thought to Nilbog. Not really, but she¡¯s a bit of an odd one. She¡¯s just a fool. It made sense for Kara to fight recklessly; she was the 44th in a starter Dungeon. Lower stats or, it would be shameful if she were unable to best the rookies. The girl was not. She would only get herself killed, if not here then later. There it was. After the Ent Core attacked the backline with no success, it turned and ran towards the middle of the lair, leaping high into the air and coming down with enough force that a shockwave scattered everyone around. Before the dust even settled Kara jumped forward, nearly missing the Ent Core as it rose up and moved to the side. Her dagger did find the back of its neck, dealing 17 damage and allowing her to swerve in the air. She brought her body around and used another 1st Kinetic Burst to boost herself up. She landed on the Ent Core''s collarbone with her sword stabbing at its cheeks. She botched the attack, however. There wasn¡¯t enough strength behind her attack to penetrate its skin from that angle. The tip of her sword made a slight dent and ricocheted off, dealing only a dozen points of damage. At that point Kara would have jumped to the other side, anticipating the Ent Core retaliating, but all her plans went to the ditch when she saw Iris attached to its front, two daggers submerged into its neck. That girl was either a manic or a psycho. Being at the front of the Ent¡¯s Core not only limited her movements but also shortened the time she would have to react. Kara could not predict the beast¡¯s next movement because of her. It would have to fall to her observational skills and reaction time to stay alive, something she was hesitant to do in this body. Because of the two blades jammed in its eye sockets, the Ent Core had stopped using the thorns from its eyes, but the larger, albeit slower thorn still proved to be a problem that needed to be cut off. It was a question of who the Ent Core was going to attack. Spitefully, it attacked both of them, slapping the front of its neck and shoulder. Kara stepped on top of its skull with one foot while the other pressed against the side of its head, keeping her balance. She held her sword directly above the Ent Core¡¯s skull, her left hand with the dagger placed sideways over the handle. Two seconds was all she needed to cast a 1st Gravity Push. She barely had a hundred mana points to it, but using an Amplification would solve that problem. It would push down the sword with enough power that it would surly pierce through, ensuring first place in the Dungeon. Under her, she noticed Iris had let go of the daggers in its neck and clung to its lower chest with her feet on top of the Ent Core¡¯s thigh. That brat used the same trick Kara did. The Ent Core smashed the daggers deep when it missed Eris, allowing her to deal major damage. One hand reached for Kara while the other reached for Iris. Kara jumped to the shoulder that was freed up with a curse. Half a second and she would have had the kill. Iris somehow crawled under its armpits. That was smart; if she had let go she would have been right in between the Ent Core¡¯s legs, and right under the large thorn everyone else was wrestling with. Running in between its legs was still a big risk, as the Ent Core was hopping from one place to the next, attempting to shake them off. The other warriors also attacked from the side, causing them to be as dangerous as the Ent Core itself. Kara had no opportunity to attack. The hand chased her, going above its skull in attempts to grab her. She jumped up towards it, stepping on its fingers and quickly bringing her feet back up. The palm closed instantly, nearly crushing her leg. She brought her feet down on its fist but had to immediately jump up again as the thorn thrust from below her. The vultures jumped on the opportunity. Without anything to slow them down, everyone charged in, getting their own damage in. Kara landed directly on the thorns, their pikes digging straight through her crude boots. One or two good penetrations and the kill reward would go to the victor, and hell if Kara was going to be beaten by newbies for it. She began casting a 1st Gravity Push once again, but the thorn lifted upwards. The Ent Core still had a hand allocated just to get rid of her, which was reasonable considering the agro she had accumulated. The best option was to retreat. She had done well to distract the Ent Core for so long; damage assistance also contributed to kill contribution, but it wasn¡¯t enough. She had no idea how the damage dealt to the Ent Core was spread out among the rest of the people around her, and she needed this Dungeon to be successful¡ªhow well she did will determine which Dungeon they¡¯ll be able to do next. Kara could not retreat. Her time was quickly running out, and with this body, there was no way to deal significant damage without aiming for the head. She ran on the thorn towards face, wincing each time her flesh was torn. The damage and bleed damage was low, but the pain was not. The thorn began to swing around, attempting to throw her off. Kara was forced to crouch down and use 14 Life Force to create a 1st Life Clay. A yellow rope fell from her hand to surround the thorn. It helped Kara keep he balance while she waited for an opening, but the Ent Core kept one arm around its head. Two seconds, that¡¯s all she needed. Gravity had the longest channel but was the most cost-effective and powerful for downward pushes--she didn¡¯t have enough for a decent Kinetic push. The spell-sword began to move in for the final blow. He didn¡¯t need a Scouting skill to realize the Ent Core was dying. He gathered the flames around his sword, a similar but more advanced technique than what Kara had used. His sword was at his far side, the flames a danger to him as much as it was to everyone else, even with all the Fire Resistances he must have had. The flames become even more concentrated, circling the blade in thick tendrils. A skill or two prevented the metal from simply melting off, but his time was also limited. It took a great amount of Mana to hold that much fire together, and he was steadily increasing it. If that hit penetrates Ent Core¡¯s torso, then it would be a guaranteed kill. He dashed forward, leaping over a low swipe from its free hand. Each step he took was combined with a Kinetic Burst, giving him short but significant bursts of Speed to help him maneuver. He began to lift his sword up to the front but had to step to the side when the large thorn Kara had been standing on top swiped straight down, nearly crushing him. The moment the thorn swung down Kara jumped straight towards the Ent Core¡¯s face. It¡¯s hand, however, blocked her path towards the Ent Core¡¯s head. There was no way forward. She didn¡¯t have enough Kinetic Mana to spare to maneuver around it mid-air, nor could she waste her last Equilibrium. The next one wouldn¡¯t be up for another 12 seconds. The swordsmen under her kept charging, jumping above the thorn as it swung sideways. He brought his sword up, grunting from the power held within it, ready to thrust into the Ent¡¯s abdomen. Kinetic Mana began to well up behind him, ready to push him forward. It would provide enough speed to fully penetrate, while the fire would cause the raw damage¡ªit was a golden combo. Kara spun mid-flight, turning away from the Ent Core. She landed on the Ent Core¡¯s palm, and burning a Deviation to change her momentum, she sprung from the palm before it closed, her sword plunging down with both hands.
Sentient Killer Activated
In mid-thrust the fire swordsman looked up to see Kara¡¯s sword pierce cleanly through his head, killing him instantly.
Critical Penetration! You have dealt 46 Shield Damage to Fire Swordsmen¡¯s Shield! You have dealt 359 damage to Fire Swordsmen¡¯s HP! You have struck a mortal blow!
Revenge Kill! EXP is increased by an additional 50%! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You are now level 28!
Kara spun towards his right side as the blade sunk further into his head. She twisted it, giving her enough leverage to throw herself towards the ground, and then released it as the Ent Core¡¯s fist squished his body against the ground. Guided by a series of Kinetic Bursts, Kara flew forward, catching the charged sword before it touched the ground. As she simultaneously cast 1st Kinetic Shield and 1st Life Shield, Kara skewered the sword into the Ent Core¡¯s guts.
57
Dungeon cleared! Now that the Undead Giant Ent is vanquished, the tree will be named Yasargil, Tree Of Life, creating fruit that will increase all regen and boost Life Force effectiveness. Depending on how the Tree Of Life is fed, if at all, these bonuses and its fruits may alter. All the Life Force it had been seeping from Holden¡¯s Breach will begin to fall into the soil, boosting the growth and quality of plant life by 25% for the next five years. Near Yasargil overgrown roots grow a variety of herbs, flowers, and potent poisons. Now named Garden of Blossoms, any plants grown within its territory will gain an additional 25% success rate of blooming, disease immunity, and an increased chance of evolving into new species. Check your inbox for your appropriate reward! The rank of those that have perished will be given to the next ranker.
Kara¡¯s head spun, a vicious ringing blinding her vision. The pain brought her senses back. She was on fire, and it hurt. She quickly doused the flame by rolling on the ground, her dirty clothes doing little but feeding the flames. She tried to use The Sixth Movement: Desolation to absorb the Mana, but it failed too. The Fifth Movement was not active. Once Kara fully regained her senses, she leaped up from the ground, casting a Kinetic Burst to blow away the flames. Most of her clothes and burned off, leaving her skin scorched black. Anything that was not burned was riddled with bruises. Off a few meters away was the Ent Core¡¯s body up in flames. The sword was truly a well-condensed bomb. Anyone close was blasted away. Kara, who was mare feet away from it, took the full impact. It destroyed the full 100 Kinetic Shield points, the 40 Life Shield points, and most of her HP, leaving her at a meager 42 HP. Nilbog immediately began using their last 2 Souls Souls to recover their HP. In a few seconds her HP went back up to 142. Taking Sai¡¯s weapon to use as her own wasn¡¯t as much as a gamble as it seemed. Kara was just familiar enough with mana to know exactly how much damage it would deal. A bunch of notifications were at the corner of her vision, and while Kara was hungry to open them, she kept an eye out for the others. Clearing the Dungeon didn¡¯t mean it was safe. Her body was in tatters, her mana and STM were near nil, and she only 50 Life Force and a single Equilibrium left. Smoke and dust were in the air, though she could sense that most people began to exist the Ent lair. A quick check from the long list of notifications confirmed that Kara had indeed gained the first rank in his Dungeon, in addition to a glorious amount of 5 whole freaking levels. In addition to the 2 levels she got from killing Sai, Nilbog reached level 35. The absurd amount of experience was a welcome surprise, so much that Kara felt giddy at the prospect of gaining 15 levels in less than 20 minutes. She was right¡ªNilbog must have had a respawn token. Those type of things were converted into experience, points, skills, or even items if unused by the end of the Dungeon. That would explain Nilbog¡¯ fearlessness, and the gigantic amount of experience they gained at the end of the Dungeon.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As happy as Kara was about this gain of power, Nilbog still needed several, no, dozens of different things to make him into a decent ranker. Equipment, skills, a perk, a title, and levels were important things that Nilbog needed, but they were hardly all of it. A list of the surrounding Dungeons and Raids, plus information about this version of The Game were vital. Not all Games were identical¡ªsometimes skills, monsters, and even new mechanics were added. She can''t be complacent about such things. Most important of all, however, were party mates. There were very few ways for a solo ranker to succeed, and while Kara did reach that in her previous, it would not have been possible if it weren¡¯t for the support of her sisters and brothers. Nilbog would be no different. She would have to find him a decent group as soon as possible. That archer was a fine lad, not only having a decent technique but also possessing remarkable battle sense. He played this round too safely, however. He should have gone for the kill, but had instead hesitated. Another potential ally was that rouge, Iris. As talented as she was, though, she was far too reckless. Both of those youth had a bright future if guided correctly. The sole unfortunate loss was that spell-sword. Mages had the second greatest firepower out of all archetypes; the first were spell-swords. The firepower of skills that required point-blank range was in a whole separate class than the typical Mana skills. The death rate for them, however, was the highest out of any archetype. The basic variant of 5th Life Enhancement provided a 50% increase to Strength and Agility. Being at melee range and no having that put them at a severe disadvantage, not just physically, but mentally. Agility not only increased physical speed, but reaction speed, time perception, and dexterity. One that can dodge and move so well even at that disadvantage was rare even among gems. That talent would have made him a formidable ranker in the future, but alas, his true fault was that he decided to compete with her. ¡°You killed him.¡± ¡°Yeah idiot, he would have probably killed me if I didn¡¯t, boss or no boss. Even without Sixth Sense I could feel his kill intent aimed at me.¡± That wasn¡¯t me yo- Yelling an incoherent combination of curses, Kara crouched and dashed to the side, pulling on one of the weapons she had attached. A spear flew into her palms. Iris stood close, twin daggers in hands with her teeth bared. How the hell did I not notice her? No matter¡ªshe would regret not taking that chance. Kara had an Equablraim to use and a minor amount of Life Force. Iris was in similar if not worse circumstances. Sentient Killer will help even the stat difference, though it was more than likely she was over level 50. The girl probably used her strongest skills on the Ent Boss. No Shield or Enhancement was obvious to Kara, though there was remanence of red aura. A berserker passive skill might still be up. ¡°I liked him,¡± Iris whispered, stepping forward. ¡°He was annoying and a jerk, but he took care of me.¡± The tree was beginning to fall apart. Parts of the lair disintegrated, letting the bright sunshine in through. The smoke and smell of burning wood were beginning to be replaced with fresh air. Don¡¯t kill her, Nilbog said. We can use her! I thought we were over this na?ve nonsense, Kara said, letting her spear lead as she walked forward. She had the range advantage¡ªdaggers were only useful against monsters. A single Deviation was all she needed. She could easily use it to alter the direction of the spear when Iris dodges, and Kara really did need to end this in a single strike. She had twelve seconds before Duel Duet ran out. Kara, please. Let me talk to her. I can make this work! ¡°Lady Olivia told me to fight for my teammates,¡± she said, lowering her center of gravity. She was ready to pounce. ¡°I will fight.¡± Kara was within striking range. She planted her feet firmly against the ground, took a deep breath, and dashed forward, going in for the kill. Fucking hell, I said stop! Nilbog¡¯s voice cracked her skull. She could barely push back before it crashed into her. The only thing that dashed forward was Kara¡¯s bare Soul. She went through Iris and struck the ground hard, leaving a splatter of white liquid on each bounce. Her Notes finally caught up to her before she transformed into a Shade, enveloping what remained of her Soul in black. She laid on the ground staring blankly at Nilbog as he dropped his spear. Her mind was in tatters. She could barely think, much less curse. ¡°Ah,¡± Nilbog said, as Iris¡¯s daggers were pressed against his neck. She saw him swallow as something similar to a smile crept on his face. ¡°Can we talk about this?¡± he said, chuckling nervously. ¡°Pretty please?¡± That was all she saw before her body yanked back at her Soul. Encapsulated within her Notes, Kara saw everything course by as she was dragged across the skies.
58
Individual Rankings
  1. Nilbog (60)
  2. Iris The Ferocious (50)
  3. Mandrela (40)
  4. Sai Of The Enchanted Flame (30)
  5. Obley The Untouched (30)
First. It didn¡¯t feel like Nilbog won anything with the condition he was in. The tree did not completely fall apart with the completion of the Dungeon. Only the flesh and blood running in its roots vanished, leaving behind a colossal tree with its internal tunnels mostly intact. The storm vanished too, but not without dealing its fair share of damage. The rest of the trees in the forest were effectively uprooted, with even the largest of them being hurled across the distance of the Dungeon. They fell all around Yasargil one on top of each other, almost as if serving as a barrier to the garden. Nilbog climbed up one of its branches, each step sending agony through his ankles. The throbbing burned through his quads and spread throughout his back. He used the bottom of the spear to give him the extra push he needed with one hand, while the other covered his eyes from the sun, its glares falling straight into his eyes. She gets to have all the fun, while I get to deal with all the pain, he muttered under his breath. It was a fine deal for Nilbog, but that wasn¡¯t going to stop him from complaining about the pain. And then there was that thing with him booting her out of his body. I don¡¯t think she was happy with that. At the very least, the view within the garden was as gorgeous as anything can be. A variety of bright flowers and herbs bloomed under, creating every color Nilbog ever seen in his life, and then some more. Not all the thorns vanished. Some were still enveloping the tree and its garden, and though it gave Nilbog the shivers, none of them seemed hostile, letting the survivors walk past the garden without tearing them apart. That could not be said the same for the two fools that attempted to set fire to the garden. It would certainly be a boon to Dlar, and while Nilbog can fully understand why some people wouldn¡¯t like that, there were still smarter ways to go about one''s revenge. Idiots. Do you not see the thor¡ª The butt of Nilbog¡¯s spear struck a dent in the wood, causing it to slip off. He fell forward, but neither of his legs seemed intent on catching his fall. He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. A hand caught him by his arm, keeping him from falling onto his face. He coughed, turned around, and said his thanks. Iris nodded, swiftly turning her sights back to the flora. She didn¡¯t seem to have half the trouble he was going through, and from the way she bounced off her feet, Nilbog could almost say she was enjoying the hike. Neither of them said anything for a while, the throbbing in Nilbog¡¯s shoulder serving as a great deterrent. Not that he was complaining about it; being poked with a knife was reasonable and kind of her, considering that Kara, that he, had killed Sai. Fortunately, being gullible went both ways. Lady Olivia also told you to protect me. It took a bit of work to remind her of himself, but once that got through, she was thoroughly conflicted. After a few minutes of her arching her brows and working her brain, she figured that the two orders canceled out each other. She ended up following him just by asking her to. Her incapability to make decisions was down-right impressive. Just what kind of life did she lead to become like that? He wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call her broken, but it would be a lie to say she was a fully functioning individual. Nilbog left it at that, and got back to the more important matter of getting those fruits. They were large, pinkish balls the size of a small watermelon. When they reached one of the top branches, the fruit hung off by a thick green cord. They attached to the green vines that ran from one branch to the other. They stretched all around them, almost blocking out the sun. Nilbog got close to the edge, wishing that The Game would have been thoughtful enough to install a railing. He reached for one, pulling on it from the bottom. It was abnormally cool and surprisingly firm like a hard peach. It didn¡¯t pluck off as he pulled. With a sigh he glanced at Iris, then quickly remembered who he was talking to after she simply stared back at him. ¡°Can you cut this?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± she said, stepping forward to hack at the vine with her dagger. The fruit dropped onto Nilbog¡¯s hands. A few seconds later, its flesh began to mellow.
Life Fruit Rank C Advanced Food.
A highly nutritious fruit that will increase HP, Life Force, and Overall STM regen by 30%.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Duration: 2 hours. Just don¡¯t think about how it was created.
So she does have desires. Her tone sounded very much like she wanted the fruit too. The issue was that she didn¡¯t act on them. Nilbog stored that bit for later¡ªif he wasn¡¯t below devouring the Souls of Sentients, then taking advantage of their flaws were the least of his worries. After the fruit stopped transforming, he nudged it towards her. She hesitated for a bit, making Nilbog realize how foolish that move was. She probably thought he was testing whether the fruit was safe or not on her. He was about to take it back before Iris grabbed it. One hand held it from the bottom while the other, the one that was holding the dagger, held it at the side. It was somewhat...funny that her hands were not big enough to hold the fruit by themselves. No, funny was not the right word. It was much nicer, and rather than making him laugh, it rather tugged at his lips and made him want to ruffle her head, just like Jack did to him. Not looking to pressure her into biting first, Nilbog reached for the next fruit. It didn¡¯t budge either. He swallowed, his saliva pounding heavily in his ears as it went down his dry throat. He thought about just biting it off, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Dying that way would be just embarrassing. He turned back towards Iris, whose lips were pressed together and her cheeks pulled back. He was about to ask her for help when he realized the fruit kept both her hands full. He would have asked for the dagger, but with the spear keeping him up in one hand, and the dagger in the other, who was going to catch the fruit? ¡°Ah,¡± Nilbog finally realized, ¡°I¡¯m the idiot.¡± She doubled over, the giggles shaking her body. Nilbog stood by, feeling increasingly foolish as her giggles turned into high chuckles. He faced away, feeling more and more of his weight on the spear. He should have just taken the fruit for himself. Thinking of her as an empty shell was wrong. She was just enclosed within it to a fault. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± she said, wiping a tear-off on her shoulders and somehow smiling. It was such a pleasant sight that Nilbog almost took a step back, which would have been truly tragic considering they were a good hundred meters high in the air. He never knew Sentients could look¡­postive. She stepped forward, pressing the fruit against her stomach, and just as awkwardly hacked at the fruit¡¯s leathery material. He studied her features, curious as to what made her pleasant to look at. Her face was dirty, covered with spots of soot, and had cuts and bruises all over. Her hair was a chaotic mess, but unlike Nilbog¡¯s dark bushel that stopped at his ears, her¡¯s was a pale yellow that went down her shoulders. When the air blew, ruffling her hair, he noticed she had a scar on the left side of her jaw. A large cut seemed to have craved some of the bone out, though it was well covered by her hair. Was that why she grew her hair out to such an inconvenient length? To hide her weakness in having once taken a mortal wound? Something heavy and round fell onto his hand, and would have nearly slipped off if his Seventh Sense did not activate, catching it and bringing it closer to his chest. ¡°That was a clo-¡± Iris began to say, but flinched noticeably when she faced Nilbog, almost jumping back. Her blue eyes, though small and not perfectly circular, were as clear as crystal. It was the only part that the dirt did not touch, causing it to almost glimmer. ¡°What?¡± Nilbog asked. She stood still, her pale face turning red, which was odd considering the temperature was not sub-zero, and the wind rather warm. The further they had gone the more the air carried cool wetness with it. ¡°You¡¯re...standing really...close,¡± she said in a whisper, looking down slightly and to the left. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, almost taking a step back-- again, he found that to be a bad idea. ¡°Let¡¯s find a spot to eat.¡± Humans, and by extension their Souls smelled delicious to him, but the opposite was likely not true for them. Over the past few days, he¡¯d non-stop heard of people complaining about each other¡¯s odor. Nilbog limped behind Iris as they went back towards the cave entrance. Iris sat first, though when she looked at Nilbog, she stood back up and held a hand. Is she learning or is she used to helping Lady Ovalia move around? He was just about to drop to the ground like a limp doll and hope for the best, but he took it anyway. She helped him balance as he squatted down, letting his back rest against the wood behind him. They sat cross footed with weapons close on each side. Without saying anything else, they dug into the fruit. Juicy was an understatement. Its insides were a bright yellow, jelly-like material. He didn¡¯t as much as bite into it as he simply put it into his mouth before it melted into a liquid that was slightly heavier than honey and somehow sweeter. It didn¡¯t just taste good; it nearly felt as good as Souls. With each mouthful, the aching of his body and Soul lessened and rather began to feel better than he had ever felt. A notification appeared, informing him he had received an Advanced Food buff. He slapped it aside as he slurped out the juices running down his fingers, a moan or two escaping his throat. He stopped chewing and began to swallow, his stomach forcing him to squish his face against the juices. Half-way through the Life Fruit Nilbog realized he forgot to breathe, and with difficulty removed himself from the fruit for a few gasps of air. His mouth almost dived back into the fruit before he heard a sound to his side. Iris was there. It had momentarily escaped his mind, but humans held strange etiquettes when it came to consuming food. When Nilbog looked he found her face completely submerged into the fruit with three-quarters of it gone, and if there was a core then she would have already devoured that too. Not only did she use her mouth effectively, taking huge, wide gulps, but she also utilized her hands, pushing out the juice from the other side and tunneling it through her mouth. She avoided eating the skin, focusing on the flesh inside. It was delicious too, of course, but eating it before the insides would cause the entire fruit to simply melt through the fingers. She flinched suddenly, somehow noticing Nilbog¡¯s gaze. She slowly lifted her head from the fruit, the ends of her hair sticking to her cheeks and lips from the sugar. The flesh of the fruit, mostly melted, ran down her panting lips, the sticky juice falling onto her chin. She swallowed, smacking her lips together, but had to open them to breathe faster. ¡°I¡¯m...a messy eater,¡± she whimpered, doing her best to wipe her mouth with her forearm, still panting hard enough for her chest to noticeably expand with each breath. Nilbog doubled over, laughing with such brutally that he took a point of damage. He felt Iris bending towards him, a hand on his back, saying things that were blocked by the ringing in his ears. He thought she childish, but he didn¡¯t mean it in the literal definition. Only now did he realize that their roles were flipped. Neither of them acted anywhere close to their actual age. ¡°I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m alright,¡± Nilbog said, sucking in a breath. She looked at him for another second before she jumped back into the fruit. By the time he finished his first one Iris had already fetched six more and was half-way through her second.
59
Kara had trouble knowing whether she existed or not. Neither Mana, Life Force, nor Notes responded to her. She was left with no senses and a mind that could barely work a coherent thought. This was as close to death as she¡¯ll get. For the first time in a long time, Kara began to feel fear. Everyone dies at some point, her sooner than later, most likely, but to pass without even knowing it frightened her. Will it be now? A few seconds? A few minutes? Kara heard a sound, from some direction. She attempted to lift a hand towards it. She wove Kinetic Mana around it¡ªshe would know if she touched something. Something wrapped around her hands. Kara tried to jolt up but all she could muster was a flinch. She could barely use anything, but sound slowly came back as she focused on the Kinetic Mana in the air. ¡°What did I tell you about sleeping in the frontlines of a battle?¡± Ron¡¯s voice said, right above her. He held her hands against his cheeks. Her Life Force finally activated. She was on the ground with her head resting on his lap. They were under the same tree when Kara left. She focused to the side, noticing the storm was gone. The Dungeon was over. ¡°Did you catch so-¡±
You have dealt 1 tearing damage to Ron¡¯s HP!
Kara pulled on his cheeks, testing how far his skin could stretch. ¡°Staaap!¡± he moaned, trying to unlatch her fingers. ¡°Did you not learn your lesson from the first time?¡± Kara said, and began to pull further on the other cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t touch crazy people without their permission.¡± ¡°Umm Shooryyyyy!¡± he whimpered with teary eyes. ¡°Now why don''t I believe you, Mr Ron?¡± she said, letting his cheeks fall back into place. ¡°I would appreciate a hand.¡± The moment her Soul left without a shell it began the transformation process. She got her Notes to pick her up in time, but the damage was done. Her Soul was fully rattled. She couldn¡¯t use it to control Life Force or Mana. Speaking, hearing, and keeping her body together was the full extent of her abilities. She had to get to Nilog as soon as possible, even if that meant having to ask for help. She needed to save then tear that unintelligible creature apart. ¡°You won¡¯t hit me?¡± he asked as he raised his nose in suspicion. ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°Then, of course, my lady,¡± he said as he helped her sit up. When he saw how limp her body was, he kept a hand on her back for support. He kept his silence as Kara gazed towards the giant tree in the center of the forest. It was truly enormous, and in this bleak land, it glimmered like a gem. Its Life Force pulse was magnificent. ¡°Say your¡­heart doesn¡¯t beat, and your blood is cold,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°In a physical way! I mean¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you may laugh. I appreciate the irony,¡± she said. It really was, but he didn¡¯t laugh at that one either. ¡°What happened to the prisoners?¡± ¡°Uh, the Dungeon was cleared about 10 minutes ago. Most of the survivors are arriving to camp now.¡± ¡°Was a young blond girl part of them?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ron said after a pause. ¡°Most were guys. I take it you weren¡¯t actually napping?¡± ¡°I wish,¡± Kara said, shaking her head. She pointed at Yggdrasil. ¡°Can you take me there? I¡¯ll be sure to repay the favor.¡± ¡°I would love to!¡± he replied instantly. ¡°Wait, what for?¡¯ ¡°My¡­ apprentice might have gotten himself killed.¡± Calling him her Dancer would have been weird in this context. Ron shrugged, and then leaned forward, getting one hand under Kara¡¯s knees while the other held wrapped around her shoulders.
You¡¯ve dealt 1 Blunt Damage to Ron¡¯s HP!
Kara didn¡¯t have to explain why she struck him. He turned around, letting her put her arms around his neck. After a few seconds of charging up his Life Force, Ron leaped into the tree line, hoping a few trees with every steps. He glanced to the side, noticing Kara¡¯s cane was flying by their side, but made no comment. A couple minutes later Ron reached the natural barrier that surrounded Yasargil. Hundreds of trees were layered on top of each other, creating impassable terrain for at least fifty meters into the air. It was half the height of Yasargil itself. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can land on top,¡± Ron said, shaking his head. ¡°Beyond this rests the garden, and those usually have defensive mechanisms. We''ll need to walk through the tree openings.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t land there. Our destination is the tree.¡± Kara said. They had no time.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°B-but it''s so far!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go Iron Heart. Flex those quads.¡± Kara felt Ron swallowing. He glanced to the left and right, almost as if looking for an escape. ¡°Whatever happens is on you,¡± he said, and began overflowing his body with Life Force. ¡°I¡¯ll give us a little boost, but no matter what, do not cover your feet with Life Force as you land. Just be prepared to take¡­ some minor damage. Understand?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Ron said quietly. ¡°Shh, it will all be over soon.¡± He fiddled in place. ¡°I swear, it¡¯s like your allergic to explanations,¡± he said under his breath. When he finally gathered the courage, Ron used a 4th Life Force Leap. The moment they went up Kara used an Amplification on him. They whizzed through the air, and the only thing that kept Kara¡¯s cheeks from being pulled off was the Kinetic Shield she used. They rose higher than Kara had expected. Higher than the tree, in fact. ¡°Kara?¡± Ron said as they floated in the air for a few moments as their momentum died. ¡°Are you going to make us fly now?¡± They fell like a comet through the sky. She felt her organs sliding up and had to forcefully place them back. Ron¡¯s hand tightened around her legs as his Life Force began to envelop her. A futile effort, if she ever saw one, though flattering still the same. At this height only a 6th Life Clay dropped below them can cushion the fall, and she was sure he was only at 5th rank. Third Movement: Deviation, Kara mouthed, touching the ground with her feet before Ron did. She deviated the force of their fall through her skeletal system, and blast it above her through her upraised arms. White cracks appeared in the space in front of Kara¡¯s palm. A half-second later, the sound of glass breaking screeched above her as a violent wind screamed. The gale extending from Kara¡¯s hand pierced what few of the clouds remained, creating a hole in their shade. ¡°You can open your eyes now, Ron,¡± Kara said. The flowers swayed slightly from the wind, few petals floating around them from the breeze. He didn¡¯t move for a while, maintaining his awkward sitting position. She could see his body shaking. ¡°Ron?¡± she said again. ¡°Are we...in heaven?¡± he said, finally opening his eyes. He glanced around, awing at every corner of the garden. ¡°It smells like it.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if that was the case. Up we go,¡± Kara said, pulling on his nose with her free hand. The other was being thoroughly repaired. It wouldn¡¯t be used for a while. "Uh, you''re still not going to explain anything?" "At a later time.¡± Probably in a few more years. "Figures," Ron mumbled, jogging closer to the tree. He began leaping from one branch to the next until they reached the top entrance. ¡°I can go from here,¡± Kara said, tapping his shoulder. Not a bad ride, considering the quality of the last one. ¡°Looks like there is a lair down there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m familiar with it. Try to keep up,¡± Kara said, finally standing up on her own two feet. She was stable enough to use Kinetic Mana in more modest amounts. Life Force and her Notes still seemed out of the question. ¡°Ha! A mage is going to race a Life Force?¡± he said, nudging her with a shoulder. Kara turned towards him with a pitting look. He was only a Tiger. It was only after Dragon did the differences in archetypes make themselves painfully obvious. Agility and speed were not synonymous. Well, that was fine. It would make it more enjoyable. ¡°The lair is directly to the front from here. Start in 3?¡± ¡°What do I get if I win?¡± Ron said, getting in position. He put two hands on the ground and raised his butt high. Life Force began to envelop him. If he was taking it seriously, then so should she. ¡°Pride,¡± Kara said, and began the countdown. The earliest rank a mage can unlock Kinetic Flight as at the 5th. Using it here would give him intel about her skill ranks, but considering that he''d seen up to Dragon Tier, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. At one Ron bolted at maximum speed, leaving a crater behind. A hundred mana points, I guess? Nilbog using a hundred mana points was different than Kara, who had just about every skill to boost her magic. She launched forward using 5th Kinetic Flight. Once she built up enough momentum, she used an Amplification. It was far from breaking the sound barrier, but it was enough to nearly blow Ron to the side as she whizzed by. She slightly curved her body to adjust for the winding road, but it was a mostly straightway to the lair. A few seconds later Kara found herself within the dome. Instead of the dingy room she had expected, Kara found it to be overflowing with plant life and numerous Light Vines. Squads of fireflies flew around the grass, avoiding the rays of sunlight that fell through the open half of the room. A tree had grown where the Ent Core had died. A small pound that was half-covered in sunlight spread under it. ¡°Dude,¡± Ron said as he trundled into the room, panting. ¡°What was that.¡± ¡°A mage against a Life Force user in a race,¡± she said, walking around. Her Life Force Sense refused to work adequately. She still needed a few more minutes to get that back up. She went around trying to pick up on his signal. He might still be alive. An Ash Tree began spurting on the other side of the pond. Pure white, it stood at about five feet with no leaves on its smeared branches. It was a rare high-level material used to create equipment specialized in Fire Mana. It was also a material banned from usage by most civil races, purely because of the way it was made. While wood was not Kara¡¯s choice for staff, Ash Wood fetched a nice price. Nilbog would need a source of in-come, after all. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t drink that, if I were you.¡± Kara pressed her ring against the tree. Purple Mana seeped out of it, enclosing the tree. It turned into fog that entered the ring. ¡°Why?¡± Ron asked, his lips a few inches from the cupped water in his hands. ¡°People died here, yet there are no bodies in sight,¡± Kara said, leaving the rest for him to figure out. ¡°Eweewewew!" leaped away from the river. She sheepishly fell beside her with a frown. "Who are we searching for?¡± ¡°A young girl, in her 20s. Blond and petite. The other is a young male with dark hair and of the same height.¡± ¡°Uh, do you have any more details on the guy? That only narrows it to half the population of Dlar, and that''s only because most of them are dead, may they rest in peace." ¡°Or pieces," Kara corrected, "But I do apologize. I tend to be very bad with remembering facial features." She turned towards the newly created exists. ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡± Maybe fatally wounded? Or is she torturing him? Or...was she pursuing him as we speak? For some reason, him running away seemed to have posed a bigger problem to Kara. She began to feel anxious. She floated outside into the sun, and went up the spiral, letting Ron trail behind her. There! It was faint, but leaving the lair let her pick up on two heat sources extremely close to the other. Kara flew up using Kinetic Flight, knocking aside branches leaves and fruits as she whizzed by. She broke through the clearing, her cane pointing forward with a 4th rank Kinetic Ray. Ron followed shortly, his sword and shield materialized into his hands before landing next to her. He held his ground, waiting for Kara¡¯s cue, but once he saw Nilbog and Iris on the ground, he hesitantly lowered his shield. ¡°Uh, Kara?¡± he said, shaking off the leaves that stuck to his hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but aren¡¯t you being a bit...overprotective? They''re just kid-" ¡°Not another word,¡± Kara said slowly, her hands shaking. They were soundly sleeping next to each other. Nilbog was safe, and so was Iris. They didn¡¯t fight, and in fact seemed to be on good terms, which was the best-case scenario she didn¡¯t even dare to imagine. She expected him to get stabbed a couple of times at the very least. Trying to make friends with the person trying to kill you rarely panned out well. It worked, however, and that¡¯s all that mattered. Presumably, he gained a competent party member and received valuable experience in surviving a bizarre situation. He grew, both in power and in his character. But why in the two faces of the world did she have the strongest urge to blast him to smithereens, anyway? Oh right, the fool almost got me, himself, and the rest of Dlar killed. Now that she thought about it, that was a damn good reason to beat him to a pulp.
60 Nilbog woke up before any of his limbs did. When he managed to wrench open his eyelids he saw that the sky was covered in brown fabric. A closer look showed it to be the inside of a tent. Around him were four empty bedrolls, and through the slit to his front a yellow-ray shined through. A jumble of noises Nilbog¡¯s groggy brain did not comprehend came from it. Whatever muscle he had turned soft, and when he tried to push himself up the bone of his arm nearly bent. He fell back to his own bedroll, holding his head as his skull threatened to collapse. How long have I been out for? All his resources bars were full, except his Overall STM which was resting at 324. If the numbers were right, then it¡¯s been a day. Fortunately, there were no status debuffs. Once his blood starts flowing he should feel better. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was eating the Life Fruit. He might have closed his eyes for a few moments, he wasn¡¯t sure. A blinking button in the corner caught Nilbog¡¯s vision. His hands almost instantly pressed it, but he remembered what Kara had said. Right...that one. His feelings were mixed about her. On one side, getting anything done without her was impossible, but on the other, she was a self-centered prick. She wasn¡¯t any different than the ones he¡¯s hunting¡ªshe¡¯ll do just about anything to get what she wants. Nilbog swallowed, his lips dry and cracked. The thirst gave him the willpower to crawl out of the sweat ridden tent. He covered his eyes from the sun as he pushed aside the cloth. A mixture of ragtag soldiers in iron armor and prisoners with plain clothing walked around, some lifting metals into carts and others onto their shoulders. The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard far away. They were inside the natural barrier that the collapsed trees made with Yargrasil in the center. Not knowing what else to do, Nilbog joined the traffic. Once in the light he found his clothes had been replaced and his body has been mummified with white bandages. He wore a plain long-sleeved shirt and rough pants identical to other prisoners. The insistent hunger and thirst made his mind wander. He felt close to getting a hunger debuff, and here he was having food walk past him. ¡°Well ain¡¯t this a surprise. You¡¯re alive after all that?¡± Nilbog looked up, surprised to find¡­ what was his name again? ¡°Gale,¡± he said with a knowing smile. Right, this one and his annoying skill. Nilbog couldn''t recall his voice, and even his damned name kept slipping from Nibog¡¯s memories. What was he going to do about Moon and Gale? So many people have tried to kill Nilbog by now that he had grown stoic about the whole thing. His list would never finish if he was supposed to get revenge on everyone that tried to kill him. ¡°How did you enjoy running away?¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Gale said, placing his hands on his hips. ¡°Got out of that incompetent party and fetched me a couple points, but who would have thought that you would rank first. Made me feel silly for abandoning you." ¡°That wasn¡¯t...I mean yeah, I guess so,¡± Nilbog said, ignoring his slight. Gale¡¯s wrongdoing paled in comparison to the ones Nilbog sought. ¡°I thought you would quickly die,¡± he said, nodding his head. ¡°But that performance...oh gee, it¡¯s like you hid away a beast inside you.¡± That¡¯s...not someone like you can say, Nilbog thought to himself. He wasn¡¯t sure how to interact with the Gale. He was strange, and not Nilbog-monster-strange. The way he moved and talked--something was off about it. Him being a monster would have been Nilbog¡¯s guess, but Sentient Killer activated when he defended against Gale¡¯s skill. Gale perked his head, glancing left to right. ¡°Heard that?¡± he said, frowning. ¡°What?¡± Nilbog said, looking around. He didn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°A monster, in the center of camp?¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°I hear it¡¯s growls!¡± ¡°What?¡± Nilbog said, turning left and right. He couldn¡¯t see anything, and his Seventh Sense wasn¡¯t activating. They were surrounded by dozens of people too. Where could it possibly come from? ¡°There!¡± he said, pointing at Nilbog¡¯s stomach. ¡°You look like you can eat a horse.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Nilbog said. Its Soul might just taste different. Gale stared blankly at Nilbog for an uncomfortable duration. ¡°Come. Tell me your tale--even better, tell me the rewards! What did you get? Any Cursed or Blessed stuff to brag about? ¡°Moon. Where is he?¡± Nilbog asked. That was more important. Like hell he¡¯ll tell anyone what rewards he got. Not that Nilbog knew, anyway. He needed to find Kara before he did anything stupid. ¡°Oh?¡± Gale said, unfazed. ¡°I sense drama. Did he try to kill you?¡± Nilbog stepped back. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Despite being the fastest, it was strange that he was at the back. You shouldn¡¯t have taunted him,¡± Gale said, inserting his pinkie into his ears. ¡°Pretty typical. We¡¯re here, little ranker.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± They had walked past the construction area and sleeping quarters, arriving where the soldiers of Dlar rested. Wooden tables were lined up in long lines, most of them filled. A few cooks were on the side, handing out soup and bread. Nilbog and Gale followed suit, standing behind the soldiers. The line itself wasn¡¯t long, but other soldiers constantly cut in front of them. They barely even registered them, the faint mark on Nilbog and Gale''s cheeks a clear indication of his rank. Eventually, the tables reached them, but where others received a full bowl of soup and bread, Nilbog and Gale barely got half of that. Even so, neither of them made a fuss. It was obvious that¡¯s how things worked around here. The soldiers here got the short end of the stick, building towers and supervising prisoners instead of hunting monsters or doing Dungeons.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. They needed someone to blame, and everyone with a mark on their cheeks was an easy target. Nilbog ate quietly, avoiding conversation with Gale. He tried to listen on others'' conversations but they knew as much as him, and that was next to nothing. Some said they would be here for some time, building the tower, while others said parties were already being dispatched towards other areas. That was how little Dlar cared about them. Most parties perished or were incapacitated. A few numbers floated around, but the least of them had the fatalities at 50%. If that was how Dlar was going to treat them, some said, then barely anyone will remain alive after a few weeks of this. ¡°Do you know what happened to our party?¡± Nilbog asked. There were four other bedrolls in that tent. Nilbog had a hunch that the reason Gale struck up a conversation with him was because he wanted something, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t explain why he suddenly became so talkative. ¡°There is no party,¡± someone said, sitting in front of them. ¡°Ain¡¯t this a surprise,¡± Nilbog said, putting down his spoon. ¡°I thought you would stay far away from me, Moon.¡± ¡°Now kid,¡± Moon began, putting both his hands up in the air. ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m happy for you, boy. I was sure those goblins got you.¡± ¡°One almost did, and Moon, my man, you should have seen it. It was the ugliest goblin of the decade. It was a coward, too. The dastardly thing tripped me and run away in fear. Didn¡¯t even bother finishing the job.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Moon said, chomping down into the hard bread. ¡°That¡¯s sad¡ªto be outsmarted by a mare goblin! Come on man, I thought you were better than that.¡± ¡°Sleep well,¡± Nilbog said, standing up. He stuffed his mouth with the last pieces of his meager meal.
Sentient Killer Activated The difference in Danger Ranks has increased Sentient Killer¡¯s effects by 25%
As he stepped out Nilbog pulled his foot up, avoiding a kick from under the table. Nilbog immediately stomped down, missing Moon¡¯s foot by an inch. Moon shrugged, placing his hands behind his head. He had his obnoxious, highly punchable smile on. Nilbog left, his blood beating more rapidly than his stoic face showed. Even without any skills Moon was much faster than Nilbog. And that¡¯s with all my skills active, too. Seventh Sense, Sentient Killer, Short-Breath, and Dodge barely evened the odds. The difference between them was embarrassing. Hopefully that would be a temporary problem. Wait, a 25% increase in Sentient Killer? Nilbog was back to a Cub. It must have gone up only when Kara was using his body. He really needed to learn everything he could from her. Nilbog wandered around, searching for any hints of orange heads. He wanted rest--a whole lot of it, but that was the worst thing he could do. Each day he wastes is a day they get stronger. Catching up is not going to be easy. Nilbog didn¡¯t find orange, he did find yellow. ¡°Hey Iris,¡± he said, waving at her. She caught his eyes and walked over. As Olivia said, she was the other component, and while Nilbog might not have the resources or knowledge to support her journey up to be a Cataclysm, Kara certainly did. Even if Nilbog fails, Iris could be a back-up option. ¡°You alright?¡± she said, tilting her head. ¡°Uh, yeah. You?¡± ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Good. Do you know what is happening?¡± ¡°Something is happening?¡± ¡°I mean, what happened after I fell asleep. I don¡¯t remember much cus¡¯ I was, uh, sleeping,¡± he said, scratching the side of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sai is dead, and I was pretty sure the guys would get revenge and kill you in your sleep, but they disappeared too. Just went poof.Not a trace remains. Nobody knows where they went off to." ¡°What? Who? What?¡± What did she just say? She tilted her head, eyes innocent and carefree. ¡°But¡­What¡¯s you¡¯re name again?¡± ¡°Nilbog,¡± he replied, somehow more exhausted. He really needed to find someone coherent to talk to. "What''s that about--" ¡°Okay Nilbog, how the hell did you get so strong? That was just¡­amazing! I¡¯ve never seen someone move like that. Nilbog flinched. ¡°That¡­¡± Where should he even begin? Does saying I get possessed by a powerful unknown individual every so often make any sense? ¡°That¡¯s temporary,¡± Nilbog said, and then held his tongue. Yeah, genius, just go ahead and give out vital information. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you got beat by Sai the first time,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°Now that¡¯s a unique skill if I ever heard of one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more inconvenient than you would think,¡± Nilbog said, shaking his head. ¡°Sometimes it tries to take kill me, sometimes it tries to take my body for good, and then, very rarely, it actually says or does something helpful. More importantly, what about those guys--¡± ¡°Hey,¡± she said. ¡°Look over here.¡± Nilbog turned towards her. He nearly jumped when her finger poked his cheeks as he turned. ¡°Double personality?¡± she asked, laughing. ¡°You¡¯re clumsy!" Nilbog frowned, wiping his cheeks with his hand. He felt clunky. Humans were dangerous, detestable, and twisted, but this one seemed¡­ simple. Like a monster. Honest, without ulterior motives. Instead of trying to glean meaning from her words, maybe he can just take her at face value. ¡°You two!¡± a man yelled, stomping up to them. He had a black gambeson with the insignia of the Anima inscribed into its right side. ¡°No dilly-dallying!¡± he barked, picking up Nilbog by the neck of his shirt. ¡°Which officer is in charg-¡± ¡°I am,¡± a voice said behind him. Nilbog didn¡¯t bother turning around as Kara rested a hand on his and Iris¡¯s shoulder. It caused Iris to freeze all motion. The girl barely breathed. ¡°Officer Kara! Do you have no control over yo--¡± the officer¡¯s mouth closed mid-sentence. The blood rushed to his head, the nerves on his neck bulging as he began to shake. Under him was a pool of purple aura. It was connected to Kara¡¯s right foot. ¡°They were on their break, officer¡­officer....hmm, oh goodness, but I don¡¯t seem to recall your name.¡± She reached forward, unfolding his fingers one by one until Nilbog dropped to his feet. ¡°P-P-Prisoners...don¡¯t...get b-b-b¡± he said through his clenched teeth. Life Force began to visibly gather around his face, fighting off whatever Kara was doing to no avail. ¡°Truly? And here I thought that Khan, in all his glory and might, pardoned the top five Dungeon clearers, granted them permission to gather themselves into a party, and gifted them a membership in the Third Regiment." ¡°T-T-Tha¡­¡± ¡°I would fully cooperate if you would like to bring the issue for him to judge over,¡± Kara said, releasing the skill she had constrained the officer with. She let go of her cane, letting it levitate in place. Her hands wrapped around Nilbog and Iris, nudging them towards her. ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind finding out that you are harassing the number one, and number two rankers of the recent Dungeon." The officer swallowed, baring his teeth as he spat to the side. Sweat ran down his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t think Caldain¡¯s favor can protect your outrageous behavior forever, officer Kara. Outsiders who don¡¯t know their place don¡¯t belong here.¡± ¡°If you would excuse us,¡± Kara said, nodding, ¡°We have actual work to get to.¡± Nilbog began to turn, but he couldn¡¯t budge Kara¡¯s grip. She stood there, staring at the opposing officer for an uncomfortable silence. Mouthing a curse, the officer turned around and left. No one said anything for a while. Iris went deathly quiet, and all Kara did was look at the officer as he walked away. ¡°How benevolent I have grown, truly, not to simply eradicate him and the ground he walks on. Now, little Nilbog, tell me, how come every time I find you, you¡¯re in some type of trouble?¡± she said, turning her head towards him. Being blind did not reduce the intensity of her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a unique skill,¡± Nilbog said dryly, stepping away from her. Iris did the same after a pause. ¡°Makes life more exciting.¡± ¡°How fitting,¡± she said, smiling too widely for his comfort. It was unnatural, the way her lips twisted up. She turned her sights away, letting Nilbog breathe easier. ¡°Iris, dear, could I borrow this one for a bit? We have a lot of... talking that needs to be done.¡± Iris nodded slowly. ¡°Thank you, dear. Keep practicing Fleet Footwork in the meanwhile,¡± Kara said, and began to walk. She stopped, turned, and pointed with her head. ¡°Come, little Nilbog, this way,¡± she said, and resumed striding forward without letting him get a word in. Pushing down the fear that had enveloped Nilbog, Nilbog turned towards Iris. Looks like Kara already got to her. That¡¯s good, I guess.At least it wasn''t just Nilbog that got the cold shiver''s around Kara. If that was Iris''s reaction, then Nilbog surely picked the right devil to help him. ¡°She¡¯s dangerous,¡± Iris whispered. Nilbog nodded. ¡°Trust me, I know,¡± he said, and followed Kara''s footsteps. ¡°It¡¯s why I need her.¡± End Of Book One
Kara found a suitable location far away from prying eyes deep within the garden. A couple of curious rats followed her, though with a little bit of Life Concealment she quickly lost them. Those who persisted received a surprise 4th Kinetic Drill straight from the ground and up their bottoms. Not enough to kill, surely, but enough to maim them with embarrassment. As for the other pest... Kara turned around, casting 4th Gravity Zone. Nilbog hit the wet grass, an enormous weight pressing him against the ground, and this time, it wouldn¡¯t budge. She didn¡¯t have to worry about crushing him¡ªknowing his numbers gave her enough information. ¡°You tried to kill me,¡± Kara said, crouching down. She lifted his chin with a finger. ¡°Why should I not do the same?¡± Nilbog replied with a few incoherent grunts as he attempted to breakthrough. Once he realized it was pointless, he immediately gave up. Does not spend resources in vain, she noted. ¡°Because we¡¯re even now,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°Actually, I get a few more tries.¡± Fearless to a fault. He was confident Kara wouldn¡¯t harm him because she needed his body, but that did not mean there weren¡¯t other ways she could. Then again, it¡¯s a risk he must take. Showing signs of weakness would just make people take further advantage of him. Offering his body would be pointless if he couldn¡¯t guarantee Kara¡¯s cooperation. It was the same for her, after all. ¡°Good enough,¡± Kara said, releasing the gravity field. She rested against a nearby boulder as he got himself together. Legions of ravens swung overhead, casting moving shadows over Kara and Nilbog through the tiny openings in the leaves above. From their size and the way they flew, they were probably the scouting squad sent ahead. A new list of poorly optimized Dungeons would be ready by the time they got back, though if Kara could pull some strings, that meant little for them. ¡°Uh¡­you¡¯re not ma¡ª" ¡°Oh I¡¯m mad,¡± Kara said. ¡°That was a stupid thing to do. You put me, yourself, and everyone else in grave danger.¡± ¡°But?¡± Nilbog asked, sitting cross feat. She shook her head. ¡°I must admit, convincing Iris to fight alongside you contributed greatly to our plan. Repeat this type of reckless behavior, however, and I¡¯ll behave accordingly, and treat your life as worthless as you treat it.¡± He paused, scratching his hair. ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯m not as afraid of dying as I should be." ¡°There is some good in that,¡± she said, pointing with her index finger. ¡°Beca-¡± ¡°Because it''s about to get a lot more dangerous?¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Do not make that a habit,¡± she said, folding her arms. Neither he nor Ron appreciated good humor. ¡°Now, assuming my words hold the tiniest bit of credibility to you, you would not have opened the Epic Card, correct?" "Yes ma''am," Nilbog said. ¡°Want me to pull up everything?¡± With a nod Kara made a Greater Note. It snatched her Soul and tucked it inside its confines. Nilbog stared at her wordlessly as she floated around. ¡°How do you speak? You don¡¯t have a mouth.¡± Kara looked down, her hands going over where her mouth should have been. Just as he said, there was nothing. She couldn¡¯t even feel that anything was below it. Out of all the things you question, that comes first? ¡°Notes, probably. They extend my senses, so I assume that I speak through them as well.¡± Nilbog nodded. He began to fiddle with his status screen. ¡°Might you be able to--¡± ¡°Use them as long-distance communication? It¡¯s a clever idea, though I haven¡¯t had anyone to try it on yet. Before that,¡± Kara said, floating behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s use all our stat points before you open the Epic Card.¡± She placed obvious emphasis on our. Any decision he makes would affect them both. She wanted to remind him of that. She was not being manipulative. She was being considerate. ¡°Uh, right,¡± Nilbog said, scratching his head. ¡°Can you explain¡­everything first? What your powers are, and what we¡¯re going to do?¡± "Hm, that would be a good place to start. Very well--beyond being a master of the basic mana forms, I own 9 powerful class skills, though because I''ve my present circumstances, I''m only able to use 3 of them--The First Movement: Equilibrium, the Third Movement: Deviation, and the Fourth Movement: Amplification. Deviation redirects Mana and Life Force, while the fourth only doubles Kinetic Mana. All moving objects have Kinetic Mana, which means I can change the direction of projectiles with Deviation, or double their speed with Amplification. However, if I use a Deviation on an object, I may not Amplify it until it physically connects with the ground. Do you follow?¡± After staring at her for a while, Kara figured he didn¡¯t. ¡°I am an anti-mage spell-sword,¡± Kara said, rubbing her fake eyes. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Not really, but sure.¡± Kara floated down to the bolder. This is going to take a while. She crossed her legs, thinking about an easier way to go about this. ¡°Let''s start from the very basics. Do you know what makes the Warrior archetype useful?¡± ¡°They¡¯re strong, fast, and durable,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Mages?¡± ¡°They got firepower.¡± ¡°Spellswords?¡± ¡°More power?¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Correct, yet still incorrect. Tell me the weaknesses of a warrior.¡± Nilbog scratched his cheeks, the nerves on his forehead straining. ¡°They¡¯re...dumb?¡± ¡°Some of them. Most of them, actually, but no--they¡¯re simply limited. There are only so many ways you can build a Warrior. In the end, they¡¯ll only swing or move faster. Each individual''s class adds a bit of spice to this, of course, but the general rule is to keep your distance. Now, what about mages?¡± ¡°Rogues,¡± Nilbog said. ¡°Or anyone that can cut the distance.¡± ¡°Finally, tell me the weaknesses of a Spellsword.¡± ¡°They have range¡­so it¡¯s the same as a mage. Their defenses are weak?¡± Kara shook her head. He needed to fully understand this¡ªthere was little point in Kara simply telling him how things worked. ¡°What stats does a Warrior invest in?¡± ¡°Agility and a bit of Endurance. Strength and Constitution, too but I reckon that they pick one or the other, depending on what they wanna do." ¡°Good. What stats does a mage invest in?¡± ¡°Soul¡­Agility and Consitution?¡± ¡°What does a spellsword invest in?¡± Nilbog¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Strength, Agility, Constitution, Soul, and Endurance as well.¡± Kara nodded. There it was. "Mostly correct. They don¡¯t actually need to invest heavily Strength¡ªthey could simply use Kinetic Bursts to provide the penetration they need, though yes, you have the right idea. While other archetypes can focus on a couple of stats and roles to fulfill in a given party, a spellsword must focus on everything, as their very purpose is to do everything. Them having the most offensive capabilities is just the cherry on top." ¡°So what about us, or me, I mean?¡± ¡°Soul.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Soul. We''ll use Soul to fulfill every facet of our build. Defense? Kinetic Shield and Life Force Shield. Dodging? Kinetic Mana and Life Force Enhancement. Single target? Kinetic Mana. Area Of Effect? Thermal for offensive effects, and Gravity for control effects. With the combination of Mana and Life Force, there is not a single thing we will not be able to do better than every individual out there." ¡°So we can literally do everything better than everyone? That doesn''t sound fair." ¡°Fair? fair? What makes you think The Games are fair? Where did you even get this absurd notion from?" Nilbog looked stunned. "I mean, there are always level constraints and rules in place to prevent lower levels from dying to higher levels. The Game gave tools to let even someone as weak as me to survive. There is always a way, as it always says." "Survive? Surely, it is fair in that regard. Too fair, from my view, though that is a topic for another time. The point stands. Surviving does not equate to excelling. My existence is not the only proof of The Game''s lunacy-- throughout all of our history you will find individuals who gained unparalleled power, and what reason? For what purpose? None but chance. There are thousands of equally talented rankers, yet there is only a single First Ranker, and only a single wish to be granted. Our life and aspirations are at the mercy of the dice. All we could do is nudge it one way or the other, but make no mistake, Nilbog. Fairness, compassion, and morality are not found among the top rankers for a very good reason." Kara, in more than one way, was proof of that reality. Nilbog looked as if he was going to argue further, though after a pause he nodded and waited. "Back to the issue at hand," Kara said, pushing back the emotion that had surfaced. It''s been quite a while since she''s spoken to another person at a length. Though her rambling was justified, it was nevertheless embarrassing. "Be confident in yourself and I, but do not get conceited. We are far, far from reaching the peak of our powers," and reclaiming the glory I once held and the wish I was once denied. She herself might not be able to stand in the limelight, but raising the one who will become the 45th will suffice for her pride. "Okay, I''m following. A bit overwhelmed, but I''m following. What are we doing right now? What should I be focusing on, and when..." Nilbog stopped. He clenched his teeth, leaving the obvious question for her to ask, both of herself and for him. Revenge. Though in different worlds and magnitudes, both were seeking it, and the poison that caused this now binds them in their quest. She had half the mind to erase half of Dlar, but alas, her hunger for her own revenge was greater than her empathy. His wrath and hate will drive him to reach new heights, much like the Sayrina of then, and the Kara of now. There is no greater motivation than the death of a loved one. "A Phase occurs every month for 7th months. Assuming the 2nd Phase will occur in the next twenty days, most of Dlar''s top rankers will be Tigers. By the time the Third Phase begins and ends, only a special few would become Dragons, if at all. The 4th Phase is commonly referred to as The Age Of Dragons, and as the name implies, the world will fall into the control of Dragons. The 5th Phase is by far the worse, as there we will see Disasters emerging from the corpses of Dragons. Uncontested by the general population, it is there where tyrants and heroes will arise. The race to Cataclysm will begin. The Game will when the 7th Phase concludes. Threes days after then, those who participated in the Games and survived will ascend to Heaven--a land where only the powerful and wise exist. There we will find my brother, and there we will exact my revenge." "Revenge? For your brother?" Nilbog said, unfazed. Kara gestured to her current form, and to the corpse that laid limp against the ground in peaceful sleep. "For doing this to our family."For making me spend the past four decades in agony. As much as she wanted to utter those words to someone who would listen, it was not yet time to reveal her identity to Nilbog. "I understand, thank you for explaining all of this. Considering my own circumstances, I''m sure you can understand why I was unable to ask anyone else. Though, I must say, your plan is missing a minor part." His voice was calm--too calm. His language was too stiff and his face was plain and his eyes locked with hers without fear, but Kara sensed the emotion bubbling underneath. Emotion, not just anger or hate. That was something Kara had not expected. What else could he be hiding underneath his visage? "I am not. I will only allow you to pursue your targets once you reach their Danger Ranks." To her surprise, Nilbog simply nodded.How understanding, he is.Kara had expected a tantrum, but though he was newborn, his matureness was something most aspiring rankers should attain. Nevertheless, Kara will do well to prepare for the day his patience runs out. She will not allow her sole investment to run into certain doom. If he were to break their contract, then it would be so in a Dungeon or Phase, where Kara''s reach is limited. And that is where dear Iris comes in. "With that, I believe we have sorted out everything there is to be sorted. Unless you have any other questions, we will move on to assigning your points and skill. Agreed?" With Nilbog''s affirmation, Kara continued. "From now on, we should focus on increasing our Soul. Life Force and Mana per point, as investing in it is twice as effective as any other stat.¡± ¡°And the fact I don¡¯t have a skill that allows me to dual-source¡ª¡± ¡°--Is off-settled by your Shapeshifter¡¯s immunity to internal damage. We don¡¯t need the Dual-Source skill unless a skill¡¯s requirement explicitly says so. I can use two of my class skills regardless of that. In the end, we are combining two classes into a singular one. Though, of course, I must pay the price of being immobile and vulnerable for the duration." ¡°So now I look for cards that increase my Mana and Life Force rank? Okay, I think I¡¯m getting where you¡¯re coming from,¡± Nilbog said, nodding quickly. ¡°Where am I putting my stats? I got 21 left.¡± ¡°2 for Strength, 3 for Agility, 6 for Endurance, and 10 for Soul. Once we get your basic stats to an adequate amount, we¡¯ll solely invest in Soul."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Done,¡± Nilbog said a yellow aura covered his body in a flash. "And I''m still a Cub. Thought that would put me over for sure.¡± "You should be pretty close. Pull up everything, I want to make sure we know what we¡¯re working with.¡±
General Stats & Parameters
Level 35 Strength 10
Species Human (Shape-Shifting) Agility 20
Class Sentient Killer Endurance 20
Profession Life Dancer Constitution 20
Age 1 Soul 33
HP 200/200 (+20/Hour) Life Force 330
STM 200/200 (+2/Second) Mana 330/330 (3.3/Minute)
Overall STM 682/1,000 (+400) Danger Rank Cub
Soul Inventory: 1 Epic Card 1 Common Regret Card
Seventh Sense (MonsterUnique) Skill Slot: Extra Sense
Your body has learned to react before your Soul.
Murderous Lolie (Unique) Skill Slot: Reward Modifier
Thereward boost to killing enemies higher level than you is increased by 50%. The penalty for killing enemies lower level than you are increased by 50%. Each Danger Rank you have on your opponent will decrease the rewards by 20%, while each Danger Rank your opponent has on you will increase the rewards by 20%. The drop rate of unique, blessed, and cursed rarities is increased by 30%. You are not allowed to opt-out of the Games while you possess this skill. Having been proven victorious against unthinkable odds at such a young age, your future is sworn to be littered with conflict.
Basic Dodger (Common) Skill Slot: Dodge
Increase Agility by 10% when dodging.
Short-Breath (Common) Skill Slot: Breath
Grants 10% Agility and 20% reduced STM cost for the first five seconds of a battle. Short-Breath will become available after staying out of combat for 10 seconds.
Lesser Bleed Resistance (Common) Skill Slot: Bleed Resistance
Gain 10% Bleed Resistance.
1st Life Force Source (Common) Skill Slot: Life Force Source
You have begun your journey into discovering the power of life. Decrease Life Force costs by 10%.
1st Mana Source (Common) Skill Slot: Mana Source
You have begun your journey into discovering the power of your Soul. Decrease Mana costs by 10%.
Life Dancer (Unique) Skill Slot: Profession
Wherever you Dance, death follows. Your Siren may use her powers through you.
Agile Hunter (Uncommon) Skill Slot: Offensive Enhancer
Upon activating the skill Agile Hunter is attached to, the said skill will have 25% increased Strength and Agility for 5 seconds. If your attack deals HP damage, increase your Agility by 10% for 5 minutes. Agile Hunter will go on a five-minute cooldown upon activation.
¡°Well, at least there isn¡¯t much to go through.¡± Kara was familiar with most, but it never hurts to double-check everything. ¡°Murderous Lolie might be your most useful skill. Open the Epic Bounty now, won''t you?"
Choose from one of the following!
Wielder Of The Flame (Epic) Type: Thermal Mana Conversion Critical Dodger (Epic) Type: Dodge Skill Incomplete Ent Core (Epic) Type: Soul Gem Crown Of Thorns (Cursed) Equipment Slot: Head Equipment
Wielder Of The Flame (Epic) Type: Thermal Mana Conversion
Some create flames, others, like you, are made to wield it. Enchanting Thermal Mana skills will receive 25% more power, will require 25% less Thermal Mana to maintain, and will have 25% increased duration. Gain 25% Fire Resistance.
Critical Dodger (Epic) Type: Dodge Skill
Dodging is a matter of desperation. Gain 10% Dodge Agility. This bonus scales up to 30% the lower your HP is, with the maximum power reaching at 40% HP. Damage taken while dodging will be reduced by 10%. Free Add-on: STM cost for Dodging will be reduced by 10%. This bonus scales up to 35% the lower your STM is, gaining maximum power at 40% HP.
Incomplete Ent Core (Epic) Type: Soul Gem
The Ent Core, even when reduced to a simple stone, still desires life. The Incomplete Ent Core can store up to 300 Life Force. You may siphon this into your own body to use. The only way to store Life Force into the Core is to kill other life forms. 10% of their cuurent Life Force will be stored within the Ent Core. The more Life Force that the Incomplete Ent Core receives, the greater its powers will grow.
Crown Of Thorns (Cursed) Equipment Slot: Head Equipment
Upon activation, Crown Of Thorns may only be deactivated after 5 seconds. The wearer of the Crown will take 1% of their HP as Bleed Damage per second. For each % HP consumed, the wearer will gain that much increase to all their stats. In addition, all Bleed damage from outside sources will be reduced by 50%. Upon pick-up, the wearer will become immune to the symptoms of blood loss. The Life Force of the earth, once pure and ambient, is now corrupt with a hunger for blood. The more blood that the Crown Of Thorns consumes, the greater its powers will grow. 0/10,000 HP
¡°Two real choices, sadly,¡± Kara said, a bit disappointed.Wielder Of The Flame and the Incomplete Ent Core did not need the slightest consideration from Kara or as much as an explanation for Nilbog. ¡°What does the curse mean?" Nilbog asked, likely coming to the same conclusion as her. ¡°Cursed skills or equipment permanently bind to their slot with large effects at the cost of even larger penalties. They can be as mighty as Legendaries if you''re able to negate the penalties, though most often they end up hurting you. You''ll need a Purification card to get rid of them, and those tend to be pretty expensive." ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of my own equipment killing me,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Or cursing myself." "I disagree. Most of my skills and equipment are cursed, though I do understand the caution in this case." A 1% Bleed Damage per second would kill the wearer in 100 seconds, even if they took no damage. The way the buff was gained was also suboptimal. It wasn¡¯t a 1% increase to all parameters per second, but an increase per HP percentage loss, meaning that there was no point in reducing the damage it deals. Kara went on. "Critical Dodger is a decent choice that goes quite well with your skills.¡± As long as Nilbog prevents himself from dying in one hit, then he could heal himself in a few seconds. ¡°Not much to say about it, really. On the other hand the Crown Of Thorns is a gamble. In theory, a 100% increase in stats is a powerful effect, but keep in mind you will have to use 4 Souls for it, and that¡¯s without taking any damage from the enemy. Plus, you won¡¯t be able to use it every fight, as your Shapeshifter''s healing has a cooldown." The healing caused by her Life Siren Song, though powerful in its own right, was not a reliable source either. They would need more tools to deal with it. ¡°Historically, the most successful ranker''s built their characters around a unique skill or item. Whether you want to make the Crown Of Thorns the centerpiece or wait for a different opportunity to present itself is entirely up to you." ¡°Why are you leaving the choice to me? You want Crown Of Thorns, don¡¯t you?¡± Kara nodded. At heart, she was still a ranker. Getting a powerful item and seeing how she can make it work is everything she''s made for. "You are not me, unfortunately. The skills and equipment that are offered to us are based on how you win them, but they are also impacted by your character and behavior. It''s best I inform you of the paths and for you to choose." Nilbog barely gave it a few seconds thought. "The Crown it is." "Why?" Kara asked, after a pause. His goals didn''t require him to be the strongest, as Kara''s did. The Crown might have a higher potential than Critical Dodger, but it also had risks that Critical Dodger did not. In terms of probabilities, the Crown had a lower chance of achieving Nilbog''s more modest goal. Did I overestimate his intelligence? "I don''t know. Reasons, I guess," Nilbog said, avoiding her question. He pressed something, prompting a bright green light to appear in front of him. From it materialized the crown, and if truth be told, its appearance was quite underwhelming. It seemed nothing more than plain thorns in the shape of a crown. ¡°Ow,¡± he said dryly. Even without putting it on the Crown drew Nilbog''s blood. "Any useful skill we can use the Common Regret Card for? There is little point in holding those early on," Kara said, floating back to her body. She would understand him with time. Nilbog paused. He closed his eyes in concentration, though after a few moments all he did was smile at Kara as he shook his head. Very well.Kara allowed her Soul to return to her body. She was eager to use Duel Duet to reclaim her senses, but business had to come before pleasure. She would not use it fruitlessly. ¡°Let me see the Crown." Nilbog handed it to her. She held it, and though blood flowed in her veins, the Crown simply fell dormant.Only works on him. How unfortunate. Having only Nilbog feed it 10k HP would take a long time. Still, if one was clever enough to use the Game to their advantage, sometimes there were ways around these things. "Let''s get you accustomed to the pain, dear Nilbog. Over the coming months, you will become quite familiar with it." With Nilbog''s confirmation, Kara placed the Crown on top of his head. He winced as blood began to slip down the sides of his head, his entire body tensing up in response. The thorns latched onto his legs, clawing up as they littered his skin with holes. Nilbo did not make a squeak, though admirably enough, he did not hide the hurt on his face.
Nilbog rested against the boulder as he fed the Crown. He breathed in the sweet scent of the colorful flowers and herbs growing around them, hoping it would relax his muscles. Each throb caused by the Crown''s prickles spread throughout the rest of his body. Thinking while his blood was getting sucked was difficult enough, and soon enough he''ll have to fightas the Crown did its work. Maybe it''ll be easier, maybe it''ll be harder. Either way, he needed to get used to this, and to Kara herself. She was not what he thought she was. At their first meeting and the first Song he''d heard, Nilbog had believed her to be an incompressible jumble of madness, but she was anything but. Kara was possibly the only person Nilbog has understood--she wanted revenge, and she would stop at nothing to achieve it. Nothing more, nothing less. As long as Nilbog did not impede her in this, then the wrath and destruction she sought would not affect him. Of course, that was easier said than done. Her willingness to do anything wasn''t something Nilbog could get behind. As much as he understood her pain it does not justify becoming villainous people. She was on the other side of the boulder, doing nothing in particular. She hummed though, and for that Nilbog was grateful. There was something magical about the way her voice made him feel. It wasn''t filled with hate and wrath, but bright things like Excitement. Resolve. Ambition. It made him want to break into a sprint. The thrones digging into his flesh prevented him from doing so. It drew its blood at an expedited rate, almost as if it knew he was feeding it. The damage he received went up from 2 HP to 4 HP a second. The thorns kept growing, surrounding his legs, wrapping around his stomach and back, and spiraling around his arms, leaving only his neck untouched. It didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to kill its host, at the very least. Nilbog brought his hands closer to his eyes, studying the way the thorns wrapped around his fingers. It was metallic silver. The prickle did not protrude straight from the stem like a spear, but rather was woven out of it like a curved sword. Not a single drop of his blood touched the ground¡ªall of it was sucked in by the thorns. Nilbog bit into it. Blood began to drip from it. The thorns instantly tightened around him in response, but he would not shy away from it. The thorns were alive, and he wasn¡¯t going to show any weakness even to them. Whatever you can do, I can do better. Nilbog took small bites out of it, hurting it as much as it hurt him. End of Book One
Announcements--some are even good! Let me start with an apology. I don''t know how many of you were interested in reading a book two, and how many of you still are, but regardless, I should have kept you updated it on it better. Reminder regarding the state of this story: I tried to get published with a small publisher. The feedback they provided was "cool idea and system bro, but the prose sucks and I''m confused." It made me not want to self-publish, like I did with L, as the general consensus for that was a 2.5 "cool idea and system bro, but the prose sucks and I''m confused." He suggested I start a new project to see whether I could improve that way. I did. So I have good news, bad news, bad news, bad news, good news, and you guessed it, bad news. Here is a TDLR, followed by actual details. Reminder regarding the state of this story: I tried to get published with a small publisher. The feedback they provided was "cool idea and system bro, but the prose sucks and I''m confused." It made me not want to self-publish, like I did with L, as the general consensus for that was a 2.5 "cool idea and system bro, but the prose sucks and I''m confused." Good News: I finished a new story, Children Of the Deep. For some of you, this may qualify as bad news. I fully respect this view. Bad News: I sent this to the same publisher (and a few others I haven''t heard back from.) Their consensus? You guessed it. If you haven''t, don''t worry, by now I''m fully aware I''m terrible at communication. "Cool idea and system bro, but the prose sucks and I''m confused." Bad News: The only way for me to improve on my clarity and prose is to be specifically told what didn''t work. This is typically in the ''no shit sherlock'' category, but it qualifies as bad news because for all my begging, none of my readers are telling me anything. As it stands, I have no way of improving. Good news, but really, it''s just bad news: I''ll be revising and continuing with These Games Of Ours after I publish Children Of The Deep. There is no point in continuing TGOR if it''s just going to have the same issues as what made L fail, which brings me to our next Bad News: L is not going to be continued. Not sure if I mentioned this before, not sure if some of you even care. I hope you don''t. Now, for the actual details. Good news: I finished the first book of a new story, Children Of The Deep, published somewhere on this site. The last of humanity lives within walls that protect them from the Deep, their entire lives decided by how much Energy they earn by hunting monsters of the Deep and winning duels in the colosseum. The world is a stagnant, typical capitalistic nightmare that uses human bodies like they''re commodities, ruled by the most powerful Rankers, though everything changes when someone destroys the 4th City using the Deep.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. MC is Nico. He lives in the 3rd City, but the destruction of the 4th City killed his parents too. He needs to make Energy to keep himself and his family inside the city walls, and he''s a good fighter--too good of a fighter. Nico won duels--issue is, he won a duel against someone he shouldn''t have. Now the most powerful House of the city wants him dead for it. So now the only way for him to survive is by working with the same person that destroyed the 4th City, and that looks like they''re going to destroy the 3rd (with all his little cute little siblings in it). I''ve never been so invested in a story before. No matter what, I will publish this on amazon with better artwork, and possibly pro editing, but that''s going to take time and until I save up enough money for it. Even if it doesn''t get to that level, I need to see this story to its conclusion. I''m not personally invested as much as I invested a whole chunk of my soul into it. At this point, I am more a writer than I am a person. Bad News: I submitted Children Of the Deep to the same publisher (and a few others I haven''t heard from yet), and I just got word back on it today, which was "cool idea and system bro, but the prose sucks and I''m confused." He said while it had a strong tone/aesthetics, he said that the prose was difficult to follow, the system overly complex, and some of the humor didn''t land. Obviously, I am not happy. I was hoping he would tell me the plot sucks and the characters were insane, but alas, this puts me in a very precarious situation. If he told me the plot sucks, I could change it. If he tells me the characters suck, I would have to change the entire story, which I would not have liked, but would have still done. But being told that even after a new project, I have the same problems and that generally, my prose itself sucks, means that no matter what I write, it will come out with the same problems. Bad news: The only way for me to learn at this point, is to be specifically told what parts were confusing, what sentences were bad, and which jokes didn''t land. This isn''t something I can do. This is the bad news because no one has given me any feedback on Children Of The Deep yet, which means I have no way of fixing it. I can''t fix a problem I can''t detect. which brings me to my next Bad news: There is no point in working on These Games Of Ours if it''s going to continue to have the same problems. Good News/bad news: These Games Of Ours will be continued after I fix my problems, likely when Children Of the Deep is published and I receive feedback on it through amazon reviews and feedback on facebook. I do not know the extent of revision that will go through it, but probably from the ground up, while keeping the cool idea and system and changing everything else. Unlikely to happen in 2022. Maybe 2023, depending on whether I learn by then. Good News for fans of These Games Of Ours : You''re not a fan of L. Bad news for fans of L: This story is not going to be continued, but it''ll always hold a special place in my heart.