New Life of a Summoned Demoness
Elania’s life is about to change in ways she could have never expected.
Summoned to a strange new world by demon-worshipping cultists, she flees before she is bound to their will by an unbreakable contract.
Forced to fight for her survival against creatures she thought would only exist in a D&D manual while adjusting to her new body, what can a girl do when status screens and system elements have the power to change her very being?
In this action-packed LitRPG Fantasy Adventure, we follow Elania as she tries to find her own way back to the surface while seeking a way home.
Note from Author:
Hi everyone! :D
This is the first time I’m trying this setup!
I’m hoping it is easier to manage than posts on Patreon directly.
Please leave a comment on the Patreon post about how you feel about this method!
It is a lot easier for me, since Patreon has such a bad edit function >.>
It also allows me to share a bit more on where we are in terms of editing and progress! :D
Available on both RR & SH - Read there if you prefer a certain site! Early Access Chapters are in this document. Chapter titles bring you back to the Table of Contents. ^^
RR - https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/36308/new-life-of-a-summoned-demoness
SH - https://www.scribblehub.com/series/184286/new-life-of-a-summoned-demoness/
===Public===
Chapter 10 - Mushroom Conflict
Chapter 13.5 - (Bonus) Darkwalker Hunting
Chapter 15 - Hunter’s Ascendance
Chapter 16 - King of Darkwalkers (Light Edit)
Chapter 17 - Queen of Beasts (Light Edit)
Chapter 18 - New Arrivals (Light Edit)
Chapter 19 - Meetings (Heavy Edit this update. 700~ new words!)
===Cultist=== (Content Edit still in Progress below this point)
Chapter 20 - Questions and Answers
===Lesser Demon===
Chapter 22 - Waystation
Chapter 23 - Making Camp
Chapter 24 - Breaking Camp
===Upcoming===
Chapter 25 - Alpha
Chapter 26 - Contracts
Chapter 27 - Gathering
Chapter 28 - Razorscale
Chapter 29 - Two Steps forward, one step back
Chapter 30 - The Wall
A whole percussion orchestra was performing inside Elania’s head. She distantly heard someone groaning, and it wasn’t until she found her way to consciousness that she realized the sound was coming from her. Thoughts stirred slowly in her muddled mind as she recalled the night before. The term paper for her history class was due, and she had spent the last two days suffering a procrastinator's fate, consuming an alarming amount of various energy drinks.
Why did her head hurt so much, and... her eyes sprang open, realizing that she was naked and not in her bed. Aside from soft flickering yellows that revealed the chamber's size, everything around her was shrouded in darkness.
‘Oh my god, I've been kidnapped by some sick freak!’
"She's awake."
"Send for the bishop!"
Panic settled in. There were two of them... no, from what one of the voices had said, there were at least three. She started groping for something—anything that might help her. As her eyes adjusted even more, she found she was nestled in soft pillows. Those sick freaks had stolen her clothes!
The floor was cold and hard, some type of stone and the cushions were laid out in a circle around her. As far as Elania could tell, aside from the pillows, the room was devoid of any other furniture, but the shadows weren’t helping her to be sure. Staying on the ground made her feel vulnerable, so she stood.
"What do you want with me?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"Please, mistress, wait for the bishop. He will explain everything! We are just devoted initiates who don't deserve your attention!"
Her eyes continued to adjust much more than she had thought possible, even muted colors somehow finding their way back into view as the darkness lifted and everything seemed to be bathed in a dim ambient light. She almost wished that wasn’t the case as the first thing she saw was that the circle and symbols around her were drawn with blood.
She looked around and didn't see a corpse as she half-expected. She hoped it was only a chicken or something. Maybe it was just something that looked like blood. Glancing back at one of the kneeling figures, the black robe and shady undertone didn’t lend much hope for that thought.
‘Insane. These people are totally insane!’
Taking a step back, she decided to make a run for it and escape the room. Except as soon as she touched the circle, a light flared, and a great pulse of something like static electricity burst up to burn her hand.
"Wait, Mistress! The summoning circle has not been dismissed yet. His unholiness was waiting for you to awaken!"
She would have thought they had put something like an electric fence around her to shock her... if a green screen with black text hadn't appeared suddenly for her to stare at.
[A Demonic barrier is unbreakable with your current power.]
She waved her hand through the image as if it wasn't physically present. This kind of holographic projection was too much. What was going on? She tried to press the black 'X' in the corner of the message, and a sudden stream of information appeared.
[Status update.]
[You have arrived from another world!]
[You have earned the title, 'Summoned from Another World!']
Elania felt her blood turn cold. An ex-boyfriend had been a serious closet Otaku and had introduced her to all kinds of anime and manga. She had actually enjoyed them herself, and long after they had broken up, she still sometimes indulged in a few favorite shows, but... she had never met Truck-san! Why was she here!
The panic and silly thoughts had her giggling madly at the insanity of the situation. All the while, the initiate that had remained behind began to sweat in fear.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up," Elania mumbled to herself as she bit her lip and tried to calm herself enough to think.
What was real, and what was imaginary? Her hand still hurt from the electric shock, and she hadn’t snapped awake or anything of the sort. At least she could feel pain along with a cold breeze that suddenly coursed through her body, making her shiver. It was hard to tell whether it was from the chill, fear, or both, but Elania had never felt so vulnerable in her life.
‘Take a deep breath, Elania,’ she advised herself, and doing so, she tried to take an objective inventory of what she knew. She had no clothes and was trapped in some kind of magic circle made out of blood. The 'cultists' were bringing someone called 'The Bishop' to talk to her and possibly let her out... she wasn't sure if she believed or wanted that.
It was like one of those bad Isekai LitRPG novels she had read in her spare time.
Weren't there commands or skills those characters could conjure up to their minds? What was it called?
Profile? Inventory? Attributes? Status?
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 1
Power: 0/100
Karma: 12
Attributes: [Locked]
Skills: [Locked]
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
A hand instantly went to her heart in a panic as she took in the words 'Lesser Demon' on the status screen. She checked her head, horns weren't present, and neither did she have a tail or wings. That was a relief. Her body seemed to be perfectly normal. Maybe that would have been a disappointment to some, but she had never been one to have a problem with her own body.
But what did this Status mean? She was absolutely weak: Level 1, no power, most of the functions locked. In every novel she had read, the protagonist had received amazing abilities and powers to wipe away whatever came at them. Apparently, she was so weak she couldn't even access all the functions.
The clink of something metallic striking stone drew closer as someone approached, and Elania glanced at the hall leading out of the chamber. She didn't have to wait long, though, as a few moments later, a man appeared in her line of vision. Her stomach turned.
The new arrival ticked off all her mental boxes for an insane cult leader. The man was older, age lines covering his face where his long gray pencil straight beard didn’t hide them. He was clothed in a black robe embroidered with red hems, but it was the accessories that stood out to Elania.
Staff topped with a skull, check. Some dark leather-bound tome for dark rituals, check. Antlered skull for headwear, double-check. Flanked by subordinates who looked equally terrified of him, check.
Elania barely contained her laughter. The costume might have been ideal for cosplay at some expo or convention. Only the precariousness of her position in this 'new' world and the man's serious expression kept her from moving or making any sound. Did the man realize how ridiculous he looked?
He came to a stop outside the circle. The lackeys spread out in a semi-circle around her and knelt, putting their heads down like the one who had been waiting all this time. The metal staff clanked against the stone three times, and then the 'Bishop' held his arms outstretched in some grandiose gesture.
"Great Queen, we welcome you to Eladu. We have awaited your arrival for countless years and are overjoyed that you have responded to our summons!" He lowered his arms and finally looked at her. "We beseech your greatness to sign a contract with us and lead us to victory against the overworld!"
Elania felt a slight twitch under one of her eyes. Everything was so over-the-top that she wanted to scream at them. Demon-worshiping cult ostracized and at war with the rest of society? Hell-no!
[Cult of the Black Candle wishes to make a contract with you!]
[Do you wish to see the contents of the contract? Y/N]
"No way." She waved her hand, and the screen obediently disappeared. "Send me back."
The prostrating followers immediately straightened up and looked at her in shock. Almost in unison they began to speak.
"N... no!"
"Please, mistress!"
"Don't abandon us!"
The sudden pitiful outcries could almost make Elania feel sorry for them. Almost. The fact that she was still naked and they hadn't offered her any clothes was a sticking point for her.
Unlike the others, the Bishop remained silent, but he couldn’t disguise the pained expression on his face either. Maybe his black book didn't have any suggestions on what to do in this instance.
Elania wasn't sure what her position really was... she desperately needed more information. She might have already made a huge mistake with her refusal, but something about the initial desperation of the lower-ranked members made her hope otherwise. Perhaps they would send her back to Earth or wake her up... although she wouldn’t hold her breath.
"Great Mistress, we did not summon you unprepared. We have much to offer you. In addition to our loyalty and obedience to your will..."
The Bishop gestured toward a dark wooden chest banded in metal. Two of the men rushed to the chest and then struggled to lift and bring it closer. When the lid opened, Elania expected a spill of gold coins, and she was correct. The majority of it was gold coins, but it was the captivating lights mixed with the precious metal that caught the eye.
‘Gems. Wait, no.’ Elania stared at the glittering stones and realized they were giving off their own internal light. Some brighter than others, but all of them possessed multiple hues that sparkled in the dim room. ‘Some kind of mana stones or something?’
Elania’s lack of reaction prompted an explanation by the Bishop. "Great Mistress, we know this must seem paltry considering the great wealth and abundance of mana shards in the demonic realm, but this represents years of our preparations so you might empower yourself quickly here on Eladu."
Elania decided she would play the role for them. Mainly because she was tired of being naked in front of the crowd.
"Remove the circle and give me some clothes, and I'll consider it."
Surprised and incredulous looks passed between the cultists, while the Bishop appeared shocked at her request. The silence that fell in the room was deafening.
Finally, the Bishop cleared his throat. "Great Mistress, I am but your humble future servant, but I have to ask... what is your name?" he asked apologetically.
‘Shit.’
Had her demand somehow given her away? Surely they didn't expect her to stay in the nude forever, and hell would freeze over if that was what they wanted! Maybe... they couldn't remove the circle without a contract? Or was it something else she had said?
They all looked at her expectantly, and a defeated thought whisked by. ‘Well, I doubt I could keep tricking them forever that I'm some Demon Queen. I should just tell them the truth.’
"Elania. My name is Elania."
She watched their faces for a reaction, and—much to her surprise—most looked relieved or excited.
The Bishop nodded and lowered his head. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Dark Queen Elaniaonbe'tila. I beg your forgiveness. I lack the power to remove the barrier without you signing a contract."
"I can help with that," said a voice from the hall, and everyone's head whipped around toward the entrance.
Elania’s eyes widened when she took stock of the newcomer. He was tall and broad-shouldered, clad in silvery-white plate trimmed with gold, complete with a full winged helmet. He had his sword drawn, and the blade gave off its own blue-hued light. She felt her breath catch in her chest when she noted red dripping down the tip. The blade had been recently used.
All of a sudden, the cultists snapped out of their haze, and a myriad of chants erupted. The thought that was he was here to rescue her was quickly dismissed. ‘He's here to kill me!’
Multiple orbs of different types of elements flung themselves toward the charging knight, but most of them missed or were useless as they struck and dissipated on the polished metal.
The cold fear filled Elania to the core. She didn't want to die, but she was at a loss of what to do, being naked and trapped in the circle.
The Bishop finished his incantation and pointed his staff at the man. Darkness sucked out the light in the room as a dark purple-hued tentacle rose from the floor and swung for the knight. He didn't seem to care as he continued forward. At the last second his blade flashed up and cleaved through the ethereal limb.
A second tentacle appeared and tried to slap the holy-knight-maybe-a-paladin, but a second slash took care of it just as quickly. Then he collided with the Bishop. Staff met sword, and sparks suddenly flew as the two objects resisted each other. Magical weapons? Elania thought the Bishop was putting up a good showing, the knight was a head taller and encased in metal, but the Bishop didn't give an inch.
As if the Paladin had heard her thought and sought to dispel it a gauntleted fist flashed through the space between the locked weapons and smashed into the Bishop's face. He flew back, and the horned skull flew off his head. The old man bouncing off the ground in a nasty impact.
‘Super strength?’ The thought was numb, and Elania was horrified as the knight then turned toward her and approached the barrier. He was getting dangerously close. Small bursts of the weaker magic orbs continued to hail down on him from the cultists, but they didn’t faze him. Raising his sword, he swung it through the air at the circle.
The blade stopped, catching in an invisible barrier for a moment before a bright light flared up from the indentations on the floor. The blood in the channels rapidly dried up into a mist and then nothingness before the light flickered and finally died completely.
Then he stepped over the empty circle. "Demon, you can show your power before I send you back."
If she had any powers to show, she would have appreciated the gesture, but Elania could only shake her head and take a few steps backward, trying to keep the distance between them. Another step back, and she lost her footing as she slipped on one of the pillows. A yelp escaped her as she fell backward across the now dead circle.
Elania struggled to get back to her feet, but she wasn’t fast enough. She went completely still as the cool tip of the blade pressed against her left breast. All she could do was look up at the metal-clad man.
Now that he was towering over her, he appeared even larger. Suddenly, the sword's pressure surged painfully, and she retreated until her back was fully pressed against the cold stone floor. In her daze, she thought she let out a frightened whimper, but his voice came out clearly.
"Eziel?" The confusion and question in his voice were evident.
The man paused and withdrew the blade for a moment before pressing it to her throat and then drug the metal across it. At first, she thought he had intended to cut through it, but the utter dullness to the blade saved her. The knight seemed confused and began to poke and prod her with the sword less than gently.
Elania had no idea how long that lasted. She felt tremors shake her body as the bastard continued to torture her with the length of steel. Thankfully, she was rescued when a whip-like crack erupted from behind the knight as a tentacle slammed into his back and sent him flying through the air and into a wall with a loud crash.
‘He totally deserved it.’
The impact left the whole room shaking as plaster, dirt, and dust fell from the ceiling. Elania coughed as she tried to regroup herself. The source of the attack was evident, and the whole room had filled up with dozens of the large tentacle arms. On the other side, the Bishop had gotten back to his feet and was waving his skull-topped staff around.
"Kill the Lightbringer!"
The command came out in a hoarse angry voice, and a volley of fiery red orbs flew into the cloud of dust, surrounding the area where the knight had crashed into the wall. Elania had no clue how he could still be alive. That kind of impact was surely enough to kill anyone.
‘I have to get out of here.’
No one was paying attention to her anymore, and she was no longer trapped. Quickly, she got to her feet and ran for the exit, only pausing when she saw one of the shining stones. Acting on impulse, she snatched it up as she was passing by.
There was shouting and dust swirling everywhere, but somehow, she managed to cover most of the distance without any problem. Elania was about to reach the corridor when one of the cultists stepped in front of her and held out his arms in an attempt to block her.
"Stop, Mistress! We—"
She didn't even have to think about it. Without slowing down, she drew back her hand with the glowing stone and slammed it into the man's face. She had expected to cause some damage but didn’t anticipate his immediate collapse.
[ ???? - Human - Lvl 33 has been neutralized!]
[You have gained multiple levels!]
[You have gained a level in Unarmed Combat!]
Ignoring the screen, Elania dashed into the hall, leaving the chaotic fight behind her.
Elania lost her sense of direction in the maze of the dimly-lit corridors. Numerous closed doors dotted the hallway, but she didn't bother trying them. The sounds of the battle echoed behind her, and she desperately needed to put some distance between her, the cultists, and the paladin. ‘Preferably a million miles and a rocket ride home, but…’
She was still naked, so once she made it around a few long hallways and turned what felt like a few dozen corners, she thought to try a door. It was unlocked, revealing a seemingly unused old furniture storage unit. She skipped that room and then tried another, and another. She was growing frustrated with each door she tried, the rooms all looking alike until the fifth door revealed a candle-lit room.
Elania didn't have time to waste, but she needed something to wear. Unfortunately, the closet only contained the large black robes the cultists had been wearing. The ground shook beneath her feet, and she hurried with her ransacking, putting the garment on in a hurry. The garment wasn’t close fitting, and despite how comical it looked on her, she managed to pull the corded belts tight enough to fit her… or at least stay in place.
In the dresser, she found a sharp-looking dagger and stuffed it in the robe's oversized side pockets, along with the mana shard she was still carrying. Elania grumbled inwardly as she looked for anything else that would be helpful, but the dresser didn’t have anything else in it except a heavy black book that she discounted as useless.
‘These guys are almost as bad as monks who have taken a vow of poverty.’
Since there was little else of value in the room, she focused on what she did have. Looking at the remaining robes in the closet, she thought of making some kind of makeshift knapsack, but another resonating shake of the room had ceiling dust falling on her head. Elania grabbed two extra robes from the closet and fled, she hoped she would find something to use them for later.
Racing down the halls turn after turn revealed nothing but the same never-ending dark walls and candles. Elania had lost count of how many turns she had been forced to make. Only when the combat sounds became distant did she feel some relief. She assumed that she was getting farther away from the battle.
Her elation was short-lived, though, because as she rounded another corner, she slipped and almost fell on a puddle of blood. She halted quickly, taking in the two bodies that were splayed on either side of the corridor. The knight had slashed them...?
Elania carefully stepped around the bodies and made her way to what appeared to be the exit. The cut stone of the corridor suddenly stopped as it poked out into a large cavern. Despite the size of the underground space, it was brighter than the candle-lit corridors.
All kinds of bluish-green glowing mosses hung from the ceiling, and in some places, the carpet of moss had begun to spread down the walls as well. The floor was spotted with patches of strange purple, fluorescent fungus. The colors were stunning, and under other circumstances, Elania would have loved to inspect their pretty luminescence closely.
Pushing into the cavern had her cursing after only a few dozen steps. The ground was mostly rock and pebbles, which had painfully poked at her bare feet. She didn't even consider stopping, though, she couldn’t afford to. The cavern was wide open and if anyone was chasing after her, they would easily spot her.
She preserved and as the first cavern opened up into a second, and then third she realized each one resembled the other, and that upset her a little. How big could the cave be? Shouldn't she be at the surface by now? Was that too much to hope for? Distance was hard to gauge, but she’d come at what she considered at least a mile already.
Elania had a vague idea she was slightly moving uphill, and she worried that she'd need a guide to find a way out. There had been several turn offs she had ignored along the way and she realized that the area might not have such a straightforward layout as she first surmised. The thought of being trapped underground for the rest of her life shook her.
‘Lead us to victory against the overworld.’
Elania frowned as she looked up at the continuously glowing ceiling. Overworld. Did they live completely underground? She had never been very religious, but she considered offering a prayer for her chances of finding a way out.
It felt like hours passed as she trudged through the caverns. Each section was slightly different in shape and size, but they all seemed to follow the same turquoise and purple hues. Elania tried to go in a straight line, but time and time again, she was forced to choose a direction at a junction as the caves began to branch out in different directions.
She was about to stop, rest, and try to make sense of her situation when the overhead moss went dark. It was like someone had flipped a light switch off, and the sudden dimness made her heart pound violently in her chest. ‘What is going on?’
Thankfully, the fungus was still glowing, so it wasn't absolute darkness, but she didn’t want to think what would happen if those lights went out as well.
For the time being, she decided to stop exploring. Quietly, she backtracked the way she had come a few minutes ago, until she found a smaller section of the cave with an elevated hump against one wall. It wasn't much, but at least she'd have the high ground if anything found her, plus there was fungus near both entrances, the light they provided there might help her spot anything approaching as soon as it entered the room.
Setting one of the robes she had been carrying on the ground, she sat on one. As soon as her feet were off the ground, she realized how badly they hurt. She had never been what one would be considered as an 'athlete,' but she was neither unhealthy nor overweight. Back home, she often ran or cycled for exercise—‘With shoes on, though.’
It wasn’t the first time her feet hurt or raw blisters were starting to form, but the hard surface and being barefoot had caused a lot of damage. Her feet hadn't been prepared for the pebbly surface, and she contemplated what to do about footwear. It was obvious she’d need to wrap them in something. She just hoped infection wouldn’t become an issue.
‘They probably don’t even have antibiotics here.’
She wasn’t sure what to do and a few moments later she decided to put it off for a moment and try to figure out the status screen again.
‘Status.’
[You have previously unread messages.]
[ ???? - Human - Lvl 33 has been neutralized!]
[You have gained multiple levels!]
[You have gained a level in Unarmed Combat!]
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 5
Power: 4/100
Karma: 12
Attributes: [Locked]
Skills: [Locked]
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
[You have sufficient requirements to unlock Skills. Unlock Skills? Y/N]
Reading over the information, she noted the small differences from before and swiped her hand over the 'Yes' button. The status screen suddenly disappeared, and a new one popped up in its place.
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 1 (Activated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 1]
[Physical: Unarmed Combat Lvl - 2, Darkvision Lvl - 2 (Activated)]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 1, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3]
Her highest skills were in talking, reading, and writing. Great. That would be really useful in the current situation. Was it because she was a college student? If that was the case, shouldn't she have some more skills? ‘How about wake-up-quick-or-be-late, or survival-cooking-with-ramen!’ Granted, she didn’t really expect those to be skills, but what she had received seemed sparse. She frowned, unable to hide her disappointment while looking at the list again, trying to piece it together.
Four skills stood out to her—[Demonic Aura,] [Mana Manipulation,] [Darkvision,] and [Identify.] [Demonic Aura] and [Darkvision] appeared to be toggleable, but she didn't remember ever turning them on or... maybe she had them on all along. That would explain her sudden ability to see so well in the dark.
Biting her lip lightly, she decided to try and test things out. "Demonic Aura, Deactivate!"
The sound of her voice made her wince. Her words echoed around the room chaotically and the volume was amplified by the quiet silence that seemed to permeate the caverns. Fortunately, that quietnes quickly returned as the echo slowly died.
Even more disappointing was that nothing had actually happened with the skill. ‘Talk about embarrassing.’
So, she thought to try once more, but this time without speaking. ‘Demonic Aura. Demonic Aura!’
Still no response, and she checked the skill screen to make sure.
[Demonic Aura - Lvl 1 (Activated)]
Maybe skills didn't respond on command or thought. Somehow she was doing it wrong. The cultists had been chanting something to use their magic, hadn’t they? Did all the things follow the same set of rules? Did she need a secret set of words to turn off the skill? That seemed like it would be very unfair since the stupid thing did not come with a user manual.
A sense of defeat washed over her, and she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. She hadn't cried from the shock and fear of the events yet, but now it seemed to catch up to her all at once and her eyes watered.
‘I just want to go home.’
Time lost its meaning in the dark. Eventually, Elania wiped her eyes and glanced around the room she was huddled in. Without the hanging moss illuminating everything, it was much darker. She gave thanks to her [Darkvision] skill for letting her see at all, even though it did cast everything in a dark shade of purple or violet from the sparse fungi scattered around the room.
Absently, she wondered whether either the fungus or the moss was edible because, while she might not have been hungry yet, she was pathetically low on supplies and knew she'd need to eat and drink eventually.
The thought of trying to eat fungus made her stomach turn. The thought was highly unappealing and there was no way of telling if it was poisonous or dangerous. At least not that she knew of. Maybe if she had been a biology major...
If there was fungus and moss, that meant there had to be a source of water or humidity somewhere nearby to sustain them. At least she hoped so.
Not having moved in a while, Elania stretched out and felt the rigid form of the rock in her pocket poking at her leg. The glowy stone. Right! She could use that if she needed to see and keep moving, even without the moss.
She pulled it out of the pocket but then had to shield her eyes. It was much brighter than she had remembered. Had something changed in it, or had her eyes naturally adjusted to the darkness?
Holding the stone caused a tingling in her fingers, and the answer to her question seemed to be answered as colors slowly replaced the shadowy purple hues. Everything was mostly drab grays and greens, with only a few exceptions like the fungus and moss. She supposed color wouldn't matter much to cave species if it was dark most of the time.
She stared at the crystal and frowned. ‘I wish I really knew what this was...’
[Mana Shard (Condensed)]
Her eyes widened at the response from the [System] as she had decided to call it. Was this the [Identify] skill? She had used its somehow!
She hadn't called it by name. She had just wanted to know what something was. Even if the information was... lacking, she wondered if that was because of the skill's low level or her understanding of the thing was poor.
Pulling out the dagger from her other pocket, she repeated the process.
[Steel Dagger]
Again, not helpful, but at least it was a start. Quickly, she turned the rock toward anything she could find.
[Glow Moss]
[Black Robe]
[Rock]
[Fenicia's Fungal Growth]
The last tidbit of information surprised her a little. The purple-hued mushrooms had a proper name she had never heard of before. That at least told her the skill didn't just name things as something generic using her own knowledge. It was able to provide her with answers she didn't already know!
She wondered if leveling it up would increase information or add descriptions, but she wasn't sure how or even if she could level it up. She knew from video games that using the skill was the usual way of increasing their proficiency, and this entire [System] thing had that kind of flavor to it.
[Identify] worked when she asked information about something, so what about [Mana Manipulation], would it work in the same sort of way? She picked up the Mana Shard and the faint sensation of tingling returned to her hand. She wondered whether she could do something with that.
Cupping the mana shard in both hands, she closed her eyes and tried to make something happen. There was no response at all and she let out an annoyed puff. Maybe she needed some kind of intent. Trying again she pictured the tingling sensation moving up her arms and away from her fingers.
After a while, she thought she felt a change, but it was small—almost imperceptible. Frustrated, she put the crystal on the ground beside her. Elania realized that the tingly sensation in her hands hadn’t stopped. That gave her an idea.
She tried to picture the sensation in her hand being forced out of her hand and out of her fingertips. The tingling seemed to resist for a moment before it suddenly concentrated and her fingertips began to burn. She yelped and whipped her hand away from her as if she was burned and the sudden heat was released.
Dozens of sparks flew from her fingertips, small little glowing red embers that didn't put themselves out despite flying through the air. They started as dim white flecks that changed hue as they followed through their trajectory ending up a deep yellow-orange as they neared their end.
The sparks bounced off the far wall of the room, falling to the stone floor. Most of them sputtered out except for a few that seemed to cling to the wall. Her eyes widened when she realized they landed on the Glow Moss.
She watched with growing horror as dim sparks began to grow brighter. ‘The moss is flammable!’
The small sparks quickly grew into small burning patches, and a burnt chemical smell filled the room almost immediately. ‘What have I done?’
Scooping up her few belongings, she rushed for one of the exits and was glad she did, considering the fire behind her was growing stronger. Fast. The moss wasn't thick in the small corridors between the larger caverns, but that didn't stop the spread. The flames continued to rush along the ceiling and sides of the cave in every direction. Wildfire seemed like too tame a word to give the growing conflagration. ‘Am I starring in one of those volcano movies now?’
Despite Elania's head start, the light and heat began to catch up with her.
‘Fuck! You've really done it now, Elania.’
She struggled to pick up her pace, but the cavern continued as before, unsympathetic and unending. There was a lot of light to see by now, and she did her best to ignore the pebbles under her feet and run.
It seemed the corridors acted as choke points, and the fire slowed down considerably at them, but once it was in one of the larger chambers, all the moss rapidly caught fire. Was it some type of natural chemical in the moss, or was it just super dry and ready to burn? ‘The moss didn’t feel that dry, so it must be the former.’
As she moved through the next corridor, she froze. On the other end, there was a faint light, growing closer and getting brighter. She had either gone in a circle, or the flame had found a shorter path and somehow got in front of her.
Elania looked back over her shoulder. The cavern's ceiling and walls were brightly lit, and ash and burning tangles of moss were falling on the floor in small flaming piles. She needed to find another path!
Problem was that once in the cavern, she didn't see one. Wasn't this about time for a new, previously hidden path to be revealed so she could escape a painful and firey death? Trudging up to the middle of the room her only choice seemed to be a small depression. It was the furthest point from the ceiling, and had a bit of cover from the walls, so it seemed like the safest point she would find. Flames raced around the room and across the ceiling from every direction rapidly.
Elania didn't know enough about her skills yet to know if they'd be of any help. She didn't see how they could stop this. She hunkered down as the heat and light from the walls bathed her. Ash began to fall, and a small hot piece landed on her left hand. Quickly, she brushed it off, wincing in pain. She wrapped one of the extra two robes around her arm while pulling the other over her head, hopefully blocking any more debris from landing on her.
Several times, a burning jumble of moss fell and landed on her upraised arm and she batted them away. At least the robes didn't seem as flammable as the moss. ‘Probably because the moss burns itself out so fast.’
As the flames began to calm down and the raging heat was slowly replaced by a cloud of smoke, she had overestimated the danger of the fire spreading and burning her alive. Running out of clean air was suddenly at the top of her worries instead.
She still wasn't sure whether the fire had somehow spread around her faster or if she had been going in circles. And then another—more dreadful thought came to her. What if she had been going in circles the entire time and was still near the cultists' lair? That thought wasn't palatable.
As she came out from underneath the now slightly-singed robes and examined the aftermath, a new message appeared.
[You have met the requirements for Ash Demon evolution.]
[Do you wish to evolve your race to Ash Demon? Y/N]
Elania agonized over the choice presented to her. It seemed like an opportunity to increase her 'strength’ or gain new abilities, but she had no idea what becoming an Ash Demon or evolution entailed.
Ultimately, she swiped the message away. She didn’t want to change and become a monster no matter what the status screen said. She was quite happy with just being normal Elania. Becoming another type of demon might help her now, but what about later? Until she learned more, it wasn’t wise to jump into potentially irreversible things. Besides, she still had her own doubts about the [System].
The room's heat was slowly dissipating, but smoke continued to pour out of the few smoldering remains. The cavern's air was thick with the smoke even though most of it was swirling around the ceiling. Pulling out the Mana Shard for a bit of extra light, Elania decided to look for a more hospitable location.
As she passed through the next choke point, she remembered her earlier thought about going in circles and decided to test that notion by placing a small rock in the middle. Now she would know if that was the case.
Several more passages went by, all touched by the flame. The ash and soot in the air began to fall like snow on her head as it began to settle. The air quality that had been bad before managed to plummet further, and it made her cough and choke a few times. She might not have had a clock or any way to tell time, but she knew she was getting tired.
Frustration gnawed at her as everything around her was nothing but endless caverns that didn't change. She checked the junctions in both directions on the few times she came to one, hoping that one way or another might be different.
[You have gained the poison resistance attribute!]
Elania stopped suddenly and frowned. 'Why?'
She thought it might mean she was being poisoned, but how? She hadn’t had any encounters and was still not desperate enough to eat anything. Nor had there been any sources of water.
Then it dawned on her, the chemical smell in the air from the fire... Was the air turning poisonous then? Was that why she had begun to feel tired and sleepy suddenly?
The realization made her pick up her pace and continue through the caves.
She almost missed it. The staircase had been nestled behind several large boulders and was pretty well hidden halfway through the cavern. That was the point she was usually paying the least attention before hurrying to the next.
'Stairs.'
That wasn't natural, and it was the first sign of anything other than the 'natural' cave system she had found since leaving the cultist's lair. The stone of the steps was roughly hewn, or, rather, it looked like it had suffered abuse without repair for a long time. However, it didn't crack or crumble as she stood on the first step like she had feared. There wasn’t any evidence of the prevalent moss growing into the space and the air seemed to be a bit better. Elania didn’t see any other choices presenting themselves so with the help of the Mana Shard’s light, she carefully made her way up.
Stairs meant people, and she was worried that whoever she met might be worse than the cultists or the holy knight who had meant to kill her. Still, she wasn't about to give up this opportunity to possibly escape the monotonous caverns below. As fantastical as the caves had been she really didn’t like ones that went up in flame faster than a Cali brushfire.
The spiraling stairs seemed to go on forever, and in several spots, they had crumbled, forcing her to climb over the rubble to continue. Realizing just how old the steps had to be reassured her that she was unlikely to meet whoever had built them.
Her legs felt like jelly when she reached the first landing. The stone room wasn't large, and a second staircase continued to lead upward. There were openings where, at one time, there might have been doors, but they had long ago worn away.
Elania decided to explore the rooms and rest before continuing her ascent. Except for rubble, there was nothing in the rooms, so she decided to take over the one furthest from the staircase. She didn't find any other entrance or exit, so possibly the people who had made the stairs had used this place as a rest spot when traveling up or down just like she planned to do.
As she got off her feet a pained wince creased her face. If they had been sore before, now they were raw and burning in protest of her long march. She shined the light over them to take a closer look and gasped. Her feet were covered in grime and dried blood. She realized that the blood was probably from when she had slipped before. Luckily, she didn't see any open wounds or cuts. ‘That will change really fast if I don’t rest and find something to cover them with.’
With no water, she had no way to clean up. Not having any water or food would soon become a problem, even though she didn't feel thirsty or hungry yet. That seemed strange considering how long she'd been moving, but maybe it was because of how stressful everything had been so far.
Since she was finally off her feet and set on staying for a while she decided to improve the situation at least a little. Examining one of the extra robes closely, she made a few plans in her head. The dagger came out, and she began to cut the material.
Elania would never have claimed to have been a resourceful person, but after some work, she had three large serviceable strips of fabric along with a lot of extra scraps. Without any other tools, she wasn’t sure what the small bits would be useful for, but she stuffed them back into a pocket.
Taking up one of the long strips she had made she began to wrap it around the base of her toes in a weave that went up to her leg, ending above her ankle. It seemed to work well, although she found herself wishing she had an Ace bandage instead. She repeated the method around her other foot and after tying them off, they seemed like they'd stay in place. The third strip was wrapped around her chest, and she fastened it on the front. That was a relief as all the running had been quite unpleasant with her breasts completely unsupported.
[You have gained the skill Improvised Crafting - Lvl 1!]
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 5
Power: 47/100
Karma: 12
Attributes: [Locked]
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
She immediately noticed that the mention of 'Skills' being locked had disappeared, and 'Power' had increased substantially. She wasn't sure what power indicated or why it had risen.
She pulled up her 'Skills' next and confirmed that [Improvised Crafting] had been added to her list.
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 1 (Activated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 1]
[Physical: Unarmed Combat Lvl - 2, Darkvision Lvl - 2 (Activated)]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 1, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3
Improvised Crafting Lvl - 1]
She had gained poison resistance as well, but it wasn't listed. Then she realized that the [System] said it had been an 'Attribute,' not a skill! However, according to her [Status], the attribute function was still locked, and when she tried anyway, nothing happened. What did she have to do to unlock it, and what about titles?
A yawn took her by surprise and she realized that she really felt tired and exhausted after stopping. Wrapped up in the oversized robe, she pocketed the Mana Shard and dagger. Then it was relatively easy to fall asleep in the quiet darkness.
It was the increasing warmth that woke Elania from her deep sleep. She quickly pulled herself up into a sitting position and looked around the dark room. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt like the air was incredibly cold as it touched her bare skin.
Despite the lack of light sources anywhere, she could make out the flat shape of the walls and ceiling and the small piles of rubble. The all-pervasive silence permeated everything.
Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she got her bearings but realized the heat wasn't going away. It didn’t come from the air either, but seemed to be coming from within her.
Was it somehow related to the poison? She went to check her [Status] to see if anything changed, and her eyes widened at the volume of messages she had received while sleeping.
[Your body is reaching the limits of its capacity for power!]
[Your body has reached the limit of its capacity for power!]
[Find a stronger body or reduce your current power!]
[Your body has exceeded the limit of its capacity for power!]
[You have gained a level in Demonic Aura!]
[Your body is experiencing slight thermal degradation!]
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
[You have gained a level in Darkvision!]
[Due to your excess power, your body is exceeding its limits!]
[Your body is experiencing thermal degradation!]
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
[Due to your excess power, your body is exceeding its limits!]
[Your body is experiencing thermal degradation!]
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
[You have gained a level in Demonic Aura!]
[Due to your excess power, your body is exceeding its limits!]
[Your body has greatly exceeded the limit of its capacity for power!]
[Find a stronger body or reduce your current power!]
The moment the status screen appeared, Elania knew the reason for this deluge of messages.
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 5
Power: 168/112
Karma: 12
Attributes: [Locked]
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
Whatever 'Power' was, there had been a dramatic increase since she had last checked. Even the maximum limit had increased. What she didn't know was why! She tried to think of a reason but couldn't come up with one.
There was no one to ask for an explanation, no helpful manual to explain concepts that were probably self-explanatory to someone who was a native of this world. Elania choked back a laugh as she pictured a school of children being taught what their status screen meant and wished she could participate in one.
Power, maybe it was like mana? The concept of health, mana, and stamina was familiar to her from video games, but they didn't seem to apply in this world.
She closed her eyes and wished someone would appear to help her. That, of course, didn't happen. She had no one to rely on but herself. Well, since she had made it this far, she wasn't going to give up.
Despite her slight nausea and the heat that didn’t go down, she felt well-rested. That had to count for something. Elania got up, rolled the last extra robe up, and carried it under her arm.
As soon as she stood, she smiled slightly and shifted her weight on her feet. She could tell the footwraps were already working, and that was enough to improve her mood. Since her vision had adapted so well while she had slept, she didn't bother taking out the crystal to help her see.
The other rooms were just as she had left them—bare, empty, and crumbled.
There was no other option but to continue climbing the endless staircase.
The ascent had turned into a mindless trudge, and Elania nearly missed the first signs of light seeping down at her.
Reaching the landing, she stopped and stared out in amazement. The colors were a feast for her eyes as she took in the multi-hued landscape before her. It was a massive cavern, dwarfing all the others she had seen so far.
The ceiling was a tremendous distance above, and a brilliant lime-green covering of moss dominated it. Massive stalactite formations broke the carpet up in spots, but even they shined with orange and reds of some other types of a plant.
[Brilliant Glow Moss]
[Red Tangle]
[Underground Creep Vine]
It lit up the entire landscape below.
She realized that not everything around her was natural. Far away, she could see the remains of stone buildings. It seemed pretty clear that they were not inhabited... or at least not maintained very well. Maybe whoever lived in them liked the ancient ruins vibe.
[Stone]
[Worked Stone]
[Ruined Stone]
A few of them had been nearly destroyed by the massive, towering mushroom trees that had sprouted inside them and continued to grow to be larger than the building. The entire landscape was dotted with those same 'trees' in various shapes and sizes. A few gave off their own vibrance.
[Fungal Growth]
[Fungal Wood]
[Tree-cap]
Bare rocks no longer dominated the landscape. Small groups of shorter plants—mostly mushrooms of various colors—formed a random patchwork pattern. Past the buildings, a small stream of water was flowing, and the space around it seemed to have the thickest growth.
[Water Spore]
[Fenicia's Fungal Growth]
[Rock Blight]
[Scour-Stone Moss]
[Itch Moss]
[Water]
‘Water!’
That was important, and she almost beelined for the stream, but she paused. It was almost a complete ecosystem, but where were the animals or other creatures? Shouldn't there be at least insects?
She scanned the terrain carefully, not wanting to get caught off guard because she was careless. After a few minutes of scanning for movement, she still hadn’t spotted a single thing.
‘Maybe they are shy.’
Elania decided to investigate the buildings before she went to the stream. Despite her long journey up the staircase, she still wasn't hungry or thirsty. She wasn’t sure why. The water wasn’t going anywhere though, and the buildings were closer.
She was sure of that as the sound of running water trickled through the air. It was a welcome change to the complete silence of the earlier caves. She made her way around the fungal growths and mosses, making a point to avoid the ones with Itch or the like in their name. [Identify] was a useful skill to have.
[Due to your excess power, your body is exceeding its limits!]
[Your body is experiencing thermal degradation!]
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
Elania swiped away the messages again. She frowned in annoyance, not needing a message to remind her. The heat in her core and the sweat that continued to drip down her forehead was reminder enough. It was enough to have already soaked the wrap around her chest and certain parts of her robe.
It was getting hotter. She desperately needed to find a way to stop whatever was increasing her 'Power' and bleed off the excess, or she’d burn up.
[Power 188/116]
[You have gained a level in Demonic Aura!]
‘The excessive power is affecting the Demonic Aura as well I guess... I still don't know what it does.’
Maybe it was because of the density of the buildings. Elania had hoped to find something useful in them. The first one was disappointingly bare, but the second contained something that sent a shiver down her spine.
Bones. Thousands of bones of all different sizes and shapes. Whatever had accumulated them had not been picky about the selection. A few seemed to stand out as a bit oversized to Elania, but that was because most were small or broken into pieces. She backed out of the building and hurried to the next one, hoping she wouldn't meet whatever called that building its lair.
The rest of the buildings were all bare, except that a few had some stone furniture remains. Judging from the size of it, whoever or whatever had created it had at least been about the size of a human. Maybe even a dwarf or elf! Elania managed a smile at that bit of knowledge. At least she wouldn't be surprised if she ran into someone from a race like that.
As she left the last building, it was only the faint sound of a few pebbles shifting and falling that alerted her. Spinning around, she lifted her head and came face-to-face with a pair of large blood-red eyes and a savage expression full of teeth.
It immediately leaped off the roof and fell straight toward her.
[ ???? - Lesser Demon (S Rank Monster) - Level 57]
The only reason [Identify] had fired up was that she had been making a habit of using it on everything she came across. There was only enough time for a single, “Oh Shit” before the thing slammed into her, knocking her off her feet.
As she fell it managed to grab hold of her shoulder as she tumbled, and a sudden burning pain erupted in her left bicep. Releasing a scream, she grabbed at the thing and tried to throw it off her.
That resulted in a bite on her wrist and then more bites on her arm as she rolled about on the ground, in a poor attempt to get rid of it.
‘It is trying to eat me!’
Blood poured out freely from the deep bites the jagged teeth had left. After another vain attempt to free herself from its grip she managed a solid punch to its head, and the thing flew off of her. It rolled as it landed coming to a stop on its arms and legs before levering itself up and dashing back at her.
Without thinking, Elania reached into her pocket and pulled out her dagger and pointed it at the demon. The imminent threat made it pause, giving her first good look at it.
[ ???? - Lesser Demon (S Rank Monster) - Level 57]
The monster was shaped like a short and stocky person akin to a dwarf, but the resemblance ended there. Its face was elongated and scrunched up in a snarl, revealing a bloody mouth full of sharp looking teeth. That was her blood, and it stared at her with glowing crimson eyes that stood out against its alabaster white skin, giving it a possessed look. It was wearing a single thin brown piece of hide.
‘It's the same as me? We are nothing alike!’
It snapped and snarled at her as it slowly circled her, eyes riveted on the dagger as it sought out a chance to lunge at her again. It made a few aborted attempts, and she realized it was wary of the weapon. Maybe it had fought against someone armed before. The creature couldn’t have known that she had no idea of how to use the dagger or fight.
Warmth trickled down her arm, and she noted she was still bleeding from the bites on her arm. She winced in pain as she shifted to keep the dagger in line with her assailant.
[Your physical Status is degrading.]
[Due to your excess power, your body is exceeding its limits!]
[Your body is experiencing thermal degradation!]
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
"I fucking know!"
The creature snarled back at her in response, making a longer dash straight at her, but it turned away right before it could come within reach.
Through the pain and frustration, she started to get angry. If she had so much fucking power that it was eating away at her insides, where the hell was it? She thought she might be able to do the spark thing again, but she doubted she'd be able to hit the thing with them while it was moving so much.
Suddenly, it lunged at her again, and this time it didn't dart away at the last second. Elania swung the dagger in a horizontal arc, hoping to slash it, but it was faster. As the demon ducked under the wide swing it jumped straight for her and grappled her. Despite the impact, Elania managed to keep her feet. Bringing her arm back down, she tried to slam the pommel into its head, but it latched onto her, immobilizing her arm with the dagger and then biting down on her robed arm again, tearing with its teeth.
Pain flared on her skin, and she tried to shove the thing off of her, but it held on firmly, claws digging through the robe and into her sides, adding to the pain.
Her other arm was already mangled, bloody, and weaponless. Elania attempted to punch it again, but it had a better grip this time and it didn’t seem to care if she punched it or not. Another painful bite ensued, this time on her shoulder. Finally, she grabbed the thing by the side of its thick neck and tried to push its face and teeth away.
‘I can't miss from here!’
She didn't have the Mana Shard in her hand, but she should have her own mana—at least that was what she was hoping for. She tried to repeat her earlier spark attack, but this time, she was in pain and desperate.
Rather than a few sparks, her entire hand was suddenly engulfed in a brilliant flare. That hurt even more than the bites. Her entire hand felt like it was burning away. The pain was intense but mercifully short-lived as the agony was rapidly replaced by a tingling numbness before turning to complete nothingness.
[You have gained a level in Mana Manipulation!]
The effect was tremendous, though, as she realized she had pushed her forearm through the creature's entire throat and out the other side. It immediately released her and scurried away, arms grasping at its head as it rolled wildly across the stone in a mad frenzy. It was eerily quiet as it did so, its throat and vocal cords totally disintegrated and missing.
[You have gained a level in Mana Manipulation!]
[Your physical Status is degrading quickly.]
Elania wasn't in very good shape herself, and she slumped down on the ground. The flare covering her hand went out, and she looked at the ruined limb in horror. Her hand was completely blackened and charred. ‘That is probably why the pain in my hand stopped. There are no nerves left to feel pain,’ her own relatively calm voice in her head offered.
Leaning over, she promptly threw up the contents of her stomach, which was mostly liquid as she hadn't eaten anything. She told herself to try and keep it together.
[Your physical Status is degrading quickly.]
"What about my mental status?"
[Your physical Status is degrading quickly.]
With her still-mobile hand, she reached into the front of her oversized robe and pulled at the knot holding her breast wrap together. It took a few tries, but it finally came loose. She considered the numerous bite marks that were still bleeding, although many had slowed considerably.
"I'm going to die of infection anyway."
Tears were streaming down her face, and she decided to use the wrap on her arm that was not a burnt crisp. It was the one the thing had chewed on the most, and the bites on her burnt arm had mostly stopped bleeding anyway. Wrapping her own arm wasn't easy, but she managed it with a combination of teeth and body movement. The exertion seemed to take the last remains of her energy and the adrenaline high from the fight was wearing off.
As she leaned against a boulder, trying to stay still and ignore the pain, a new message appeared.
[ You have slain ???? - Lesser Demon (S Rank Monster) - Level 57]
[For slaying a being over 50 levels higher than you, extra experience is rewarded.]
[You have gained multiple levels!]
[You have reached level 10. The attribute function is unlocked.]
[You have gained multiple levels!]
[You have gained 12 Karma for slaying an evil aligned being.]
She looked over to where she had last heard the rolling and scrambling sounds of the creature. Sure enough, it had stopped moving and was lying still.
[Your physical Status is degrading quickly.]
The bandage wasn't helping much, then. Elania realized she was probably going into shock.
‘What about my [Status?] I unlocked the attribute function…’
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 11
Power: 112/124
Karma: 24
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
‘Oh, my power is fixed. I guess I only had to lose my hand to get it in check.’ Despite the fatalistic thought, Elania quickly called up the new screen.
"Attributes."
[Attributes: Elania Reyes]
[1 Available Attribute Selection]
[Current Attributes:
Demon Contract (1 Available)
Demonic Self-Sustenance
Enhanced Physical Abilities (Strength, Mana Capacity)
Immunity (Darkness)
Resistance (Poison, Mana)
Weakness (Holy)]
[Available Attributes: Weakness Negation, Resistance Improvement, Resistance Selection, Physical Ability Improvement, Body Manipulation, Regeneration, Reactive Adaptation, Power Absorption (Touch)]
Elania scanned the list, the reason she hadn't felt hungry or thirsty yet becoming clear. She already had several attributes that had been helping her, along with the poison resistance she had gained during the moss wildfire.
When she reached the available attributes, her eyes widened. Several of them looked rather impressive, although there was only one that she latched onto, considering her current rapidly deteriorating condition.
‘Regeneration.’
[Do you wish to select Regeneration as a new attribute? Y/N]
"Yes."
Nothing happened for a second, and she was about to try again when the message suddenly appeared.
[You have gained the Regeneration attribute!]
[You have spent all your available attribute selections.]
[Due to your high power, Regeneration is enhanced!]
[You have met the requirements for Bone Demon evolution.]
[Do you wish to evolve your race to Bone Demon? Y/N]
The healing wasn't instantaneous, but she felt better immediately. The bites and claw marks healed first, and she wondered if her body was replacing all the lost blood as well. Staring up at the ceiling of the cavern, she didn't even consider the question of becoming a 'Bone Demon.' Elania had no desire to be related in any way, shape, or form to that monster.
Sitting up, she looked at the charred remains of her hand and frowned. It was lifeless, and there was no sensation. If it was already dead, how would it heal?
As if to answer her question, the skin further up her arm near the burnt tissue began to bubble and then extend over the charred remains.
‘Oh.’
It progressed fast as the rest of her body finished healing itself, and then the pain started.
Curling up into a ball, Elania was distantly aware that her screams were echoing through the entire cavern before she passed out.
Elania traced the side of her face with her fingers as she stared at her reflection in the quick running stream of water. Her long hair had been braided like she usually kept it, but now was becoming a tangled and split mess, with debris thoroughly mixed with blood. What had put her in her current fugue was her eyes. Her irises glowed back at her, a deep crimson red. That was new, and disturbing.
She tried her best to clean up, but the results were less than ideal without any soap or brush.
‘We have to get used to new normals or go crazy.’
"Right, Mr. Rock?"
The mana shard continued to shine in silence on the rocky stream bank, although she had noticed it had begun to dim slightly since she had taken it from the cultists. She checked her Power for the fourth time since setting it down.
[Power: 102/128]
‘I was right.’
When she had finally regained consciousness, her Power had overflowed again, and she had been in a mild panic. It was when she had taken off the tattered bloody robe with the mana shard still in it that she realized the excess began to bleed off.
It was hard to tell the time in the caverns, but she thought it was taking about an hour for one point of Power to drain. That was with her [Demonic Aura Lvl - 4] and [Darkvision Lvl - 3] both active. She also suspected that her [Demonic Self-Sustenance] and [Regeneration] attributes were draining Power as well.
That didn't seem like much, considering the mana shard intended to boil her alive with extra 'Power' whenever she had it on her person. Mana and Power... she wanted to know if they were the same thing, just named differently, and if they were different, why didn't she have a mana stat in her [Status] screen? Where were her hitpoints?
And there was another thing. While she didn’t have the need for any food or water while she had 'Power,' what would happen when she ran out? Elania remembered she had started with zero Power, but she had a gut feeling she wouldn't survive for long like that unless she had food and water.
No, looking at it again she was certain the mana shard was getting dimmer over time as she used it. She needed to find another way to charge her ‘Power,’ or she'd end up having to try and find the cultists and make a deal with them for the mana shards... Not an idea she wanted to entertain.
There were no fish in the stream that she could see, which ruled out catching one and seeing if eating something would help. Even though she wasn't hungry, she still had the desire to try good food, and a picture of a nicely-cooked fish sitting atop a blanket of rice had her craving some sushi.
The sound of a rockslide echoed deeply from somewhere distant and the sound brought her out of her reverie.
‘Right. Keep it together, Elania. We aren't out of danger yet.’
She had thoroughly soaked the robes in the water along with her wraps. All the cloth had been drenched in blood and grime, and while she didn't have any way to get the stains out, she had been able to use her hands to wring and scrub the worst of it off.
The robe she had been wearing when the Bone Demon attacked was a tattered mess, so she would have to figure out something else to use it for. The extra robe she had been using as a blanket was in much better condition, and she decided to wear that one for now.
Still, she needed a place to camp out in and let everything dry. The idea of staying out in the open, exposed, and butt-naked wasn't appealing. After much deliberation, she eventually decided to try the nearby buildings again. She would be out of sight, and she was hopeful that she would somehow be able to rig some sort of line up to hang the clothes.
On the way back, though, she realized there would be a problem—the Bone Demon's corpse.
Elania didn't like the idea of touching it, but she couldn't leave it near the buildings. The thought of it attracting attention and drawing predators or carrion-eaters to her while she was sleeping was enough to strengthen her resolve to drag it away.
She was prepared to drag it by its feet, but a surprising message appeared when she touched a foot.
[Absorb the lingering Power from ???? - Lesser Demon (S Rank Monster) - Level 57's corpse? Y/N]
The question of how common Demonic beings were and if they often cannibalized each other for Power came to Elania. Since she didn't feel any kinship to the thing in front of her though and she decided to give it a go.
The corpse began to disintegrate into dust. Despite the seeming stillness of the air, it blew away in some type of wind as the fragments turned to ether and then disappeared. As the process continued, Elania felt her core warm up again. By the time the corpse was entirely gone, she felt like she was on fire and plagued by the same messages from earlier.
[You have absorbed 115 Power!]
[Your body has reached the limit of its capacity for Power!]
[Find a stronger body or reduce your current Power!]
[Your body has exceeded the limit of its capacity for Power!]
[Your body is experiencing thermal degradation!]
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
[Due to your high Power, [Regeneration] is enhanced!]
[Power: 211/134]
It was hotter than before but not as much as the numbers indicated. She idly wondered if that was because of how much her power had exceeded its capacity. Elania wished she knew the exact adverse effects and worried about permanent damage. However, the mention of [Regeneration] being enhanced calmed her a bit.
‘[Regeneration] heals me from the damage of being over my Power limit... then it’s a bit like power leveling. It just makes me a bit… sweaty.’
After returning to the building she had selected, she started to clean out a corner. She used her dagger to cut and tear off several long strips from the ruined robe and tied them into a line to hang the rest of her things on. That let her set them to dry just as she had planned.
Finding a spot in what she now considered her corner, she decided to check her full [Status] and decide what to do next.
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 11
Power: 211/134
Karma: 24
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 6 (Activated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 7]
[Physical: Unarmed Combat Lvl - 2, Darkvision Lvl - 3 (Activated)]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 2, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3, Athletics Lvl - 1, Improvised Crafting Lvl - 1]
[Attributes: Elania Reyes]
[Current Attributes:
Demon Contract (1 Available)
Regeneration (Normal)
Demonic Self-Sustenance
Enhanced Physical Abilities (Strength, Mana Capacity)
Immunity (Darkness)
Resistance (Poison, Mana)
Weakness (Holy)]
‘I need to try and practice my [Mana Manipulation] skill... it killed the Bone Demon, but it almost killed me in the process. Really, I need to plan on how I can defend myself. I doubt that demon was the only unfriendly thing I will run into.’
---
Elania continued to experiment with her skills while camping out in the building. She had avoided exploring or looking for anything farther than the stream, other than one foray to gather some of the [Fungal Wood] she had spotted nearby.
After that short trip, she decided to use the excess 'Power' she had received from the Bone Demon to develop her skills and abilities. The mana shard was kept in the opposite corner of 'her' building. It provided something like a night-light which was comforting to her and useful to her as she practiced.
She passed two days like this, or at least she had slept twice. There wasn’t much distinction without any way to tell time that she could tell. She'd gained a new skill [Athletics] when she had done some pushups and sit-ups to burn some nervous energy. It had been put under the [Mundane] group, so she wasn't sure what it did other than act as a counter for how much work she had put in.
Elania had also made a lot of progress with her [Mana Manipulation], although she quickly realized that it was easily her most 'Power' intensive skill. The costs seemed to go down as it leveled, and she had finally managed to hold a spark above her hand for an indefinite amount of time around the time she reached level 10.
She wasn't exactly sure how useful controlling the spark would be, but she had found other ways to use the energy as well. It was difficult but she could direct the energy to specific parts of her body without setting them on fire, giving her a boost of strength. That was the kind of thing she thought would be really useful in an emergency.
Between practice sessions of her various skills, she had worked on the [Fungal Wood] to make a primitive spear. The wood turned out to be quite flexible, and it was sliced easily by her dagger, so she didn't think it would do well if she had to face someone with actual weapons. It was the best she could manage, though, and she did gain two more levels in [Improvised Crafting], so that was a bonus.
Nothing had prepared her for what happened when she figured out how to deactivate her [Demonic Aura], though.
The once quiet cavern erupted into all kinds of sounds, and Elania was sent scrambling to gather her things before climbing to the roof of the building and looking out at the landscape.
Elania gasped in surprise. The cavern that had been silent for days came to life before her eyes. Mounds of what she had assumed was stone-covered moss got onto their legs, letting out a strange “Garooo” sound that echoed everywhere. They each showed up as [Ralfot] and were actually some type of quadruped covered in moss. Was the moss part of their skin or did it grow on them as a symbiote? On a few the moss was getting quite long and she wondered if that made them into something like an underground sheep-cow.
Then something drew her attention to the ceiling, and she looked in amazement at the several wispy creatures floating there. They looked like jelly-fish but somehow were able to float in the air. The [Jellv] seemed to have some way of directing their movement and assembled to the brightest patches of glow moss, packing themselves as close as possible.
Shadow patterns began to form on the ground in the cavern, and as the Jellies moved in large groups, those patterns moved across the floor, adding another visual effect to all the luminescent flora.
'They don't have levels, and that seems to separate them from the people I’ve seen so far. Although I'm not sure I'd classify the Bone Demon as a person.'
Elania noticed smaller, less visible creatures as well. A small pack of scaled creatures about the size of rabbits came up from hidden burrows to hunt down and nibble on the [Fenicia's Fungal Growth] and the ground moss. The sheer number of them had her wondering if the people here had the same sayings for [Elnats] as people on Earth did for rabbits.
As she continued to watch all the creatures emerge and go about their business of... well, most of them seemed to be looking for food, she wondered about how they had all stayed hidden for so long.
Had her [Demonic Aura] made them all hide because they thought she was a dangerous predator? If these small creatures were so capable of hiding like that, then Elania didn’t even want to think about how the real predators in the caverns would be like. She doubted a human could have hidden for that long without making some noise, even if it was in their sleep!
[You have gained a level in Identify!]
Oh! That'd be useful. Maybe it would show more information. Much to Elania's dismay, there didn't seem to be any changes with a single level. 'I've been cheated!'
Even bugs and other insects came out, although they didn't seem attracted to her mercifully. She hated gnats, mosquitoes, and pretty much every type of insect that could fly. The biggest example she spotted was the small cloud that followed the Ralfots.
‘Another thing they have in common with cows. The creatures are a lot less aggressive than I’d expected.'
Looking down at her makeshift spear, she frowned. Should she try to hunt something? She wasn't hungry, and the thought of killing things to eat them when she didn't need food to survive didn't sit well with her. But what if she ran out of ‘Power’? She could absorb a demon's ‘Power,’ but what if that didn’t apply to other things? She needed to know.
Elania watched the creatures for a while longer before finally making up her mind. Since the Ralfots were too large, she'd go for one of the Elnats.
As she made her way down the roof, heading deeper into the cavern, she wondered if she should try to be sneaky about it. Maybe she'd learn a new skill? Trying it out, she picked her way around the rises and dips in the rock carefully, trying to keep out of view of her prey as she moved.
Arriving just one bend away, she sat down against a boulder for a moment. Disappointment at not earning any 'stealth' skill gnawed at her, and her heart was pounding faster than it had any right to do so. The approach hadn't been difficult at all, so it was definitely her nerves. She had never hunted anything before. She was a genuine city-girl.
The thought had her bite the inside of her bottom lip as the idea brought back memories she had struggled to keep locked down. She had been camping with her family, and she even remembered her father suggesting they go hunting once, just in case she ever wanted or needed to at some point.
'No time to think about that, Elania. No need to break down into tears right now, either.'
Taking a deep breath, she tightened her hold on the makeshift spear and quietly slid around the rock. She hadn't planned out what she intended to do, and she thought to throw the spear at one when they started to run. She had decided to try and get as close as possible before that happened, though.
The Elnats were still in the same group as earlier, each one spread out a few feet from the others, nibbling on moss and fungus. If they had been furry, she'd have called them cute. They looked more like grumpy lizards, though.
Inching closer, she got the feeling they already knew she was there. When one turned its head, and a single black bead of an eye fixated on her, she almost broke into a sprint. The thing didn't rush or stop its nibbling, though, and she continued her slow approach.
She got closer and closer with slight disbelief forming since the things weren't dashing off. As the distance closed to the last few yards, the thought that even she might be able to hit one with a thrown spear flittered by as she took the last steps. All of the little creatures had one of their eyes fixed on her, but none had moved.
Elania was at a loss and her plan was in disarray. She was close enough to simply stab the one she had approached, but it only moved slightly to get to a bit of moss that was out of reach.
'It wouldn't be right.'
Plan discarded, she crouched down, looking at the [Elnat] closer. The small animal didn't seem alarmed at all, and Elania impulsively scooped up some moss and held it out to the thing's nose cautiously. Her gesture was rewarded a few moments later when its tongue licked out, and then it moved closer to the moss Elania had offered. A stupidly pleased grin appeared on her face. "You're pretty much tame, aren't you?"
'Not everything is trying to kill me, at least.'
After feeding her new friend, she decided to explore the rest of the cavern. As she levered herself up, a strange musty odor reached her along with a sound she hadn't heard before.
"Glua-Glua-Glaa!"
Her head snapped in the direction of the sound, and her eyes widened as she took in the newcomer.
[ ???? - Mushroohum - Level 17]
'A mushroom man!' was her first thought. The resemblance was unmistakable as the human figure's head ended in the classical shape of a mushroom, and his skin seemed to have been made of wood. It was carrying a spear and shield, with some type of belt with other implements hanging off it. That was its only attire, though, and she guessed it worked fine considering the thing didn’t appear to have any genitalia. She was almost sure that ???? was a given name, or maybe a class. After seeing the Elnats and Ralfots, she was certain it indicated intelligence.
He seemed agitated, and although he didn't look very agile, he was striding toward her, aiming his spear at her. It continued to make the "Glua-Glaa!" sound repeatedly in a higher and higher tone.
As Elania took a step back, a sudden shriek erupted from below and realized she had stepped on the Elnat she had fed. 'Oh, that's why they are so tame.' She had almost hunted and ate someone's pet!
The Elnat seemed unharmed, but suddenly they all bolted away from her. Before she could try to communicate or explain, the Mushroom Man made a decision. Watching in horror, it pulled the spear back and then launched it at her like a javelin.
It was well aimed, but the distance meant she had just enough time to throw herself out of the way.
[You have gained a level in Dodging!]
"I'm sorry!"
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to suffice, or it didn't understand her because it continued its attempts to shout at her. At least, it had stopped approaching her.
That was until a second one showed up. Then a third, and fourth. Suddenly there were Mushroom Men all over, carrying spears and more than ready to come after her.
“I’m really sorry!”
She decided to retreat. As she rounded the last boulder she had hid behind before reaching the Elnats, a loud clack sounded near her head. One of them had thrown another spear, and it had bounced off the rock.
He had made damned sure that the entire complex was thoroughly cleansed, yet he had failed in his mission. The summoned demon had easily managed to escape, and the leader of the cult had nearly killed Anton before using a teleport spell to vanish.
It wasn't often that a cult's location was revealed to the Order, and he had fumbled the chance to eliminate them.
Scrubbing every bit of the thick cloud of demonic aura from the area had taken way more time than he had to spare. He had to go through each and every room to purify it, turning all the items, ingredients, and even furniture into scrap. Everything in the entire complex was now dust except for the final room where the main confrontation had taken place.
The ceiling in one corner of the room bulged down, having collapsed from the stress of the battle. He had already made gouges across the floor, turning the summoning circle grooves into an unreadable chicken-scratch of rubble.
Anton glanced over at the pile of lower-ranking initiates. The death of so many arcanists and the loss of a base and the supplies would set back the Cult of the Black Candle for quite some time he hoped. Only the fact that he had lost his chance to take out one of their seven 'Unholy Bishops' soured his mood.
There was a silver lining in all of this, though. The cult had not managed to bind the lesser demon to their service. Anton was sure that he had prevented any contract between them. The fact that the monster had escaped was unfortunate, and partly his fault, but having one more wild demon roaming in the Underdark was not that much of a concern.
The demon had taken the shape of a young woman, and her terrified face came back to him, as he remembered trying to end her. That had been a source of significant confusion.
Kneeling, he opened a heavily reinforced chest to reveal numerous Mana Shards of distilled essence, utterly free of any other influence. There were only two types of beings that could use that type of power without being harmed.
Drawing Eziel from its sheath, he placed the blade's tip on the mana shard, and the light immediately dimmed before the crystal suddenly disintegrated into dust.
It was the stuff meant for Seraphs and the divine. The fact that some demons had found a way to corrupt the power to their own ends was one more reason for Anton to put an end to their depravities and evil.
His sword wasn't just a typical artifact. Its blade had been forged from the soul of a dying angel, Eziel, The Judgement, Arch-Seraph of Light. It was one of the seven holy relics the Lightbringer Order possessed and was granted to Anton upon his anointment as Paladin.
Sometimes, the blade would send him premonitions or guidance in his dreams, but it had become silent as of late. Anton hoped the mana contained in the shards would help with the blade's fugue. The sword had never failed to harm a demon before, but it had prevented him from harming the monster. He had feared that the Cultists had somehow found a way to corrupt the weapon, but it hadn't had any difficulty severing their heads.
As Anton finished dealing with the Mana Shards, he turned to look at the rest of the room. With a wave of his hand, a pulse of light flared from his palm, and the corpses, along with what remained in the room, turned to dust. His work there was done.
He would have to return to the city he hated next, a place infested with corruption and demonologists, in order to hunt for clues and where the Bishop had gone to lick his wounds. Anton didn’t hold much hope on that front, but he would have to remain in the Underdark until the High Cardinal summoned him back into the light of day.
Elania's heart pounded as she tucked herself behind another boulder.
Clack, clack, clack, clack.
Another volley of spears missed their mark, but the fact that they fell so closely around her position meant that despite her efforts to throw the Mushroom Men off, they were still getting closer and had brought even more spears than she thought possible.
[You have gained a level in Athletics!]
She had been running from them for a while. She was fast enough to outpace them for a time, but whenever she stopped, they would catch up, and they were increasing in number!
Elania didn’t want to fight them. It wasn’t only because she was hesitant to seek confrontation, but also the whole thing felt like a misunderstanding. She never meant to step on the poor Elnat! She hadn't even known they weren't wild animals!
She had slowly come to understand the setup in the cavern... at least she thought she did. The Mushroom Men had domesticated the animals there at some point. She didn't doubt that the Elnats and Ralfots were probably their herd animals. Elania hadn't seen any predators in the cave, and the Mushroom man had seemed quite upset when she stepped on the Elnat.
Maybe they were so hostile to her because they had been acquainted with the vicious Bone Demon she had fought. The vast cache of bones she had found in one of the ruined buildings definitely suggested it had munched on more than a few Elnat and Ralfots at some point.
Having caught her breath, she jumped up and set off at a run again. The now-familiar "Glau-Glaa" cry went back and forth behind her.
She had already circled the majority of the cavern. There had been several large exits to other caverns, and two had been blocked off with large fungal growths. She wondered if those had been built or grown by her pursuers.
As she returned toward the stream and the ruined buildings, she drew back and slid to a stop. A Mushroohum swung heavily with his spear, the tip barely missing Elania's face.
[You have gained a level in Dodging!]
A second return swing came back at her without delay. This time, she raised her own spear, and the two wooden shafts collided. The Mushroom Man was larger than her by at least a foot, and she could feel the difference in their size and weight as it pressed down on her.
[You have gained a level in Blocking!]
The weight grew heavier as Elania's opponent gained more leverage, and she felt her crude spear flex perilously in between her hands.
[You have gained a level in Blocking!]
The unpleasant musty odor she had smelled earlier was thick as the Mushroom Man breathed down on her. It seemed like it was going to crush her if her spear broke, and the menacing look of its face had her frantically searching for options.
'I have other skills.'
She'd burnt off her excess power earlier when practicing, but she still had her reserves. It was time to put her rigorous training into practice.
Casting sparks and melting her own hand wasn’t her only option. Focusing on her power had become easier as the skill leveled. It did take a bit of concentration, which was hard when she was being pressed down onto a knee by the fungus. She forced it to work, anyway.
A white aura began to wisp around and off of her, and the pressure lessened. She was gaining physical strength, and the Mushroohum let out a "Glau-Glaa!" when Elania suddenly grabbed his weapon and then she shoved him with ease, sending her large opponent falling backward.
[Power: 112/142]
Elania let out a strained breath and released the mana coursing through her. She'd burnt over thirty points of her 'Power' just for that single feat of strength!
[You have gained a level in Mana Manipulation!]
[You have gained a level in Battle Concentration!]
'At least I got a new skill. I wonder if---'
She realized her self-distraction with the [System] had allowed the Mushroohum to start scrambling off the ground. It was still prone, and she could easily stab it with her spear while it was vulnerable.
A fit of anger took hold of her, and she raised her spear to do just that. Hadn’t it chased and cornered her when she obviously didn’t want to fight? Its ugly looks and musty smell, its sheer strangeness called out for her to do just that, but... Wasn't she the invader here?
"Let's stop fighting and be friends."
Unfortunately, the "Glau-Glaa" answer was cut short by a volley of thrown spears, one managing to scrape her shoulder. The others had caught up to her, and she took off in a random direction. 'Right, no mercy for Elnat stompers.'
Fleeing once again, she traced a path around the stream to an area near the cave wall she hadn't explored yet. A few other water sources flowed together, and she realized a small pond was surrounded by various larger growths, although none of them came close to the size of the imposing [Tower-Cap] trees.
Elania found herself looking down at the rocky bank and she decided to go around it since the stone looked damp and possibly slippery. Unfortunately, when she turned to explore another escape route, there were a half dozen Mushroom Men in front of her in a semicircle. All of them let loose one of their spears at the same time.
The only thing that saved her was they had all thrown too accurately, and when she hurled herself to the side, the majority of them flashed through the space she had previously occupied.
[You have gained a level in Dodging!]
'Useful skill--- AH!'
Despite having managed to not be hit, one of the spears tangled up between her legs and robes. Elania tripped, twisting sideways as she fell, and then rolled and bounced down a slope and into the stream with a splash.
It was deeper near the cave wall, several streams had come together to fill a sizable pool, and she soon found out that it had a strong undertow as well when the water suddenly snatched her and pulled her under.
'I can't swim!'
As she thrashed around in the water, she was forced to let go of the spear she had been holding. Several times she painfully smashed into a rock or boulder. Even her [Darkvision] didn't seem to work underwater, as nothing but blackness greeted her.
The impacts with the rocks had knocked out what little breath she had managed to conserve, and the burning in her chest grew, causing her to panic even more.
Temporary relief only came when she suddenly found herself falling through the air amidst a giant roar.
'Waterfall...!'
Then she smashed into the shallow pool and rocks below.
The first sensation Elania registered was a chilling cold that seemed to be seeping into her core. It was enough to make her take the first steps toward waking up. Her first restless movement elicited a frantic grab at consciousness as she realized she was still face down in the water.
'I'm not breathing!'
Thrashing into the water, her hand landed on a nearby stone, and she found enough leverage to pull herself out of the calm pool she had ended up floating in. Her first reaction upon leaving the water was to try and take a breath. That had her choking and vomiting a copious amount of the water than had found its way into her lungs.
When she was finally finished, Elania crawled a bit further from the bank, finding a dry spot and sitting against a rock in an attempt to recuperate. A few new messages chimed for attention, but her eyes were fixed on scanning her surroundings.
It was dark, and she could still make out the faint luminescence of the fungus, but compared to before, everything was shades of purple and black that made it impossible to see anything. When she finally opened her [Status], the reason became clear.
[Your power is low. Your toggleable skills have been deactivated automatically.]
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 11
Power: 26/152
Karma: 24
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 6 (Deactivated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 13, Battle Concentration Lvl 1]
[Physical: Dodging Lvl - 4, Blocking Lvl - 3, Unarmed Combat Lvl - 2, Darkvision Lvl - 3(Deactivated)]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 4, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3, Athletics Lvl - 4, Improvised Crafting Lvl - 3]
[Attributes: Elania Reyes]
[Current Attributes:
Demon Contract (1 Available)
Regeneration (Normal)
Demonic Self-Sustenance
Enhanced Physical Abilities (Strength, Mana Capacity)
Immunity (Darkness)
Resistance (Poison, Mana)
Weakness (Holy)]
Elania stared at the paltry amount of power she was left with, and it was no wonder everything was so dark! Reactivating [Darkvision], everything brightened into clarity. She needed to recharge her power, but a familiar "Glua-Glaa!" had her freezing in place.
Luckily, it had come from the other side of the room, and she quietly slid around the stone she was against to keep it between her and the sound's direction. 'Was it just one?'
She chanced a look, but what she saw wasn't what she expected. There were four Mushroohums, but one was bent over, holding a shining rock.
'No... not a shining rock! My Mana Shard!'
Panic and anger warred in her chest, she needed that Mana Shard to survive, and they were taking it!
More of the Mushroom Men arrived, most of them fixated on the stone, but one fished out a scrap of black cloth from the water with its spear. Elania frowned and checked her pockets. She still had her dagger and makeshift clothes, but that was all. Some of the remaining scraps must have escaped for them to find.
The noise from the Mushroom Men became louder, and she thought they might have been arguing. When they finally broke off into groups, her heart stopped as she felt they might scour the entire cavern looking for her.
She didn't have to worry for long, though, as they quickly filed off and left the cavern—the largest group of five taking the Mana Shard with them. The thought of chasing after them and somehow taking the Mana Shard back was quickly discarded.
She was weakened, and most of her 'Power' had been used up either from [Regeneration] healing her while she tumbled through the water or when it prevented her from drowning.
She wasn't going to let them keep it, though. She had a pretty good idea about where to find the Mushroom Men's lair.
---
Despite her frantic arrival, the small pool and cavern she'd ended up in turned out to be relatively calm. It had only a few choke points to enter, and while she had heard quite a few noises coming from the connected areas, she hadn't seen any wildlife.
Elania quickly got down to work, gathering lengths of wood from some of the larger growths nearby. When she had a half dozen, she set the largest length shaft aside and began to carve the others into javelins.
Each one gave her the same system message.
[You have gained a level in Improvised Crafting!]
Finished with the smaller javelins, she turned to the longer shaft. 'Let's see if those levels made any difference.'
The fact that the levels had been so easy to get made her doubt whether there would be much improvement. [Identify] didn't seem to change between levels one and two, but...
[Improvised Crafting Lvl - 8]
The making of the thicker spear went well, but it didn't look any different.
[Makeshift Fungal Spear]
It was the same as before, maybe there was some kind of threshold she had to reach before crafting better things, or perhaps the material was too poor. Sighing, Elania set it aside with the growing pile of javelins, her hand coming to a sudden pause over the weapons.
A telltale whisper of a sound had her look toward the entrance and in the shadows a dozen feet away, two yellow orbs glared at her. As soon as she met the predator's gaze, it pounced. Feline in shape, it was the size of a large dog, with black fur and thick limbs.
Elania reacted without thinking, bracing her spear against the rock behind her. As the [Darkwalker] flashed through the air, it impaled itself through the chest.
A loud growl and hiss let spittle fly into Elania's face as the enraged predator swiped and struggled to reach her. Instinctively she reached over and grabbed one of the javelins while trying to balance her rapidly bending spear.
That was a good move because the stressed fungal wood finally flexed and snapped, allowing the creature to close the distance. It did not move as fast as before, having been dealt a mortal blow by the impalement. Still, the snapping jaws were just as deadly, and it went for Elania's throat.
Wielding the javelin like a stake, she slammed the pointed tip into the creature's eye, and it went limp. It still landed on her, at least a hundred pounds of once lethal muscle. She could still feel the heat from the thing's breath on her face as her mind tried to catch up with her rapidly pounding heart.
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N]
It took a moment for her to shove the corpse off of her and then calm down. Thoughts whirled in her head. It wasn't the first time she'd faced death, but at least this time, she had not been badly hurt. The feeling that she was flailing her way through, attempting to survive in this horrible underground world, and not having any real idea of what she was doing, threatened to shatter her earlier determination.
"I guess the least you could do is give me your 'Essence' since you attacked me."
Almost immediately, the corpse began to disintegrate, just as the Bone Demon had.
"Wait!" She suddenly realized her mistake. Since she had finally hunted something, she should have tried to harvest some meat from it!
It was too late, though. Still, a few [Status] messages appeared and clued Elania in on just what absorbing 'Essence' did.
[You have absorbed 4 Power!]
[You have gained a level in Stealth!]
[You have gained Darkwalker Affinity!]
[Consume more Darkwalker Essence to enable Darkwalker Transformation!]
A roil of emotions and more questions assailed Elania. At the very worst, she could survive by hunting things and consuming their 'Essence' and maintaining her self-sustain attribute. She had no idea what 'Affinity' really entailed, but the fourth message...
Was the system telling her she'd be able to turn into a Darkwalker if she hunted enough of them? Did that apply to anything? Was that a unique skill of Demons, or could anything absorb Essence and transform into things?
Looking at the snapped spear, she knew what she needed to do. For what felt like the first time, she had an actual goal.
Grabbing her dagger, she got herself ready for hunting. She needed to get her power back up to maximum.
Elania gathered and crafted more spears to replace her broken one, and upon leveling [Improved Crafting] to level 10, she got an [Improved Makeshift Fungal Wood Spear], which seemed to be slightly more sturdy.
Then she started using the smaller lengths of wood to work on something new. After numerous tries with the remaining torn fabric, she was able to tie together a [Woven Fungal Wood Shield] that seemed sturdy enough to protect her while giving her the chance to maybe stab something back.
Other than the wood, there wasn't much else for her to use in the small grotto, and she had already used up most of the workable lengths. It was time to move on.
Hunting Darkwalkers had proven much more complicated than Elania first imagined. She half-expected to be able to find a field of them, conveniently located nearby with them spread out far enough for her to deal with one at a time, regroup herself, then move to the next.
The next cavern reminded her that she wasn't living in a game world. The smell of a rotted Ralfot carcass greeted her long before it came into sight. Small bugs and things that looked like worms wiggled, making their way out of the rot. Immediately, Elania dismissed the thought of getting near enough to touch it to see if she could still absorb anything.
Elania quickly realized that there weren't many caverns that were as highly populated as the Mushroohum one with the Elnats and Ralfots.
'Probably because things in the open, like me, get eaten...'
After that, she tried her best to stay between depressions in the rock or go through a more shaded area. She wasn't sure how much it would help her to actually be stealthy, but at least she wouldn't be silhouetted against the bright mossy ceiling.
[You have gained a level in Stealth!]
Elania wandered through several more caverns before her first encounter. The entrance to the cavern had her on a raised ledge that overlooked a small pool of water. A group of something that looked like the Ralfots was congregated, most of them head down while they drank.
[Ralfot]
The [System] called them Ralfots as well, but these seemed larger and more weathered. Taking another look, she concluded that the horns made all the difference. They were thick curved curls that looked like they'd make a good battering ram.
Despite their dangerous number, she realized they'd have a hard time going around the cavern to reach her elevated position. She was in a perfect spot for ambushing them with her javelins.
Elania had made a ‘lot’ of javelins. Some as practice, but also because she had no idea how many she'd need. The Mushroohums carried one to three each, but since there had been a bunch of them chasing her, she’d made a dozen for herself even if it had seemed a bit excessive.
Setting her shield, spear, and the bundle of javelins quietly on the ground, she untied the small scrap of cloth she had used to tie them together. A little shred of guilt had her pause, but a thought overcame it.
'You've never been a vegetarian, Elania! The supermarket only lets you pretend you were. These are just juicy hamburgers with giant fucking horns that'll crush you if you're not careful.'
She took up a javelin in each hand and carefully picked her target: a smaller [Ralfot] that was close to her position. Although she'd never thrown anything as a weapon before, she knew the basics. More distance meant less accuracy. She should start off easy.
Excitement coursed through her body as she tossed the first javelin through the air.
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
Almost immediately, Elania could see that the throw wasn’t going to land anywhere near her target. Disappointment flashed, but she moved the second javelin to her main hand and tossed again before scooping up two more projectiles.
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
The first javelin landed well past the herd of wild Ralfots, and their reaction was immediate. The whole herd let out angry cries and advanced toward the ledge she was on. That movement caused the second throw to miss a once stationary target.
On the bright side, the sound had misdirected the herd which had thought that the danger was elsewhere. In reality, though, they actually moved closer to her!
Not wanting to give up her chance, she tossed the rest of the spears in quick succession.
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
[You have gained a level in Throwing Weapons!]
She gained a level for each throw at first, although that quickly dropped down to multiple throws per level. Her accuracy didn't seem to improve much, and Elania found herself thinking that levels weren't all that great, even if they were easy to gain.
She managed to get two hits on the same Ralfot. That was her only success as the herd stampeded out of the cavern with the one she injured following, although at a slightly slower pace.
"Shit!"
She hadn't expected to hit something and it not actually die right away! She only had one javelin and her main spear left. She definitely wouldn't be able to take on the whole herd, especially if she didn't maintain the ledge advantage.
Still... Elania didn't want to just give up. The [Ralfot] was wounded, and as she made her way to the lower area, she noticed a significant trail of blood. Leaving the thing to suffer with her two javelins lodged in it seemed cruel as well.
She decided to follow after them, albeit stealthy as she could, and see if she could find another opportunity. The exit formed into an unfamiliar type of terrain. It was a long and wide tubular tunnel with impossibly smooth walls. The lack of rocks and fungal growth had her feeling exposed.
It led to a cavern highlighted in a completely different color scheme than what she had seen before. The ceiling was yellow, with hints of deep reds coming off the fungus. Elania blinked several times and rubbed her eyes as her vision adjusted to the brighter and more saturated colors. She found it easier to see, but everything was so vibrant it almost hurt to look at the cave flora.
It also made it harder to spot the trail of red blood.
[You have gained a level in Tracking!]
[You have gained a level in Stealth!]
Elania was racking up new skills and levels at a rapid pace, but it was hard to feel accomplished when they didn't seem to do much. Maybe she had set her expectations too high for the [System] to make things easy on her.
---
'How far does the stupid thing have to run? Why don't you just bleed the fuck out already?'
She followed the blood trail for a half dozen caverns and for what felt like hours. While pretty, the new caves seemed just as sparsely populated as the other areas she'd wandered through except for the Mushroohum cavern.
As she turned into the next cave, she finally ran into something which released Elania's worry that she'd never catch up to her wounded prey.
"Yes!"
The [Ralfot] was no longer moving, lying on its side near an incline up to another cavern entrance. Giving up her pretension of stealth, she broke into a jog to her prize. Except a loud "Glua-Glaa?" erupted as soon as she made a bit of noise, and Elania was sent scurrying for cover behind a rock.
[You have gained a level in Stealth!]
Taking a closer look, she cursed under her breath. A Mushroom Man had found her quarry, too. He was looking in her direction, sitting on a stone beside the wild Ralfot, a sharp-looking knife in one hand and a pile of skin at his feet.
Without wasting any time, he started skinning her kill! That angered Elania. She had worked so hard to bring it down. Looking back the way she came, she confirmed she hadn't been followed. That would give her an escape route if her new impulse led to 'Bad things.'
She broke out of cover and approached the Mushroom Man with spear and shield in hand. He didn't notice her at first. Was she moving that quietly with her increased stealth skill? Still, there was a limit, and when she entered a brightly-lit area, the Mushroom Man looked up and let out a familiar exclamation, immediately reaching for its own weapon.
Elania stopped and scanned the area, confirming there weren't any more Mushroom Men present. Then, she confidently pointed at the carcass.
"Mine!"
Rather than threaten her, it responded, although it still seemed wary of her.
"Glua-glaa?"
Unfortunately, her breakthrough in interspecies communication with the strange Mushroom Man was interrupted by one of the Darkwalkers pouncing from the shadows onto her conversation partner's back.
Elania froze in place as the Darkwalker pounced on the Mushroom Man. A rapid flurry of 'Glaa!' erupted as he was thrown to the floor, while the Darkwalker slashed and tore at his back.
Without weighing her options and acting on a sudden impulse, Elania decided to help the Mushroohum. Having discarded the idea of throwing something, she sprinted forward. The two combatants were struggling and rolling, and she didn't want to hit the one she was trying to help.
By the time she had arrived, the struggle had decidedly become less one-sided. The Mushroohum wasn't weak by any means and had managed to roll onto his back and place the shaft of his wooden spear in the Darkwalker's mouth. Unfortunately, that left the beast's claws free to rake and tear at the Mushroom Man's skin. Elania had just enough time to consider it strange that there was a distinct lack of blood from the wounds.
The Darkwalker was so preoccupied with its prey that it didn't notice her. She didn't let out a cry or warning yell, either. Instead, she tightly gripped the spear and held it in front of her as she charged. The spearhead slammed into the beast’s side, right behind its front leg. Elania felt the sharp point sinking deep into the flesh before the shaft began to bend and flex.
[You have gained a level in Weapon Mastery!]
The force was enough to throw the Darkwalker off the Mushroohum, who immediately gave up his spear and scrambled back to his belongings. Elania didn’t fault him for that retreat, she was pretty sure the Darkwalker had mauled him pretty savagely.
Elania let go of the spear as the Darkwalker lurched away. 'That should kill it.'
Unfortunately, her assumption wasn’t exactly correct. Despite the spear being lodged deep in its side, it didn’t collapse. Instead it turned, dislodging the spear and counter attacking. She yelped, doing her best to dodge the lunge and swing with her shorter javelin.
She managed to rake the sharp tip of the javelin across the Darkwalker's face, eliciting another hiss and growl. The spear wound had registered on the beast, and it was losing steam, moving slower.
Outnumbered and wounded, the black-furred predator turned to flee. Elania chased after it, but halted in surprise when a javelin arced through the air and impaled the Darkwalker in the neck.
'The Mushroohum! I completely forgot about him!'
Spinning around, she saw that the Mushroohum had rearmed himself with a spear, looking directly at her.
Right, she had helped him on impulse, but that didn't mean she'd accomplished her goal of communicating or claiming her kill.
"Glua-Glaaaa!"
"Uhh, yeah, those claw marks look like they hurt, but at least you don't actually bleed."
The Mushroohum tilted his head as she spoke. Maybe he could understand her after all?
"Glua-Glaa!"
Maybe not.
Gestures and hand-miming?
Elania pointed to herself and spoke slowly. "Elania."
Then she pointed to the Ralfot corpse. "Mine."
"Glaa?"
Elania held back an exasperated sigh. This wasn't working well, but thankfully, he hadn't stabbed her in the back when she wasn’t looking. In reality, he didn't seem eager to fight either. He was just staying vigilant.
Elania looked back at the Darkwalker corpse. 'Well, if he is claiming the Ralfot, I should get the Darkwalker.'
She kept an eye on the Mushroohum while backing up to the corpse, then placing a hand on its flank.
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N]
[You have absorbed 4 Power!]
[You have gained a level in Stealth!]
[You have gained Darkwalker Affinity!]
[Consume more Darkwalker Essence to enable Darkwalker Transformation!]
Like before, the corpse wisped away into nothingness, and she received the same messages from the system.
"Glaa!"
Elania stared back at the Mushroohum, focusing on the sound he made. Was that surprise she heard?
Elania still hadn't found any meaning in the seemingly two-word dialect of the Mushroom People's language, but she thought she noticed a slight change in tone. Slightly. Maybe she was going crazy and there wasn’t any connection at all.
The Mushroom Man seemed to tense up when Elania picked up her spear, although she wasn't sure why that should make a difference. She already had her javelin in hand.
"Hey. Uhh. I'm friendly and don't want to fight."
Elania looked at the Ralfot carcass again, trying to judge if it was worth claiming it. Despite her initial anger, getting the Darkwalker somehow seemed fair to her.
She used her javelin to gesture to the carcass. "I was hunting that one. Me. Javelin. Ralfot."
She did her best to mime her meaning.
"Glaa."
The same sound, this time, a slightly lower pitch came from him. She was losing hope that they'd be able to communicate when the Mushroohum moved to pick up one of the scattered items around his makeshift work area. Then he held up one of her javelins.
'Oh.'
Right, the Ralfot had one of her javelins in it. That proved her story. Not that she was sure how much it understood from what she had said. Perhaps he could tell that she had made both of them. The lengths of wood did look alike.
He held the javelin out to her horizontal, and it seemed like a perfectly understandable gesture. Elania cautiously closed the distance to accept her weapon back.
"Glaa."
"Yes."
"Glaa."
"Yes."
That went back and forth for a bit with no real meaning that Elania could discern. Eventually, he knelt and picked up the squares of rawhide he had produced.
[High-Quality Ralfot Skin]
Elania eyed the stack warily. While the idea of having some leather or cloth to work with appealed to her, she didn't have the skills. Raw hides and skins did not equal leather. They’d have to be preserved and tanned first and She hadn't the faintest clue of how to go about that. She dimly recalled it needing some kind of tree-bark… or animal brains? That thought was disgusting.
Grudgingly she accepted it, though, and that had the Mushroohum turn his attention to the carcass again, hopefully having decided that a peace accord was somehow reached.
Elania settled in a crouch nearby as she watched him work. The knife work was swift and efficient, although she couldn't judge the skill displayed. The system, however, thought highly of it.
[High-Quality Ralfot Steak]
[High-Quality Ralfot Skin]
[High-Quality Ralfot Steak]
Elania wasn't squeamish, but the work wasn't exactly clean. The thought that some of her girlfriends back home would have run screaming made her feel a bit accomplished. It was hard to imagine that this would upset her more than... well, everything that had happened since she arrived in Eladu.
"I can't just call you Mushroom Man. You need a name. How about Skinner? I think that works."
Skinner looked up at her when she talked, but didn't respond or show any understanding and was quickly back to cutting out what she assumed were the valuable bits of meat. It wasn't long before he was done.
"Glua-glaa."
The statement was followed by Skinner sliding a pile of raw meat on a square of skin toward her. Elania frowned; she had acquired animal skins and some meat, but what was she going to do with it? She could always cook the meat... if she could start a fire. Even thinking of trying to start a fire had her remember the horrible wildfire in the lower caves and set alarm bells going off in her head.
She didn't have the skills or knowledge to use these things. Then she noticed Skinner cleaning his knife and sliding it into a sheathe on his leather belt. That gave her an idea.
"Hey, what about a trade?"
The words didn't draw any attention, but she tried again more forcefully to claim Skinner's attention.
Gesturing to the skin and meat she had sitting in front of her, she then pointed to Skinner's belt and backpack. "Trade." She tried her best to mime the action of exchanging items and then waited.
At first, there wasn't a response, then what she thought might have been a surprise "Glaa?" erupted.
"Yes. Trade."
She pushed the skins and meat forward to him halfway, then stopped. There was a long pause as if considering her proposal, and then magic happened. Skinner took off his belt, removing the knife and copying her gesture of placing it halfway between them. She had hoped for the backpack too, but...
The scraps weren't worth much to her, and having a belt would be more useful.
Carefully, she took the belt and slid the scraps over to Skinner. "They're all yours now, Skinner."
"Glaa."
Elania sighed. For a moment, she wished they could speak, but eventually, she gave up. "Glaa, yeah."
Skinner's large eyes widened even more. "Glaa! Glaa?"
"No, I don't understand the Glaa."
Elania had left Skinner behind with his [Ralfot] carcass. She had decided that it'd be best to put some distance between herself and any distractions before she went on to fashion new javelins and make good on her idea for the belt.
Before long, she'd found an out-of-the-way cave with the [Tree-cap] she needed, and she went to work. She was quickly becoming very good at making javelins, carving the sharp points out of the staves she gathered with her dagger. For this bundle, she added a small notch to each javelin.
Then she got down to business on the leather belt. Taking a few scraps of her tattered robe off the bottom to tie small loops, Elania tug-tested them, making sure they didn't slide up or down. Satisfied, she slid one of her new javelins through the loop, and the small notch caught on it successfully.
A smile formed on her lips. Now she would be able to carry four javelins on her back, and everything she needed was somehow sorted. It was time to move on and look for more Darkwalkers.
After hours of wandering, she thought she spotted one, but whatever that creature was— much to her disappointment—disappeared immediately. She did gain a few levels in stealth, so there was that for a minor consolation prize.
Eventually, she found a herd of Ralfots, quite possibly the same herd she had molested earlier. Dejected by her progress at finding another [Darkwalker], Elania took a break to observe the herd while it idled and grazed on the glowing fungus in the cavern.
That proved to be a wise decision.
Her hiding spot was relatively quiet and it wasn’t long before she began to nod off. She was completely oblivious to a growing nervousness that began to spread through the [Ralfot] herd, at least until a sudden roar had her surging back to wakefulness.
A [Darkwalker] duo appeared suddenly, dispersing the frightened herd animals. Elania had pegged the Darkwalkers as solitary predators rather than pack hunters so she was a bit surprised. She certainly hadn't planned on taking on two of the beasts at the same time and hesitated. She briefly considered moving off while they were distracted chasing down the Ralfots.
But when one of said Ralfots was caught and tumbled to the ground right in front of her, the opportunity was too great to pass up. The [Darkwalker] was completely focused on strangling the young [Ralfot], jaws clamped tightly around its throat, in a bid to suffocate the poor thing.
That's when Elania let loose her first and second javelins. She was close enough that she could smell the blood from the rapidly exsanguinating animal. Both weapons flew true, impacting the Darkwalker's side. One bounced off, striking a bone, but the other sunk into a fleshy area around its flank.
The pained roar of the beast temporarily drowned out the frantic cries of the Ralfots. Immediately, the Darkwalker leaped away from its prey with a snarl. Yellow orbs snapped onto Elania as the beast sought out the source of the attack.
Elania didn’t hesitate and immediately threw her other two javelins. Both of these missed, despite the messages that she'd leveled up her skill twice.
'Bullshit!'
The wounded hunter let out a roar of challenge as it charged at her. Even though her heart threatened to beat out of her chest, she was prepared, spear leveled at it, she repeated the same tactic she had used for her first [Darkwalker] kill. They might not have tusks, but when charging, they resembled a rampaging boar.
That was fine with Elania as she had faith in a tactic that had already proved to work. She calmly held the spearpoint straight-on with the beast's chest and braced herself for the impact.
Just as before, the beast's weight bent the length of the spear, nearly snapping it as it impaled itself. The fact that she had chosen a thicker shaft than her first spear helped considerably. The [Darkwalker] spit a defiant growl at Elania one last time before going limp.
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N]
A startling roar from nearby had Elania snap her attention toward it.
'Oh, crap! The other one! Absorb! Quick!'
She struggled to pull the spear from the corpse as it began to disintegrate. The second [Darkwalker] charged at her in a mad frenzy.
'Shit, did I kill its mate or something?'
It reached her just as she gained control of the spear, but it was too late to set the point. Instead, she ended up sideswiping it in the neck with the shaft, in a quick deflection that sent it hurling to the side.
Except that the creature had the reflexes of a cat. Spinning around it and pouncing on her again before she could do anything but place the shaft of her spear into a set of slobbering jaws. The rumbling roar it let out as it tried to crush the soft wood in its mouth was deafening.
Despite the fury and onslaught, Elania was stronger than the smaller predator. Realizing she needed something for an up-close fight, she released one hand on the shaft and frantically struggled to retrieve the dagger from her pocket.
Claws raked her side and arm, and the next snarl from the beast elicited a scream in reply from Elania. She fell backward, the sudden tumble sending them rolling down a slick stony bank of moss and blood-covered stone.
Elania lost her hold on the spear, and the [Darkwalker] recovered first, darting in to chomp at her throat. She barely managed to raise her arm in time to intercept the bite. It felt like her bones would be crushed under the massive pressure of the Darkwalker’s bite. Ignoring the searing pain, her fingers finally found what she was looking for, and the steel dagger came flashing out of her robe.
The dagger's steel tip caught a glint of luminescent light as it plunged into the side of the Darkwalker's neck. It sunk through flesh and slid past bone in a sickening easily way before Elania pulled it free and proceeded to stab the beast over and over, screaming with all her might.
Only when the message came up did she stop, her chest heaving from the exertion and adrenaline.
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N]
She leaned down against a rock, as [Regeneration] finished its work and she was made whole. Checking her [Status], she realized the 'Power' cost of the healing was almost as much as she had taken from the [Darkwalker] duo.
'But I gained skills in the process.'
Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind and body to catch up with the events. Considering that she didn't know her options, she needed to increase her skills and be more prepared if she was going to keep doing this.
A mewl had her eyes snap open. It sounded like a [Darkwalker] but was strangely high-pitched. It wasn't hard to spot the source of the sound. It was a young [Darkwalker], only a quarter of the size of the ones she had seen.
It let out another cry and continued to search the cavern cautiously. Eventually, the kit noticed her and let out a howling scream.
Elania felt a roil of emotions at the sound. 'I killed its mom and dad.'
She didn't feel guilty at killing the two Darkwalkers, they had been predators themselves, and the young dead [Ralfot] was still lying nearby. But she did feel a sense of empathy for the little guy.
"I'm sorry. They're gone."
It cried back at her, whining. She didn't think it really understood what she was saying, but she knew that it somehow knew what had happened. It approached her, following its parents' scent trail, before stopping out of her reach and hissing at her.
"Yeah. I would hiss too."
Elania stood and took a step forward. The kit spun and started to scramble and run away. She was much faster and bigger, though, and caught it by the scruff of its neck. It hissed and struggled a bit as she held him up and determined that he was a boy. His upset wiggling intensified but instead of letting him go right away, she deposited him next to the dead [Ralfot.]
[Do you wish to absorb the Ralfot's Essence? Y/N]
She refused and watched him sniff at his parent's kill before she moved away. He spun in circles growling and hissing at first, but then seemed to get the idea as he began to eat.
"That's all I can do for you. I'm not ready to adopt."
She didn't leave immediately, though. Instead, she found a dark corner and used her ability to hide. Eventually, the kit finished its meal, then found its own spot along the cave's edge, curled up, and went to sleep.
That was enough for Elania. He'd survive or not, based on his instincts. Now she needed to remake her javelins and spear. The shield had been useless as she had not been able to switch to it in time, but she hoped to get better at handling the weapons.
Elania realized she didn’t need a camp. She could make do with what she had at hand, and anchoring herself to a spot wasn’t necessary. Once she caught some prey, she could search and stalk another without returning to a base.
It would have been nice to have one for when she slept, but that was a luxury. It wasn't going to make much difference if she found a hidden nook somewhere else to take the two or three-hour naps she required now.
Elania spent what felt like weeks practicing her ability to hunt. She had parted ways amicably with Skinner, but hoped that they would meet again. She felt lonely with little idea of what she should do, other than keep hunting and trying to memorize the caverns' layout.
She was grateful for the leather belt that she had turned into a sheath that went across her shoulder. Now she was able to easily draw up to four javelins from it, although it had cost her the last four scraps of cloth she had been carrying.
Still, it was well worth it because of how many projectiles she could now carry. That was important because she found that throwing javelins without a target didn't seem to help her level her [Throwing Weapons] skill.
She had figured out that it was essential to level those skills. She hadn't noticed much difference in them at first, but that was because the effect they had was terraced at every five or ten levels.
Calling up her [Status] screen, she looked at the results of her hard work.
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 21
Power: 125/152
Karma: 24
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana, Darkwalker]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 6 (Deactivated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 12, Battle Concentration Lvl 1]
[Physical: Unarmed Combat Lvl - 4, Darkvision Lvl - 3 (Activated), Dodging Lvl - 18, Block Lvl - 12, Stealth Lvl - 31, Throwing Weapons Lvl - 24, Combat Mastery Lvl - 9]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 4, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3, Athletics Lvl - 9, Improvised Crafting Lvl - 19, Tracking Lvl 4]
[Attributes: Elania Reyes]
[Current Attributes:
Demon Contract (1 Available)
Regeneration (Normal)
Demonic Self-Sustenance
Enhanced Physical Abilities (Strength, Mana Capacity)
Immunity (Darkness)
Resistance (Poison, Mana)
Weakness (Holy)]
She hadn't experimented any more with her [Mana Manipulation] because, without the Mana Shard, she wasn't ensured a free 'Power' ration. With her Aura off, the consumption of 'Power' had reduced below what she had measured before, so it had been easy to keep it climbing with each kill.
More than ever, she was more appreciative of just how much having that Mana Shard had saved her life at first. She'd never have survived the encounter with the other Demon if she hadn't been jacked up on 'Power' like an addict.
As the amount of essence and 'Power' she had increased, so too had all her abilities seemed to expand across the board. She was faster, stronger, and didn't feel as much fatigue. It wasn't nearly as exaggerated as when she had gone over her power limit, but the effect was certainly easily felt.
Even then, she had almost been killed twice since meeting Skinner, and the cost [Regeneration] had meant that she couldn’t let herself take injuries needlessly. Luckily, like food and water, she needed little sleep, only bothering to take a nap for a few hours between long expanses where she stalked her prey.
'Absorbing the Dalkwalkers felt good.'
Ralfots had the same effect but immensely less potent. They did, however, have good use other than just absorbing. They made good bait.
The whole concept of absorbing the Darkwalkers began to scare her a little. Deep down, she knew that it had changed her... if only a little. She didn't want to lose herself.
By the time her ‘Status’ was reporting her ‘Power’ was nearly full she felt she had improved her skills enough that it was time to get back her Mana Shard.
Elania kept to the shadows as she made her way toward what she had started callingthe Mushroohum Fields, which was the place she had first encountered the Bone Demon… and stomped on the poor Elnat before being chased away. She'd avoided those areas mostly, not wanting to get in a fight with the Mushroom Men, despite her success dealing with Skinner.
The cavern hadn't changed, but she had. She'd absorbed enough [Darkwalker] essence that [Stealth] had become her highest leveled skill, and as her 'Power' had risen, it showed. She wasn't quite capable of sneaking up on the Darkwalkers yet, but she could get close enough to throw a javelin as long as she took her time.
Ralfots and Elnats were now child's play in comparison, especially since she kept her distance with no intent to hurt the Mushroohum's herd animals.
Elania was torn between contacting them and trying to communicate, or sneaking in and trying to make a plan on retrieving the Mana Shard.
'Both options suck.'
Still, she had to try, and scouting the outskirts would be the first step.
Except things didn't go according to plan. Once she got closer, it became clear that the Elnats and Ralfots she'd been 'sneaking' past were absent. The fungal growths that acted as the Mushroohum village’s gates had been torn apart somehow, with giant gaping holes in the fungal walls.
For a moment, Elania felt torn between wanting her Mana Shard back and worrying about the Mushroom People. Whatever their differences, she had never really wished them harm.
Elania didn't blame them for taking the shard or even attacking her when they found her with their animals. If the last few days had taught her anything, it was how predatory the caverns were.
As she moved closer to the breaches, she could hear sounds coming from inside. Growls and hisses and roars that she'd recognize anywhere.
'Darkwalkers?'
Why, how? They were predators that usually hunted alone or in small packs as far as she knew. It would have taken a dozen or more of them working together to tear down the wall. As far as she knew, they were just beasts that followed their instincts to stalk and hunt the wild Ralfots.
Slipping through a hole in the wall, she started up a narrow tunnel that slightly sloped downward. A musty odor filled her nose as the air turned more humid and warm. It wasn't long before the sounds grew louder, and the faint ‘Glua-Glaa’ of the Mushroohum's was barely discernible. Whatever battle lay ahead was still in progress.
When Elania finally reached the end of the tunnel and stepped out onto a small ledge, she felt her breath catch.
It was a circular cavern, with a steaming lake centered in the middle of the caldera-like formation. Numerous buildings, much like the one she had taken shelter in surrounded the water in a semicircle, while the rest of the cave was dotted with the all-familiar fungal growths. The glowing moss blanketed the ceiling thickly, although it looked like it had been pruned back from the wall edges purposefully.
The sight and sounds of the battle riveted her attention as she took in the rapidly evolving action. There were dozens of the Darkwalkers, and they were tearing the Mushroohums to pieces.
Little groups of spear and shield-wielding Mushroom Men still stood defiantly, huddled in small circles, or falling back into the stone buildings. Some had been cut off in the open and fought back to back, while others were pulled down as they attempted to run. Spears and javelins poked back against tooth and claw, but the Darkwalkers seemed to have the advantage.
It didn't make sense to Elania. Had she been totally wrong about the Darkwalkers being small pack hunters? What could have prompted them to work en masse to assault the Mushroohums? Judging from her previous encounters with the beasts, she never pegged them as the cooperating kind. So what was driving them?
'I should get out of here and come back later. There are too many, and the Mushroohums might even attack me.'
It was a very human emotion that held her captive before eventually winning out. Greed.
Dozens of [Darkwalker] corpses were strewn in lines, mixed with even more Mushroom Men. Elania jogged toward the battle. There was no sign of any rearguard or tactics on the part of the Darkwalkers, only pure fury and a forward driving attack. It left Elania free to come in behind them, making a beeline for the nearest corpse between her and the conflict.
She just had to reach the corpse and touch it. The sight of the body turning into essence and mist was no longer novel.
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N]
[You have absorbed 4 Power!]
[You have gained a level in Stealth!]
[You have gained [Darkwalker] Affinity!]
[Consume more [Darkwalker] Essence to enable [Darkwalker] Transformation!]
She sped down the line, repeating the same process for each corpse until suddenly she skidded to a standstill to stare at the new [System] prompt.
[Absorb the lingering Power from ???? - Mushroohum - Level 27's corpse? Y/N]
She'd absorbed a [Ralfot] and many Darkwalkers already, but she'd considered them animals, or in the Darkwalker's case, something more like a monster.
Mushroohum's were people. They smelled like old laundry, were awful to look at, and came with a terrible attitude, but they were still people.
The Bone Demon didn't actually count. It might have been a person at one time, but Elania hadn't discerned any humanity left in the thing as it tried to savage her. The thought of her becoming like that was terrifying.
She immediately refused the system's suggestion, leaving the dead Mushroohums alone, but continued to pick up the Darkwalkers in her path.
[Your body is reaching the limits of its capacity for Power!]
[Your body has reached the limit of its capacity for Power!]
[Find a stronger body or reduce your current Power!]
[Your body has exceeded the limit of its capacity for Power!]
[Your body is experiencing slight thermal degradation!]
That was fine. She felt the heat building inside her, but she could handle a little discomfort and trusted [Regeneration] to handle anything worse.
She came upon a [Darkwalker] that hadn't died yet but was still squirming on the ground, Mushroohum spear still impaling it to the ground. Elania paused briefly, just long enough to finish it off with a quick thrust from her own weapon.
She felt light on her feet. She was high on the 'Power' now that she had gotten used to how it flowed through her.
[Your body is slightly adapting.]
The shouts and noises of the conflict in front of her grew louder with every step she took, and for the first time, one of the Darkwalkers turned on her with a snarl. That seemed to alert the other beasts, and suddenly half a dozen monsters stopped attacking a haggard Mushroohum formation and charged at her.
Taking in the four beasts charging at her, Elania paused slightly. She should have turned and run or looked for some sort of high-ground that would give her a defensive advantage.
She didn't.
Instead, she continued forward before suddenly stopping and hurling a javelin at the one in the lead. Despite the Darkwalker’s zig-zagging course, the thrown weapon intercepted it just as it landed from a leap. Somehow she had known exactly where it was going to land and the sharp point of her weapon buried itself in the beast’s eye, causing it to stumble sideways and collapse before going still. The ability to predict its path shook her slightly. It was like instinct or an omniscient prescience that somehow came from her absorbing so much [Darkwalker] essence so quickly.
Elania took off in another charge to meet the second [Darkwalker] head-on, lunging forward with her spear and managing to impale it through the throat. However, the thrashing animal managed to pull her weapon out of her grip as it lurched away from her.
Pulling out her dagger, she spun around, raising her shield above her head. The snarl and rage of the [Darkwalker] pouncing on her from above was lost in the din of combat in the cavern.
The beast was heavy as it landed on her shield, digging its front and back claws into the wood even as it tried to rip it off her arm. Elania slammed her dagger right through the loose weave of the wood and into the beast's chest several times before she tossed it and her shield to the side.
She didn't have time to calm her breathing, though, as a sudden heat flared in the back of her left leg. 'Fuck!'
She tried to turn around, but the beast had a firm grip on the back of her leg and moved with her, claws raking forward to try and do more damage while toppling her over.
Two more Darkwalkers had abandoned the main attack on the Mushroohums and were coming for her. That was when it became clear to her that the one mauling her leg was doing its best to try and pin her down for them.
Elania couldn't let that happen. She kicked forward her leg the beast had attached itself to while jumping backward, landing on the ground. It was an acrobatic move that only worked because of the ridiculous strength coursing through her. Being on the ground with a ferocious beast with massive claws and daggers for teeth was at best a very calculated risk to take, and the [Darkwalker] immediately pounced at her going for her throat.
She had known it would, and she swung just at the right time to intercept it mid-air and pin it to the ground herself. Steel flashed, and she shoved her blade right behind an ear and into the beast's skull, forcing it to go still instantly.
'I'm turning into Lara Croft. Maybe I'll get a movie or a book.'
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N]
She didn't even think about it before accepting it, quickly repeating the process with the other two nearby.
[Your body has dramatically exceeded the limit of its capacity for Power!]
[You are nearing the absolute limits of your body!]
[Due to your high Power, Regeneration is enhanced!]
Next, Elania checked her Power. The overwhelming feeling of being invincible was warring with the fire that burned in her chest and the thick sheen of sweat pouring off her.
[Power: 295/160]
'I need to try something new, or I'm going to burn myself to bits.'
The thought of not absorbing the essence didn't come to her. It was like a drug that felt good. Better to burn off the extra 'Power' so she could absorb more than let it go to waste.
She drew another javelin and let it fly, impaling the first of the new attackers. The second [Darkwalker] wasn't far behind, but she went into a crouch with her dagger in hand. When it leaped at her, she pointed the blade at it and closed her eyes, and focused.
[You have gained a level in Mana Manipulation!]
[You have gained a level in Mana Manipulation!]
[You have gained a level in Mana Manipulation!]
Elania felt the heat lessen inside her as it poured out of her body and into her weapon. Staring down at it, she confirmed that the tip of the blade was glowing a brilliant white that suddenly surged and then leaped like an arrow at the Darkwalker.
The light punched through it like a ballista bolt, not slowing down at all as it left a bloody gaping hole left in the Darkwalker's chest. It continued all the way through and slammed into the side of a Mushroohum building before exploding into a massive cloud of dust and debris.
The cloud sent Darkwalkers scurrying away and yelping in surprise, and the beleaguered Mushroohums dragged their wounded companions inside.
[Power: 180/168]
Elania barely succeeded in suppressing a maniacal giggling fit as she considered the ridiculousness of the magic attack. As the dust settled, she had to admit it had been undeniably effective at suppressing the beasts locally. However, across the entire area, there were still pockets of Darkwalkers taking down stragglers.
Several more Darkwalkers peeled off from the group, and she moved to meet them. As the group and her dashed toward each other, she realized she had another skill that she had been neglecting to try.
[Demonic Aura(Activated)]
The effect was staggering. Every single [Darkwalker] in the cavern stopped and howled, homing in and rushing toward Elania. The ones closest to her were smashed out of the air and flattened against the ground like a massive hand had suddenly fallen and slapped them.
'Well, that pissed them off.'
That made it incredibly easy for her to go up to each one and stab her dagger into an eye socket as they struggled to move. She quickly absorbed their essence and eyed the rest of the pack rushing her. There were at least twelve.
'They aren't getting flattened as they get closer like these were.'
[Demonic Aura(Deactivated)]
[You cannot activate Demonic Aura for 30 minutes.]
'Dammit. I guess that would have been too easy.'
Tre'gat'aru was one of the most experienced hunters and skilled javelin throwers of the Mu'roya tribe. Countless young shrooms had tried to mimic him, only to be cut down before they could even complete their first hunt.
The [Ralfot] and Elnat caves did not prepare them for the harsh tunnels that were full of Darkwalkers and other cunning predators.
Despite his experience, the others had no wanted to risk him in the melee below, so he'd been forced to take his current position on the roof of the trade hall, with several thick bundles of spears while the younger warriors tried their best to stop the onslaught of the beasts attacking the village.
Tre'gat'aru had never seen so many beasts come together in one place before. Something must have smoked or burnt them out of the deep tunnels below where they mostly dwelled, but he had no inkling of what could have caused such a massive exodus.
Things were looking grim as the large numbers of the beasts slowly picked away at the more inexperienced warriors, even as he did his best to support them from afar. He never expected the sudden blast of blinding light to send the Darkwalkers scattering, or that he would recognize the source of the explosion.
It was the demon. The demon with the shape of a human that he had met in the caverns and traded with. The one that was reported to have haunted the cave before attempting to kill one of the village's Elnats.
Tre'gat'aru watched in awe as the demon sprang forward, thinking nothing of the six Darkwalkers charging at her. She threw her two remaining javelins with deadly accuracy and then spun and danced as the remaining four leaped around her, trying to find room to pounce and claim her, only to find themselves slashed or countered by perfect timing and grace.
Then he shivered as the demon consumed the beast's souls. He felt fear along with a slight amount of hope, though, as his eyes slowly rose across her previous path and noticed that the bodies of the fallen warriors had not been consumed. She had spared their souls. They would remain to nourish the next generation.
Elania's lungs burned as she took in great heaves of breath while she leaned on a rock, surrounded by a mound of corpses and staring at the plethora of [System] messages.
The sounds of the battle had settled off, but the cavern was far from quiet as "Glau-glaa!" was intermixed with the pained cries of the wounded. A few remaining Darkwalkers that still clung to life added their whines and growls to the battlefield.
[Do you wish to absorb the Darkwalker's Essence? Y/N] x16
Elania checked her 'Power,' and it was still dangerously high, although she knew that just by the burn in her chest.
[Power: 340/196]
She didn't know what would happen if she absorbed more, but she still wanted to do it. The pull of more [Darkwalker] essence called to her.
But a single message was enough to freeze her to immobility, an inner debate warring inside herself.
[You have achieved maximum [Darkwalker] Affinity, do you wish to take [Darkwalker] Transformation? Y/N]
She never hated the [System] more than now. Why didn't it explain to her what [Darkwalker] Transformation would do to her? Was it permanent? Would she become a Darkwalker? Did it increase her skills?
Would it use some of her 'Power' so she could claim more of the [Darkwalker] essence she craved?
She was dimly aware of the Mushroohums in the background. A few had taken up watch of her, a safe javelin's distance away, but the rest had set about looking for wounded and recovering their dead. They specifically avoided coming any closer to her unless they had to.
It was better than their first meeting when they chased her for stepping on the Elnat, and with her experience with Skinner, she hoped that they'd be friendly after helping them.
Before she could decide what to do about the offered Transformation, a larger group of the Mushroohums approached. She bristled. The new arrivals' posture didn't seem friendly at all, and they all were brandishing spears. Even in her jumped-up state, she'd be hard-pressed to dodge two dozen spears thrown in a volley.
A single large Mushroohum that dwarfed the others pressed its way to the front. Unlike all the others, he was wrapped in a crimson red cloth, which she decided meant he probably held some authority. A noble of some sort? Did mushrooms have nobility? If she went by Mario then they should have a princess at least. The new arrival didn’t seem to qualify though as he pointed at her and shouted in the loudest voice she had heard from the Mushroohums.
"GLUA-GLAA!"
The entire formation of Mushroohums raised their arms and aimed their spears, ready to throw at her.
Elania's first instinct to attack was restrained when she realized the group had just been ordered to be ready. When the spears didn’t come at her she wasn’t sure if she should bolt toward them, or try and escape. Her mind was muddled and leaped from one alternative to the other as the excess Power and the high concentration of Darkwalker essence made everything hazy. The constant incomprehensible shouting of rude mushrooms wasn't helping her state of mind, either.
"Glua-Glaa! Glua-Glaa!"
Elania watched their leader point its spear at her and shout angrily. At least she thought it was angry. That wasn't entirely clear, but the thing it was trying to communicate was: ‘Leave. Leave now.’ The threat with the ready spears was implicit.
Elania didn't move. She couldn't. A small rational voice was shouting at her to go, that it wasn't a good idea to antagonize them, and how she needed friends. She could barely hear it, for the other less-rational one was screaming with all the loudness of the ‘Power’ coursing through her, warning her that they were going to take her kills and the Darkwalker essence she hadn't absorbed yet. That it would be easy to leap forward and end them all.
The Leader's shouting reached a crescendo, and she thought he was about to throw his spear at her first in a mad rage. Ever so slightly, she altered her stance, so she would be able to leap out and slit his annoying throat first.
A larger Mushroohum finally managed to push its way to the front and grabbed the Leader's arm, pulling the raised spear down. An angry exchange began, but Elania was focused on the newcomer. She recognized him.
Skinner had some kind of clout over the other Mushroohums because the others in the military formation relaxed and lowered their spears as the two in front argued. The exchange grew in intensity, with the gestures becoming erratic. She frowned and felt frustrated that she would never understand the frantic 'GluaGlaa' they spoke.
Elania wasn't sure what she could do other than wait when a roar echoed throughout the cavern. It came from the path Elania had used to reach the village, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. It was easily two heads taller than her, and the dark feline shape was unmistakable. How had it grown so large?
[ ???? - Lesser Demon (S Rank Monster) - Level 87]
'Identify is useless! That's not a demon, it's a massive fucking Darkwalker!'
"Glaa!" erupted from the assembled Mushroohums, and they scattered and ran for the buildings. The massive Demonic Beast was fast approaching seemingly seeking revenge for the deaths of all the smaller Darkwalkers. No one was going to make it back to any sort of safety of the stone buildings.
Unless she somehow slowed it down.
Elania could only think of one thing: to use a [Mana Manipulation] attack. Pulling out her dagger, she focused. Somehow the beast sensed the threat immediately, and her eyes widened as it changed the trajectory of its charge straight toward her.
It caused her to panic and release the ‘Power’ before she had pooled enough of it for a massive attack like earlier, but the light shooting out of the tip of her dagger was still impressive. It was a thin stiletto of ‘Power’ that intersected the Demon Darkwalker's chest. Unfortunately, it cost a huge chunk of her 'Power' that she had stacked up.
Worse, it had little effect.
Elania accepted the messages to absorb the Darkwalker essences, just seconds before the beast slammed into her. She went flying and then tumbling as she landed on her back. She didn't manage to get back on her feet before the beast snapped its jaws around her arm, yanking her back and forth and dislocating her shoulder.
She realized she was screaming while stabbing at her assailant. Steel found flesh creating a shallow nick that came close to the beast's face, and it let go of her roaring as she fell to the ground.
[Your physical status is degrading.]
She heard and felt her shoulder pop as it went back into place on its own, and the seeping wounds on her side quickly knitted themselves back together. Except then, the Demon Beast raked her front with a set of massive claws.
It was much worse than the Bone Demon, the massive Darkwalker's claws cutting deep like razor-sharp knives. Her dagger was too short, her javelins used up, and she had no idea where her spear and shield had gone, not that the flimsy wooden weapons would do much good against a monster like this.
[Power: 320/200]
Despite absorbing the mound of corpses, her ‘Power’ was draining rapidly, and she hadn't even managed to scratch the Darkwalker Demon. A massive claw raked down again, but this time she managed to roll to the side and slash with her dagger, drawing a thin line of blood through the thick fur.
'It's like trying to fight a bear with a butterknife!'
She scrambled away, but pain flared as it caught her leg in a pair of jaws and tossed her again. This time she managed to lessen the impact by tumbling into a dodge-roll, but the assault didn’t stop as it quickly chased after her with a follow-up attack.
"Glua-glaa!"
Elania was unaware that the fight had led them close to the village, and the nearest building had a dozen Mushroohums atop the roof. Briefly, she got a glimpse of them brandishing spears before they let loose a volley. Straight at her! No, she realized, they were directed at the Darkwalker Demon; she was just where it was going to be when they arrived!
She continued her evasion, and sure enough, the Demon pounced after her, right into a thicket of falling spears. It roared in a fury, now ignoring her, and rushing toward the building in zig-zagging leaps that made further volleys useless. Elania cursed under her breath. If it got close to them, it’d destroy the Mushroohums.
They didn't heal as she did.
She summoned her ‘Power’ again, preparing for another magical ranged attack. The Darkwalker Demon paused immediately and sniffed the air, before turning and roaring at her just as before. But she was prepared this time, and even as it charged at her, she kept her focus.
Her dagger had long reached the blinding white light from before and surpassed it. It was so much that her hand felt like it was burning just from being near the metal. Still, she kept hold of the ‘Power’ until the last second, just as the Demon Darkwalker pounced.
The light leaped forward through the rapidly shortening distance between them. The blast was enough to physically lift the Demon back up into the air and send it flying away, with trails of smoke and the smell of sizzling skin and burnt fur filling the air.
Elania wasn't unhurt herself as the pain flooded up through her arm. The skin of her hand was knitting itself back together, and that was as nearly as painful as when it had been completely incinerated.
The Darkwalker Demon crashed with a heavy thud, and for a moment, she thought that the fight was over. Before she could celebrate her victory, the creature stood up and roared in warning. Elania felt the blood drain from her face. How could this be? It was wounded, and she could clearly see the massive gouge across its chest that continued all the way down its side.
It charged at her again.
[Power: 112/204]
She didn't have ‘Power’ for another blast. She'd used it all on the last one! Looking down at the remains of her ruined dagger, Elania felt a sense of defeat. The blade was no longer straight or sharp, but a rounded melted mess. She had no chance against it in close combat, unless...
She stared at the message she hadn’t answered yet, and a ray of hope tinted with a hint of fear overtook her.
[You have achieved maximum Darkwalker Affinity. Do you wish to take Darkwalker Transformation? Y/N]
[You have achieved maximum Darkwalker Affinity. Do you wish to take Darkwalker Transformation? Y/N]
Elania eyed the Darkwalker Demon barreling down on her. What other option did she have? Her heart pounded in her chest, and an icy cold replaced the warmth when she finally answered.
'Yes.'
---
Tre'gat'aru watched with a respectful silence as the Dark God barreled down on the smaller Demon. Only in the most ancient stories of the tribe was the Underworld God mentioned, always the forebearer of doom and destruction.
So it was with absolute awe that the Mushroohums had watched the smaller Demon challenge the massive beast with only a small blade. All had expected her to die from a single bite, and then the fury and death would be upon the village.
Tre'gat'aru wasn’t so sure because the smaller Demon had shown uncommon abilities during the battle. In all probability, she could have made short work of Jal'yar'tin and his hastily assembled hunters if she had wanted.
The fight went almost as expected with the Dark God pummeling the smaller demon to and fro. The hunters had even tried their best to help her which seemed futile until the little demon unleashed the massive blast of power. He even had a small hope that the Dark God would be dead. When it stood up, he released a breath he did not know he had been holding and watched as it began its attack anew, wounded but not hampered by the mighty blow.
Eyes turned to the little human Demon. Tre'gat'aru took in her tattered attire and now-useless weapon. She had done her best to help them, and all of the Mushroohums watching knew that, no matter their prejudices. They'd tried to help her in the fight by drawing the Dark God's attention with their spears, but it had shrugged them off, dodging them effortlessly.
It would come after them next, and the tribe was doomed to be devoured, just like the legends had foretold.
The younger warriors urged the older craftsman to flee, as groups ran piecemeal toward the far entrance and possible escape. All of them knew it was unlikely they would find safety if they left the cavern, but it seemed the only chance they had. Older warriors, or those who thought it would make a difference, stood around Tre'gat'aru and prepared for a final battle in the hopes of slowing the Dark God down.
A scream erupted from the human Demon, and she fell to her knees, holding her head. Tre’gat’aru watched on in confusion as a swirl of dark mist seemed to surround the small demon, and the Dark God roared in protest as it halted at the edge of the cloud.
Then the unbelievable happened. A second Dark God flung itself out of the cloud, straight at the other! No... Tre'gat'aru realized it wasn't a second Dark God but the human Demon! Somehow it had turned into a Dark God... or was it a Dark God all along and just now showing its true form?
It had helped the village through the entire attack... Why did it fight its own kind for the village? Tre'gat'aru didn't understand, but deep down he hoped the new one would continue to help them.
The two beasts clashed, tooth and claw flashing at one another. The... Human-Dark God was slightly smaller and seemed to be cornered at first, but her wounds healed while the larger Dark God was already wounded by the magic energy the human-demon had struck it with. There was no magical healing for him.
The two massive demons tumbled and rolled as they both sought to seek advantage. Tre'gat'aru’s heart went cold when the Human-Dark God got pinned on the stone for a moment, and the other clamped down on the back of its neck. She managed to roll loose, but only barely, and Tre'gat'aru realized the outcome was far from certain.
The Mushroohum warriors had a chance to make a difference. He raised his spear and let out a vocal cry along with a horde of spores that would communicate his meaning to the others.
"We must help the new Dark God defeat the Old if the village is to survive! Brave ones, follow me!"
---
The whirlwind of power and essence pooled around her, and then she felt herself change. It wasn't painful, but it was sudden and disorienting. It was harder to think clearly as she stretched her new claws and dragged them across the hard stone. She had four powerful limbs, a tail that seemed to swish on its own accord, and a powerful set of jaws.
A roar erupted from nearby, and her set of glowing crimson eyes snapped up instantly, seeing through the dark mist easily and locating the source. Her new instincts flared, and it was clear to her. This was an enemy.
The enemy. The one who hurt her. One she must bring down.
She lurched forward, leaping through the air effortlessly. The other had not been able to peer through the cloud of essence that had shrouded her, and the element of surprise was hers. She clawed savagely at its throat, snapping down on a shoulder before he threw her off and spun to face her.
Elania hissed and bared her fangs before pouncing again, but he was larger, stronger, and just as fast. They clashed together, and claws rent skin asunder as both endeavored to clamp down on the other with vicious fangs. They broke apart with snarls before leaping at each other again, but with the same inconclusive result.
There was a pause in the repeated clashes, and as they pulled further apart, the taste of blood filled her mouth, and the strong smell of blood overwhelmed her senses. Using her long tongue to lick her lips, she let out another roar in challenge. She felt strong, and her wounds were healing, unlike her enemy's.
She was winning. Leaping forward again, she went for his throat, but he spun and dodged while somehow pouncing on her from behind. She roared in pain as he clamped down on the back of her neck and then tried to shake her head off.
She struggled to dislodge him, the attempt seemingly hopeless, but she didn’t give up, sending them both in a tumble down a bank of stone. A cloud of dust shot up into the air, and she caught sight of him leaping atop a rock. She jumped after him, slamming into his side and sending him skidding sideways.
He spun and hissed at her, his claws flashing and barely coming short of her eyes. She fell backward, and then he pounced, managing to rake a set of claws down her side and pinning her to the stone. She roared and tried to regain her feet, but his weight was heavy. He growled, but the searing pain of a bite to her throat never came.
"Glua-Glaa!"
Little sticks clattered around them, and she noticed that it had distracted the enemy. Several of them had stuck into his skin, and he had turned to the new threat. She lurched back onto her feet and charged, teeth clamping down on his flank as she clawed at his back.
He spun, but she refused to release her bite until he finally rolled away. She came back up with a large chunk of his flesh hanging in her jaws. She swallowed what she could, and the wet meaty chunks warmed her throat pleasantly.
A small moving mushroom ran forward and thrust its spear at the enemy. It was the first time she realized that anyone existed but him and her. She marked them as 'they,' and as she moved forward to attack again, one got in her way.
She let out a furious roar that sent it tumbling onto its flank before she rushed forward to attack once more. He rose and let out a deafening roar that was powerful enough to give everyone pause, even her.
She stopped halfway through her attack and stared at him. Blood oozed out of dozens of wounds. Any other creature would have faltered from just a few of those deep rents left by her claws, but he stood powerful and still strong. The sound of his roar was undeniably male, just as she knew she was female.
Why was he the enemy? She should have been pleased to have such a strong mate to sire her kits. As if reading her thoughts, his tail slowly raised up straight into the air, an unmistakable feline gesture for peace and she felt a flush of warmth as her own responded to the gesture.
A Mushroohum shouted its war cry, then stabbed at him with a spear. Demon Darkwalker effortlessly dodged and pounced, jaws gripping the Mushroom Man's head before twisting and ripping it from its body.
He was the enemy! Despite the fog in her mind, she did remember. The small ones were to be protected as they had to return something to her.
She would not accept him as a mate! Fury coursed through her, and she charged with a roar. He whirled around toward her, and they clashed once more. Claws raked her shoulders, but she had darted in faster than he could react. He was getting slow from the massive loss of blood.
Her teeth found his throat, and he tried to shake her off. She roared into her clamped down teeth as she held on, refusing to let go no matter how much he battered her with his claws. She could feel him weakening, his strength draining as his lifeblood beat out into her mouth.
She forced him onto his back and pinned him down until his heart beat no more. Triumph overwhelmed her senses, and raising her head, she roared her victory.
[You have met the requirements for Darkwalker Demon evolution.]
[Do you wish to evolve your race to Darkwalker Demon? Y/N]
Why was that a question? She was a Darkwalker, guided by her new instincts. Just as she was about to agree, a sound drew her attention.
"Glua-Glaa."
She looked down from her kill to one of the Mushroohums. It had come much too close to her, and her kill. She leaped up and opened her jaws to tear his neck.
Before her teeth clamped down, the glint of recognition brought her to a halt as she stared at the two objects, he was holding up to her. It was a leather belt and a brightly glowing rock.
Her breath caressed the Mushroohum’s flesh before she bent her neck and took the belt, hooking it on a tooth. The stone belonged to her. It was her belt. She knew this.
Elania refused the Darkwalker evolution.
[Your ‘Power’ is low, all active abilities have been disabled, and your transformation will reverse.]
She felt herself shrinking, her body changing. A terrible cold filled her, and pain coursed through her entire body, from head to toe. She was now as naked as the night she was summoned, and brought her arms around her to protect from the cold.
"Glua-glaa."
She didn't respond as she collapsed against the blood-soaked body of the Darkwalker. Before she could read the message that appeared in front of her, darkness claimed her.
Skinner looked down at her, he was grateful for all she had done. A few moments later after directing the others he returned to where she had collapsed. She did not weigh much as he picked her up and carried her to the village.
"Glua-glaa."
A massive panther hunted her in the dark. No, she recognized the shape of a Darkwalker. It thought she had no inkling it was slowly creeping closer. Water dripped from the dark stone above, and a single drop plunking into a puddle was the hunter's sign to attack. Except she turned toward it as it pounced, and opened her mouth to reveal a massive set of deadly sharp teeth and swallowed the beast whole.
Elania snapped awake, the vivid imagery of the dream... or nightmare, staying with her. Everything seemed dark, except the flicker of white light near her. She decided to check her screens quickly.
Elania's eyes widened. The sheer number of level up messages filled the screen and threatened to spill out into separate pop-up boxes. Apparently, they didn't appear in moments of intense pressure once so many had accumulated. Instead, they had waited until now when she could deal with them. That was polite of them. She swiped them away, choosing to view her Status to get a general overview instead of trying to read them all out one by one.
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 36
Power: 56/208
Karma: 24
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana, Darkwalker(Complete)]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 6 (Deactivated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 24, Battle Concentration Lvl 4]
[Physical: Unarmed Combat Lvl - 4, Darkvision Lvl - 3, Dodging Lvl - 28, Block Lvl - 16, Stealth Lvl - 31, Throwing Weapons Lvl - 34, Combat Mastery Lvl - 32]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 4, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3, Athletics Lvl - 12, Improvised Crafting Lvl - 19, Tracking Lvl 4]
[Attributes: Elania Reyes]
[Current Attributes:
Demon Contract (1 Available)
Regeneration (Normal)
Demonic Self-Sustenance
Enhanced Physical Abilities (Strength, Mana Capacity)
Immunity (Darkness)
Resistance (Poison, Mana)
Weakness (Holy)]
Nothing seemed out of place. She felt fine, albeit tired, but her [Status] said she was okay. She was fine. Then why was her heart still pounding? Was it just the aftereffects of the dream?
Her eyes slid away from the [Status] window, and it blinked out. A faint light cast shadows across the dimly lit room, and she mentally flicked on her [Darkvision] without effort. Everything brightened considerably as she found herself in some type of primitive storage room.
The walls were lined with baskets made of some type of wicker, and spears sat in neatly tied bundles beside them. There were some shields stacked on top of each other as well. Elania recognized them as the Mushroohum's weapons.
The other side of the room had different tools and instruments, like hoes, pickaxes, and shovels. They had metal tool-heads and looked like something she might have found in Home Depot or Ace Hardware. Just with a self-made flair, as the tools didn’t have the machined smoothness that she remembered. As she took a closer look she realized they were all probably made by hand by real blacksmiths.
As she propped herself up and took in the remainder of the room she slid her hand through the simple bedding. It was soft to the touch, a mat made of some type of woven grass, or was it moss?
'Ralfot? Oh, it's made from the Ralfot moss.'
Elania stroked the fiber of the mat, it was better than straw, but it wasn't going to beat simple linen. It did make for the softest sleep surface she had experienced in the caverns so far though. The simple luxury had her thoughts turn inward and she wondered how long she had been unconscious, and she began to probe her last memories.
The battle was a haze, but she did remember the transformation or at least part of it. One specific part set her cheeks aflame and she was extremely grateful no one would ever know it had happened. She hugged herself just to confirm she was still human before looking for some clothes. There didn't seem to be any in sight. What did finally catch her eye was the singular light source in the storage room. It was her Mana Shard; it had been returned to her.
'That's how I got more power after running out. I'm lucky they put it close enough.'
'Why do I keep ending up naked? This world sucks.'
She did see her belt, javelin loops empty, hanging near the crystal. She sighed, then choked back a laugh at picturing her running around naked wearing nothing but the belt, armed with javelins hunting Darkwalkers. ‘Ok, not funny, what if they don’t have any clothes?’
She collected her things before heading to the single door. She hesitated as her hand went toward the latch.
'It isn't safe to transform or absorb essence. I almost lost myself.'
Most of it was a haze even if she had picked out a few details, but the one thing she remembered clearly was how she'd almost really become a Darkwalker. The worst thing about it was that it had all felt so... right to her at the time.
'I have to be more careful, I'm just fooling around with things I still don't understand fully.'
She eyed the Mana Shard; it seemed a little dimmer than when she had first taken it. How long could it sustain her? If she had to go back to absorbing essences, she'd have to be more careful. She'd compared it to a drug before, but it was a drug that, instead of fucking you up, would make you super strong and turn you into a monster.
Taking a deep breath, Elania finally settled her thoughts and turned the latch. She pushed through into another, bigger room. Three Mushroohums turned in unison toward her. She felt herself tense up, but they didn’t offer any sudden movement or hostility to her which was a relief. Maybe they would actually talk to her now? She wasn’t sure of her status at all, was she a prisoner, or a guest? She had helped them, which she hoped might give her a little status and maybe make up for stomping the poor Elnat, or whatever she had done to piss them off at first?
The silence lengthened, and they seemed to look between each other, a faint scent of musty odor filling the room. She wondered about that, did they release some kind of smell when they got nervous? As the silence lengthened Elania began to fidget, and she wrapped an arm around her front in a poor attempt to cover herself. ‘Great, so much for finding something to wear before having an audience.’
Finally one of them stepped forward to speak.
"Glua-glaa."
'At least they don't look angry. That has to be an improvement.'
"Where's Skinner?"
"Glua-glaa."
"Fuck."
---
On one of the roofs, Elania discovered a rather comfy place to sit and watch the cleanup. She hadn't found Skinner, but the other Mushroohums treated her with an almost reverent deference. Thankfully, she’d convinced them to give her a set of leather, and she had spent a few hours converting it into a simple sleeveless top and skirt.
Having a needle and some thread made everything so much easier, although the outfit was far from fashionable and made her look like a cavewoman.
From her vantage point, she watched the Mushroohums work. They had tied ropes around the Demon Darkwalker and were dragging it out of the cave. She had considered going after it and trying to absorb it for the power, but she felt a bit wary. Even if it was still absorbable after however long she’d been asleep, she didn’t want to risk going native again. At least not without a really good reason.
Other movements in the cavern caught her eye, as others carried corpses to a large mound. There were already a dozen bodies stacked up, while others had some powder they were throwing on them.
"What's the purpose of that?" Elania murmured.
Her eyes widened when she tried to identify it.
[Fungal Spores]
[You have gained a level in Identify!]
[Identify has gained the ability to reveal additional information.]
'Ask, and ye shall receive.'
[Fungal Spores (Mushroohum)]
Elania eyed the mound and then the Fungal Spore dust. 'Oh.'
They were going to grow new Mushroohums from the dead. Did they even have females? She hadn't been paying attention to it, but she did realize that despite being mostly naked, the Mushroohums looked mostly the same, and she couldn’t think of any instance of seeing a Mushroom Woman. ‘I guess Mushroom Men is literal.’
Her thoughts on Mushroom Man's gender were suddenly interrupted when a horn sounded. It was near the entrance, where the Mushroohums were pulling the Demon Darkwalker's corpse.
The horn was not a Mushroohum sound. The Mushroom Men had formed a line, allowing the party of newcomers to pass by.
Elania stood from her seat and stared at the entrance trying to get a better view. She couldn't see much yet, but what she saw filled her with hope, dread, and anticipation.
The newcomers were human.
---
Taniel stared at the massive Darkwalker that the Mushroohums had been dragging out of the cavern. It was obviously a demon variant, and he had no idea how the poor fungus people had managed to bring it down with their primitive weapons.
A laugh at the head of the group had Taniel shiver. Of course, Marcus would laugh, their leader would find a dead demon pleasing, his bound-demon had been devoured earlier on the route by this very monster when it had ambushed them.
She had been caught outside the wards that had protected the rest of them. The loss was a relief in Taniel's mind as Marcus loved to taunt the rest of them with her. He'd actually set her on poor Tanyan, in an attempt to break his vow of chastity, which would have ruined his [Holy Monk] class just to see if the monk was serious about it or not. Considering she’d been a succubus-type meant that resisting her was harder than it sounded.
Tanyan looked back at him and pointed at the Darkwalker.
"Look at the wounds. Looks like a bigger beast found it and mauled it to death."
Taniel looked again and saw what the other man meant. He had expected the body to have an array of puncture wounds from spears and the like. It was clear that the Mushroomhums hadn’t been the ones that killed it. "What could have done that?"
Another laugh came from the front, and Marcus was looking back at them.
"Don't worry, lads, I'm sure we will find out when we meet the village chief. If it’s scarier than the Demon Dalkwalker, I'll protect you."
Taniel tried to hide his distaste for the man. Marcus was the expedition leader, but he wasn't a member of the Conclave of Neftasu. He was a mercenary, one of the rangers hired out by the monks to lead them through the Underdark's winding caverns.
In Taniel's mind, his only redeeming quality was that he was exceedingly capable of doing his job. The man's character wasn't a concern by the elders who desperately needed the special moss the Mushroohum's could supply. That meant it was up to Tanyan and him to watch over the novices.
Looking at the village, it appeared to be undamaged, or at least mostly intact from the Darkwalker's attack. It was hard to tell because the Mushroohums lived in the ruins of a lost Underdark city that had been forgotten long ago.
Two red dots glinted in the distance, and Taniel blinked and looked again, a sudden fear sending his heart beating faster. He blinked and looked again and saw nothing. He was seeing things. There surely wasn't an unbound demon in the village. The Mushroohums were still alive.
Elania had retreated from the roof and into the building to gather her things. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she wanted to be prepared. Being on the run was exhausting, and even more so when circumstances and monsters conspired to kill her.
For all she knew the newcomers would try to kill her as soon as they saw her, like the paladin. Somehow she thought that was a bit unlikely, the Mushroohums had gone through the trouble of keeping her alive, so it seemed like it would be counterproductive to let her stay if the new arrivals were going to start a fight with her in the middle of their village.
The new information from [Identify] was interesting, though. She had taken the chance to use it on them before turning away.
[Novice Monk - Human - Lvl 43]
[Novice Monk - Human - Lvl 39]
[Novice Monk - Human - Lvl 41]
[Novice Monk - Human - Lvl 37]
[Holy Monk - Human - Lvl 87]
[Martial Monk - Human - Lvl 95]
[Ranger - Human - Lvl 276]
Gathering up several of the Mushroohum spears she had worked on, she slid them into the loops on her javelin harness and fetched an extra spear. They were much better than the ones she had made herself. In all probability, the village had someone who spent their time leveling their crafting skill on them.
She did her best to sort her outfit she had improvised. It was barely acceptable in her mind, but it was better than having another encounter without any clothes at all.
She looked over to the Mana Shard and scooped it up, going to put it in the new backpack they had given her. It had been a pleasant surprise, and its craftsmanship gave it away as one of the items the Mushroohums imported. It certainly had plenty of pockets along with metal clasps to keep them closed.
She turned her attention back to the Mana Shard, and [Identify] gave her some further information on it as well.
[Mana Shard (Condensed) 701/1456]
She frowned because, according to that, it meant it had already used half of its stored Power. She didn't want to waste the Mana Shard’s power, but that meant figuring out a way to absorb monsters' essence without the side effects… or a way to charge the Mana Shard?
There wasn't anyone present in the storeroom, and once she was ready, Elania decided to wait. So far, the Mushroohums had been friendly, and she was going to have to put her trust in them, so she found a chair in a corner and sat down.
It was a while later when a knock came at the door, and then Skinner entered. Seeing him again reminded her of just how big he was compared to the other Mushroohums. There was a discolored scar on his head from the wound he’d received when they had fought the Darkwalker and it almost sent her down a theory-crafting trip about Mushroohum biology.
"Glua-glaa." He made a beckoning gesture as if he wanted her to follow him which put her out of her woolgathering.
"Right. I guess it’s time to meet the guests."
She had always been anxious when she had to present something in front of the class in school. Elania wasn’t exactly one of the social butterflies in her peer group, but she was fine with her small circle of friends.
Meeting other humans that might or might not want to kill her turned out to be just as anxiety-inducing as the class presentations she despised.
'Kidnapped to a strange world and given superpowers, and they couldn't bother to cure nerves. The fucking gall.'
Mercifully, it wasn't far to their destination. The red-clothed Mushroohum was sitting atop a ramshackle looking wooden throne. She wanted to quip about petty tyrants, but it was the man standing at the front of the party of humans that caught her attention.
There was a murmur of 'Glua-Glaa,' upon her arrival but the humans remained silent. The man at the front was holding out some type of a glowing golden ball. The Mushroohum chief had a similar item in his hand, but his was silver and considerably less bright.
Was it magic or an item? Elania honestly couldn't tell because of the magical hue around the orbs. She tried to use Identify.
[???????]
It spit out a useless array of question marks, although that at least told her it was an item. What did quickly become apparent was that it was allowing some form of communication between them. The ranger talked, but no voice seemed to carry through the air, but the Mushroohum’s responded as if they understood exactly what he was saying. A fit of petty jealousy blossomed in her.
'I really needed one of those. I wonder how common magic items here are if they show it off so blatantly? Or is that just some type of show of strength?'
As she settled into place beside Skinner, the monks noticed her. They reacted like they had been prodded with a hot poker. One looked terrified, and the man beside him actually had to grab his arm to hold him still. Another pointed at her, and a quiet whispering made her ears burn.
Elania couldn't make out what they were saying, which was exceedingly annoying. At least they hadn’t suddenly attacked her, although one of the monks glared at her hatefully as if he were ready to try and kill her at a moment's notice. She was glad that Skinner was standing just in front of her. Even if she couldn't speak to them, the Mushroohums felt a lot safer than the one who was staring daggers at her.
The monks had brought packs of metal tools, like the ones she'd seen in the storage shed. Some type of trade was taking place, and judging by the looks of it, there was an argument over price. The more baskets that were brought into the hall, the angrier the chief Mushroohum became.
Elania's gaze fell back to the man with the orb, who looked like he had little in common with the others. He was plastered with belts and pouches and what she assumed were sheaths for knives, whereas they had poofy oriental looking outfits that were in a completely different style.
The Ranger had two swords hung on his belt, and a bow strung across his chest and a quiver was peeking out from behind a shoulder. It was almost humorous because he looked like a video game character that fit the armed to the teeth trope. This wasn't a video game though, and the fact that he probably knew how to use them all was a bit worrying.
He was older than the others as well, maybe in his thirties or early forties. The monks looked like they were much closer to her in age, if not a bit younger.
The ranger must have noticed her staring as he glanced at her and offered her a smile before turning back to the negotiations. Somehow, that didn’t reassure her much.
More and more baskets arrived until finally, the angry Chief Mushroohum stood up and shouted, "Glua-Glaa!" Then pointed directly at her. Everyone's attention was directed at her, and she shifted uncomfortably.
What, were they going to argue about her??
The ranger relayed something to the monks, and the one that had glared at her started yelling at him. When the ranger conveyed whatever was said to the Chief a gesture from the Mushroohum suddenly had baskets disappearing.
That elicited a panic from the two monks that seemed to be in charge as they seemed to change their tune, and yelled for the baskets to return.
After another exchange of ‘orb talk’ the baskets returned and some type of settlement seemed to be reached. Elania noticed that Skinner was now highly agitated. He stepped forward and suddenly shouted out a loud ‘Glaa!’ that set the other Mushroohums to silence.
The musty smell she had learned to associate with the Mushroohums filled the room, and she suddenly realized what it meant. ‘Do they communicate via smell or something?’
Skinner and the Mushroohum Chief seemed to lock their attention on each other, but whatever struggle going on between them was silent. Eventually, the others began to speak up and the smell intensified. Whatever argument there had been, the Chief seemed to have lost when he picked up the orb and started to hammer at the arm of his throne with a fist.
Whatever had been discussed was relayed to the two monks in charge, and the one that disliked her shouted. “Like hell we will!”
Elania had even been able to hear it clearly, despite the murmuring Mushroohums.
Another furious exchange occurred and the Chief became livid. Another basket came forward to be added to the village’s offering. The ranger relayed that to the monks, and the two were divided on the response before the older man seemed to break the tie. With the argument decided the losing monk settled into an angry glare at her. He didn't seem happy that he had lost.
Skinner's hand settled on her shoulder lightly and urged her to step forward. She let out a breath that she hadn't known she had been holding and followed his lead. Looking over the monk party again, they seemed to all draw inward and avoided meeting her gaze.
Except for the leader. He smiled at her again and started to talk.
"They tell us you killed the Demon Darkwalker... and you have a bit of a communication problem with the locals."
After an awkward pause, Elania found herself struggling with what to say.
"I guess it intruded into your territory...?"
Her territory? Demons had territories? Maybe the area had been the Darkwalker Demon’s territory, and when it had sensed her, it had come up to investigate. She had her Aura on for a while without knowing what it did, plus the whole moss-fire escapade… she hadn’t really been subtle with her exploration and escape from the cultists.
When she didn't answer and only looked more confused, the hint of a frown appeared on the Ranger’s face.
"You do speak common, don't you?"
"Yes, I do."
‘Seems like English to me, but maybe that’s what Universal Speech does, but why doesn’t it work for the Mushroohums? Because they use smell or something?’
For a moment, he was taken aback by her curt answer, but the next tidbit was something she had been worried about. Other than skinner, she hadn’t failed to notice the local inhabitants' wary looks, even if few were outright hostile like the chief.
"They want us to take you away. The chieftain doesn't want you remaining in the village regardless of however much you aided them. Naturally, we would take care of you if you refused to leave."
The implied threat and statement that they could take ‘care’ of her was worrisome. Elania wasn't entirely surprised about the threat or the Chief’s reaction. Skinner wasn't the one really in charge, and he had likely taken a considerable risk when he saved her from the spears. She owed him a fair bit for that. Causing any trouble would not be the best way to repay him.
“That’s not all. Your friend managed to convince most of the others that simply throwing you out wasn’t right after you fought for them. He basically coerced the chief into forcing us to accept payment for escorting you to Neftasu.”
“What’s Neftasu?”
“The largest city you’ll find in the region.”
She had so many questions to ask.
“You’re a new one aren’t you?” He glanced at her as he asked, and Elania felt a little apprehensive.
“A new what?”
“Demon.”
Right. She wasn’t sure how much information she wanted to give away to him. Something about his vibe screamed at her to be careful, but lying about her experience wasn’t going to help and she didn’t know enough to make it convincing anyway.
“Yeah.”
“I’m surprised you were able to gain a new form so quickly.”
She frowned, although the story of her fight with the Demon Darkwalker was probably the first thing the Mushroohum’s had told him. She wasn’t sure why her turning into a Darkwalker was the first thing he brought up though.
“I’ll go with you. I don’t want to overstay my welcome here, and a city sounds like a good place to go. I do have some questions I’d like to ask you.”
The ranger looked at her for a long moment, as if he was measuring her, before nodding. “Yes I imagine you do. The village is hosting us until tomorrow, they’ll want you to stay with us until we leave.”
She nodded in acceptance, yet couldn't help but give an accusing glare at the red-robed Mushroohum Chieftain. He was an asshole, and she was now sure that this trait extended to some Mushroohums just like humans. As she stared at him he shrank in his throne before looking away from her.
“Glaa.”
She turned away and looked at Skinner who was still at her side. She owed him a lot, and while she wasn’t sure how traveling with the monks was going to go, she felt very thankful that he had put himself forward to negotiate for her. Being cast back out into the wilds alone would have felt like a step backward.
Suddenly she stepped forward impulsively and hugged the big Mushroohum. He didn’t really react, but he didn’t push her away either. They’d never been able to talk, but somehow they had managed to communicate at least a little.
“Thank you, Skinner.”
“Glaa.”
The monks had already left with their baskets, and the Ranger was waiting impatiently at the entrance. She turned and followed.
The meeting ended there, and Elania followed the party to a building set aside solely for the group's use. The monks all seemed to have their own bedrolls, but Marcus took her aside to a side room where they could talk in private.
She hadn't even found a spot to sit down before he opened with the first question.
"You're a new demon aren't you? Recently summoned?"
The shock on Elania's face must have shown because he didn't wait for an answer.
"Don't bother to deny it, I know a lot about demons. I'll be able to help you a lot. After all, I imagine you're like a newborn who doesn't know her way around her own system."
Elania winced; his remarks were close to the truth. Although she thought she had done a stellar job of figuring things out so far... even if there had been a few disasters.
"You're right, I was just summoned, maybe a… week or two ago. I've been learning and gaining levels as I went without any tutorial."
"Tutorial. Hmm. I've never heard it put like that before, but yes, it is a tragedy that you poor demons don’t receive a tutorial before getting here. Lucky for you, I'm here to teach you everything now, yes?"
The way Marcus smiled at her and chuckled sent little prickles down her back. She was quickly recategorizing him from 'mysterious' to 'creepy and avoid' the more he stared at her like she was some kind of prize animal.
"Can I ask some questions?"
"Certainly, but first I'd like to ask you to do something for me. I'd like to see your status screen."
Her initial reaction was to refuse, somehow that felt like a grave invasion of privacy, and she was not entirely inclined to trust the man, but...
She really did want answers. "How?"
"You raise your hand up and hold your palm toward the person and then send a mental request to the system for it."
He did so, and a message appeared on Elania's own system.
[Marcus has sent a request to view your Status. Accept? Y/N]
"So everyone has a 'Status' window?" She asked, then hesitated a second and sent her acceptance.
"They do, although each race is slightly different. Demons have the most varied because they are from other worlds."
Marcus looked away from her, his eyes focusing on something she couldn't see. 'He must be reading my status.'
She watched him intently, wondering if his face would reveal anything as he read the lists.
[Status]
Name: Elania Reyes
Race: Lesser Demon (S Class Monster)
Level: 36
Power: 56/208
Karma: 24
Titles: [Locked]
[Some functions are disabled due to insufficient requirements.]
[Skills: Elania Reyes]
[Class: None]
[Affinities: Demonic, Mana, Darkwalker(Complete)]
[Magical: Demonic Aura Lvl - 6 (Deactivated), Mana Manipulation Lvl - 24, Battle Concentration Lvl 4]
[Physical: Unarmed Combat Lvl - 4, Darkvision Lvl - 3 (Activated), Dodging Lvl - 28, Block Lvl - 16, Stealth Lvl - 31, Throwing Weapons Lvl - 34, Combat Mastery Lvl - 32]
[Mundane: Identify Lvl - 5, Universal Speech Lvl - 5, Reading Lvl - 4, Writing Lvl - 3, Athletics Lvl - 12, Improvised Crafting Lvl - 19, Tracking Lvl 4]
[Attributes: Elania Reyes]
[Current Attributes:
Demon Contract (1 Available)
Regeneration (Normal)
Demonic Self-Sustenance
Enhanced Physical Abilities (Strength, Mana Capacity)
Immunity (Darkness)
Resistance (Poison, Mana)
Weakness (Holy)]
"Your level seems a bit high for just being summoned. You must have found some things to kill?"
"Darkwalkers and Ralfots. Is killing things the only way to gain levels?"
"Killing things is the main way, yes. You gain a base level for every year of age as well. Crafting and combat that isn’t to the death can work, but at a barely noticeable rate. I'm not surprised you found so many Darkwalkers, with them swarming the way they were. This Karma..."
He paused and stared at her, "You didn't kill any people? Didn't torture or rape things before being summoned?"
"What? No! Of course not, I would never do anything like that!"
He paused and took a long puff of his pipe. The silence seemed to stretch uncomfortably as he turned his attention back to her [Status].
"You are quite interesting, Elania. Were you a noble in your world? It is quite rare to have [Universal Speech] instead of [Common Tongue] and you even have [Reading] and [Writing] those are very rare skills."
‘From Rapist to Noblewoman? I don’t get his logic at all.’
"No, I was a university student."
"Your family must have been quite wealthy, then. You have very interesting attributes as well. [Regeneration] and [Demonic Self-Sustenance], I am sure these come in handy. You are quite lucky."
Elania bit the inside of her lip. She felt like she was being dissected, and she hated it.
"Where are we going when we leave, tomorrow? The whole world isn't just these stupid caves is it? Will we be able to get out and see the sun?"
Marcus chuckled and finally looked at her again as he spoke.
"An interesting idea, but no. To both questions. The world does not solely consist of the Underdark, although many who reside here have never seen the light of day. We won't be traveling to the surface, either. The nearest city is a week of travel away, and it is wholly underground."
He looked away again and pointed to something.
"I'm quite surprised you have a [Darkwalker Affinity(Complete)], you must have a very strong sense of self, girl. I had hardly believed Jal'yar'tin's description of your battle with the Darkwalker Demon, but this confirms it almost. You really turned into a beast and then turned back?"
"Yes... it was very disturbing, but I didn't really have a choice. It was about to kill us all."
"I can almost see the sequence of events that led to you being able to gain the complete affinity. You killed one, and it fed your power, which fueled your [Regeneration] and [Demonic Self-Sustenance], which allowed you to hunt more. Culminating in a battle with the demon who ruled the area. Remarkable."
She wasn't going to argue. It was remarkable that she had managed to survive. The whole ordeal since arriving in Eladu had been one of her running away from things and trying to stay two feet ahead of death. Now seemed to be the time to ask what she really wanted to know.
"How do I get home?"
"Ah."
Elania waited for what felt like way too long as Marcus paused, looking at her, seemingly considering his answer.
"Normally, you don't. Can I ask how you were summoned?"
Elania frowned as she answered, "Some circle made out of blood, or something?"
"Ah, so some type of ritual. Do you know who summoned you?"
"No, not really, I--" she paused as she realized she did remember a name on the contract that was offered to her. “It was, ‘Cult of the Black Candle' something? They tried to offer me a contract."
"Black Candle, hmm, that is interesting. I imagine they made some type of mistake if you were able to escape their circle...?"
"Someone showed up and tried to kill them... me."
"I see. That makes sense of how you are currently unbound then. Almost all demons have contracts. Normally they can't exist without one for long. You've noticed that your 'Power' decreases over time, yes? If it reaches zero you will quickly begin to die."
"What does this have to do with me getting home?"
"You were specifically summoned here by a ritual, likely by your name. That means you might be able to be specifically sent back to your own realm. Although I know of no real examples. Your best bet would be to travel to Tiria and consult with the High Cardinal of the Lightbringers."
"How would they even know my name!"
"They might have not. If one of the summoners mispronounced something during the ceremony, it certainly could have random consequences."
Elania glowered and leaned back against the wall, slightly upset. She had likely been sent to this stupid world because of some small mistake!
"More pressing is your level and your skills. They are all quite low. I know some teenagers who'd have better skills in some things than you. If you didn't have such a high power multiplier, I imagine you wouldn't have gotten this far."
"Most of those skills I acquired as I went, I never really had any training. What's a power multiplier."
"Your 'Power' stat. It is unique to demons. It allows you to do some incredible things, such as manipulate mana from within yourself, acting as a multiplier to your base strength. You have 56 right now, but I imagine you were closer to your max when you fought the other demon? Your maximum is, quite frankly, incredible."
"I was way over maximum when I was fighting that thing."
Marcus opened his mouth in surprise; it took him a moment before he commented.
"That's interesting. I've never heard of a Lesser Demon that went over their maximum and survived."
"So there are other kinds of Demons, other than Lesser Demons?"
"Oh yes. The majority of Demons are simple imps. They might be summoned to be a mage's familiar, or even form out of the raw essence found in nature."
"Lesser Demons are more rare, they usually come from other worlds and are summoned in rituals. There are some exceptions, such as Imps evolving on their own, but that is rare."
He paused there, looking at her as if he was considering how to explain the next bit.
"Higher Demons exist of course, they are a mix of Demons that were summoned to this world and evolved, or are cast down seraphs from the heavens. At least if you follow the church's dogma. You'll have to consult a priest if you want to know the full truth of that, though."
"Unless you get to meet a seraph in person. Although, I suppose, as a demon you'd find that meeting rather short, the divine doesn't take kindly to your presence in Eladu. Not that they will hunt you down unless you piss them off somehow."
This was all a bit much to take in for her. She was about to ask for further clarification if gods were real and present, like in D&D, when a sudden knock interrupted.
Marcus answered, "Yes?"
As the door opened, Elania smelled it instantly. It was some type of stew, and it smelled absolutely divine.
"Dinner's prepared."
"She doesn't nee---," Marcus cut himself off when he saw Elania's reaction to the offered meal.
"We'll join you."
Elania smiled at Marcus; she'd even forgive him for the creepy vibe and marathon of a Q&A session for the chance to finally eat some real food!
Despite the instinctive fear of seeing the fire for the cooking pot, she headed straight for that deliciously smelling aroma. She did give the baskets full of the still glowing moss a wary look, though. She doubted they would have had the fire if it was about to send everything up in flames, though.
Elania blew eagerly on the steaming bowl of stew she'd received. She had ignored the surprised look on the man's face when she had asked for some. She wasn't sure what that was about; the two demons she'd encountered so far had not seemed to have any issue with eating.
The picture of the giant stack of bones she had encountered in the ruined building that had belonged to the 'Bone Demon' made her shiver.
'Shouldn't think of something like that just before eating! Ugh.'
Before she took her first bite, she glanced at the monks, who were eating as well. Marcus had stepped out to do something. She felt a bit of disappointment at that; she had hoped to question him more. Well, surely he wasn't the only source of information.
The closest monk was one of the older ones. She'd realized that most of them were not that old, maybe in their mid or late teens. She was only 20 herself, but placing them at high-school age made her feel a lot older. So she focused on the older one.
"Hello, I'm Elania."
Her smile disappeared when the man looked at her then looked away, seemingly trying to avoid answering.
"Hey, what's your name?"
He looked back at her, looking unhappy at the realization he wasn't going to be able to avoid a conversation.
"Taniel."
Her smile reappeared, and she did her best to be polite, despite the annoyance at his attitude.
"Hey… I'm kind of new to this whole 'Demon' thing, so I have a few questions."
"I shouldn't talk to you. You're an unbound demon, the conclave is strict about not consorting with demons."
"I'm not trying to 'consort' with you, I just have some questions. Besides all your friends are right here listening to our every word. They'll be able to attest there was no 'consorting' involved."
The other monks that had thought they had been stealthy in their watching the exchange suddenly were looking away, and Taniel let out a sigh.
"Fine. What question did you want to ask?"
"Is it really safe to have the cookfire here with the [Glow-Moss] so close?"
"Eh? That's what you wanted to ask? Why would it be dangerous?"
"Isn't it flammable?"
"Not particularly, no. It's reactive to mana, which is why it's so valuable as an alchemical ingredient."
Elania frowned. She had got that part wrong then, and campfires would have been perfectly safe, although she realized since she hadn't been cold or planning on cooking anything, the lack of one hadn't been that detrimental, but...
Somehow the idea of being able just to have campfires pleased her.
Still, she eyed the baskets warily, telling herself that she needed to be more careful not to start any more mana-induced wildfires.
Taniel started to look away, but he thought he would get off with only answering that then he was mistaken.
"Do Darkwalkers normally attack places like the village?"
"That--- No, not normally. Darkwalkers are one of the deep predators that stay in the caverns below. Normally they only come up to hunt periodically in small numbers. We aren't sure what made them so active, but something probably disturbed their nest and drove them out."
Elania bit her lip and turned her focus back to the food. She thought she had a good idea of what had caused the entire mess, but she couldn't be sure that she was to blame.
Taniel was still watching her with a bit of incredulity as Elania took in the wonderful smell of the food she gave her spoon a final blow before taking a bite.
Suddenly she tensed up, her eyes widening. Elania managed to chew and swallow the bite--- barely. Despite how good the smell told her the food was supposed to be, it tasted like dirt. What should have been a rich sauce and something like a wonderful steamy hot potato was a wet, goopy, and mildly disgusting dirt.
"Never saw a demon who enjoyed cooked food."
The pile of bones flashed through her mind, and she put Taniel's words together. Cooked food. She'd only enjoy food if it was raw?
"I... I'm sorry, it smelled so good, I didn't..."
'It's so unfair, it smells so good, and I wanted something nice.'
"I can't eat it." Elania felt miserable and didn't look at the monk as she handed the bowl back. It would have been a waste if she tried to force herself.
Her intent hadn't been to make the monk feel sorry for her, but the previous disdain seemed to disappear, and there even appeared to be some sympathetic looks from the others.
"We don't carry raw meat, but we can probably hunt some things at each rest camp."
"No, no. That's fine. I don't actually need food to sustain myself."
That was the wrong thing to say because suddenly, whatever bridge she had started to build between them disintegrated. Maybe it was the reminder that she was a demon.
Not wanting to disturb their meal, she decided to look for Marcus and see if she could prod him for more answers.
---
Elania kept pace behind Marcus with Taniel and Tanyan leading the monks behind her. She wasn't sure what the purpose of putting her second in line was, but she suspected it was because the monks wanted to keep an eye on her.
That suited her purposes just fine, Marcus was the most likely to answer her questions, and the novice monks had avoided talking to her altogether.
Their destination was the city of Neftasu, and apparently, it had a whole series of way posts, and travelers camps spread through the region for parties like theirs. The fact that flora and fauna of the caves frequently changed the caverns' layout meant there weren't any set roads in the Underdark.
Instead, most relied on guides who traveled frequently enough to keep up with any changes to a growing and stupidly complex web of way-stations. Darkwalkers weren't the only predator or danger, and traveling the Underdark was a perilous undertaking apparently, so it underlined just how important this [Glow-Moss] was to the group. Healing potions, mana potions, energy potions… Elania could see the appeal, although apparently they were so expensive that only the very wealthy could afford them.
Apparently, the [Glow-Moss] didn't grow anywhere there was a sizable population. 'Probably because it ends up vaporizing if someone spills mana on it.'
After all the ordeals earlier, the hike wasn't that arduous; she found it easy to keep the pace, even with her power level low. It was slowly creeping up, but she had managed to acquire a bedroll and had stuffed it inside of it. The insulation seemed to help her from absorbing the 'Power' too fast.
She didn't want to drain the Mana Shard, not until she knew if it could be recharged somehow, or she could get another one. Overcharging her 'Power' slightly and increasing it more might have been a good idea if she wanted to get stronger quickly, but she was apprehensive about the long-term.
"So, acquiring a lot of a single essence will turn me into what it came from?"
"Generally, yes. Although it would take a lot of concerted effort, the majority of your 'Power' would have to be compatible. I'm told it is like a compulsion, you become whatever you absorb. That is why I'm surprised you didn't totally become a Darkwalker Demon, you must have a strong sense of self or familiarity with your current form."
"I was born human! Of course I have a lot of familiarity with my current form!"
There was no answer to that, and she realized that they didn't believe her. Suddenly the uncomfortableness of the monks made sense to her. 'They think I absorbed people until I became human!'
"Why don't you believe me?"
"Humans aren't summoned from other worlds, they come from Eladu."
"Everyone in my world was definitely hu..."
Marcus raised a hand and cut her off with a quick hush. The whole party came to a standstill, everyone suddenly becoming fully alert.
Elania heard the noise just as Marcus suddenly was urging them against a cave wall.
"Flatten yourselves!"
Hooves. It sounded like a stampede of thousands of hooves, and the roar was quickly getting louder. The group found a usable indent along the wall.
It was a herd of Ralfots, the largest she had yet seen, hurling themselves down the tunnel. Despite their speed, Elania realized she had no trouble tracking the movements of specific ones she focused on.
The strongest of the beasts passed them first, then the mid-sized ones. One smashed into one of the novice monks, pushing him back and smashing his nose on the rock.
Elania could smell the blood immediately. 'What the fuck?'
The massive herd continued to pass them up, slowly thinning out. No one else got hurt, and Elania did her best to ignore the injured man and focus on the Ralfots. There the back were a few smaller ones that seemed to be having a hard time keeping up with the herd.
Elania suddenly realized she was leaning forward, having already measured the distance and trajectory she needed to pounce on one. She felt her muscles tense up; she was ready, it was time...
A hand fell on her shoulder, and she froze, looking to her side; Marcus shook his head.
'The Darkwalker essence is still affecting me... was it triggered by the herd?'
He swallowed and stilled herself.
"Come on, we need to get out of here before what was chasing them catches up, there isn't... Dammit. You fool!"
Marcus glared at the monk with the bloody nose. Elania didn't think there was much to do about that, Tanyan was wiping the blood away with a bandage, but she had thought he'd use some magic. His class was [Holy Monk], but apparently not.
A sudden roar had Elania pulling free a javelin, and the others also whipped around to look at the source.
Elania found herself more immune to gawking at all the strange things she'd been seeing, but as she took in the tan-colored fur of the three heads, and what seemed to be giant bat wings, she couldn't help herself.
[Manzitore]
It flew past the group, seemingly intent on chasing the Ralfots when suddenly it banked and came to a sudden halt. It landed smoothly, then whipped around and let loose another roar, seemingly directed at the bloodied novice.
"Taniel! Get the others to the campsite. Now!"
The monks scattered, and the beast began to pursue, but Marcus already had his bow out and an arrow readied. Elania's eyes widened when the arrow suddenly burst into a blue flame when it launched itself at the [Manzitore] and adjusted its flight in midair to slam into an eye on its middle head.
She started to raise her weapon and throw it too, but a hand caught her shoulder.
"Mundane weapons aren't going to hurt that, get going with the others or you're going to die!"