Sam felt her mind resume control of her body. It felt weird after being in her soul for so long. As her senses returned, she could feel someone squeezing her hand, hear a deep sniffing sound, and felt hot breath on her face. Before Sam could open her eyes, notifications started popping up in her mind. Realizing she couldn't minimize them, Sam inwardly groaned, "Goddammit!" She started going through the System messages, “Let’s see…defeated the Matriarch…extra experience, yadda yadda yadda—oh. Oh!” Sam decided she might need to read the messages a little more carefully.
You have died…error…
Soul fracture detected…error…
…
Data packet received…checking source…administrator level…
Unpacking…
…
Species information received…
Species information updated…
…
Core type updated…
Shattered core replaced with updated core type…
…
Initiating soul repair—error…soul repair incomplete…
'Bing' System experimentation complete on subject Samantha Alecto Moura [S.A.M.]. Curated death sequence ended. System interference removed. New species progression structure initializing…difficulty level…maximum.
“What the fuck? Maximum difficulty?” Sam thought, trying to make sense of the messages, “What has it been? Impossible? Also, I was right! The System was trying to kill me!” She threw a mental middle finger up to the System. “Fuck you, asshole!” Looking back to the messages, she mused, “So, am I the new species? I assume so. I wonder who this administrator is...maybe the collective?” She mentally sighed; so many questions. "On a positive note, I know why my soul core was repaired well, replaced. But it looks like my soul is still damaged. I wonder if repairing all the figurines will help…that's all I know to do for now, so I hope so. Maybe I can get answers from the notebook or someone here on Hallista. Time will tell, I guess." She continued reviewing her notifications.
'Bing' Congratulations! Your species has been updated to Human/Voidling Hybrid, Mortal. Plus 7 free attribute points per level (Note: this upgrade is retroactive). You are the first of your kind created by [redacted] in the [redacted] dimension using [redacted] as a catalyst. You were accidentally transported across The Void and time to System Verse designation [redacted] by no fault of your own. As a Human/Voidling Hybrid, you have innate access to and knowledge of void energy. You will be able to create spells and skills accordingly. Void Manipulation added to your available abilities. Note: 10% of all vital energies has been replaced with Void energy.
'Bing' Congratulations! You have learned a new racial skill, Void Infusion [Level 1]. Infuse void energy into any blank vessel and see what happens! Warning! Void energy is not compatible with reality without System enhancement.
'Bing' Congratulations! You have learned a new resistance, Void Resistance [Level 10]. Your innate racial connection to The Void makes you slightly resistant to its power. Level up this resistance to enhance your ability to resist the void.
‘Bing’ You have gained the title A Grade Above.
You have defeated a foe a grade above your own. A feat rarely achieved in the multiverse. For this achievement, you have been granted the title A Grade Above. Plus 15% to all base stats. Additional positive effects may occur when fighting enemies 50 levels or greater above your own.
‘Bing’ Class Arcane Pathfinder has leveled up to—
Sam tried to skip to the end of the level-up notifications and was thankful when she could. She wanted to get back control of her body, but the System was holding her back until she completed all her notifications, it seemed. Using her limited knowledge of her interface, Sam removed the annoying message chime and read the last two messages.
Race Human/Voidling Hybrid has leveled up to Level 32. 7 free stat points received.
Class Arcane Pathfinder has leveled up to Level 30. 10 free stat points received.
“Oh, hell yeah!” Sam thought, looking at the one hundred ninety-nine free stat points when she pulled up her status screen. She had been worried she had broken her ability to level when she ruptured her core because she hadn't gone up a single level since that night. Hence, receiving levels for defeating the Matriarch was a welcome relief.
Sam knew exactly how she wanted to distribute her points. "I will focus on magic first and foremost; it is my most effective ability. Then, in descending order, it will be vitality, agility, strength, and endurance." She mentally went through her reasoning, "I haven't had an issue with endurance in a while, so although I won't let it lag too far behind, it certainly will not be a focal point in my progression either. I fight primarily with magic, hell, my entire class is based on arcane magic Manipulation, and now my race can use freaking void magic. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is! So, I will maximize my magical strength and energy pool. Along that line of reasoning, I will need high vitality, so I don't have to use as much mana for healing while fighting. With the System saying it isn't actively trying to kill me anymore, I might encounter some foes that aren't designed specifically to murder me. A high vitality should let me tank some attacks without having to dip into my magical energy to compensate." She mentally smiled at that thought. It would be nice not to nearly die during every single fight. She went back to her thought process, "Agility before strength. If I had been faster, I might have been able to avoid the Brood Mother's attack. Had I not been injured, I think between Nara, Naris, and I, we could have taken the beast down before she could evolve." Which left her with strength, "I need strength because I might need to headbutt a paladin again," Sam snickered, "or tear open the jaws of a creature biting me." She thought about how she couldn't free herself of the Brood Mother's jaws with her strength alone. Then, when she was Alecto the Dragonkin, she could not only open the jaws of the Matriarch but shattered its lower jaw. "Yeah, definitely strength."
Sam's thoughts solidified her decision. She assigned her points accordingly and selected 'Yes,' feeling the ecstasy of leveling up flow through her mind. She checked her status window one last time, feeling the System release her body from its restraints as she did so.
Samantha Alecto Moura [S.A.M.]
Race: Human/Voidling Hybrid; Mortal [Level 32]
Class: Arcane Pathfinder [Level 30]
Title(s): A Grade Above
Health: 2281
Stamina: 2246
Mana: 5044
Attributes:
STR – 80 [94]
VIT – 93 [119]
END – 88 [113]
AGL – 91 [107]
INT – 96 [113]
WIS – 114 [249]
Free Attribute Points 0.
Abilities:
Spatial Inventory
Loot
Linguistics
Cartography
Mana Manipulation
Void Manipulation
Mana Sight [Level 21]
Class Skills:
Mana Crafting [Level 39]
Mana Repair [Level 26]
Mana Caster [Level 18]
Racial/General Skills:
Identify [Level 21]
Resilient [Level 42]
Meditation [Level 18]
Void Infusion [Level 1]
Class Spells:
Arcane bolt [Level 16]
Racial/General Spells:
Void Bolt [Level 1]
Resistance(s):
Pain [Level 47]
Heat [Level 12]
Poison [Level 48]
Cold [Level 25]
Mental [Level 6]
Void [Level 10]
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Sam's eyes popped open to see a concerned Nara and a giant Bloodmorph's face inches from hers. "Um, hi, ladies. It's good to see you both," she said with a genuine smile.
Nara dove on Sam and hugged her so hard Sam wondered if she would have broken ribs had she not just leveled up her stats. Pushing it out of her mind, Sam returned the hug, enjoying the feeling of being close to someone who cared about her.
After a while, Nara finally pulled away and helped Sam sit up. Finally, Sam was able to look around. She exclaimed, "Wow! This is cozy!" She patted The Defeated on her snout as she scooted back to lean against the Bloodmorph. She pulled the blade tail hide over her legs and looked at the small campfire with a sigh. Looking at Nara, she asked, "How are you and The Defeated doing?"
Nara was grinning ear to ear, staring at Sam without a word. Sam raised an eyebrow, waving a hand in front of the Tenarian's face, breaking her out of her reverie.
"Oh, ahem, uh, we're fine. Everything's fine." Nara sputtered, "Lupie and I have been mostly trying to avoid confrontations where possible. We had to leave the cave today because monsters were starting to move back inside. We're only about a kilometer from the cave entrance. I think you cleared all the monsters out of the cave system when you turned into a dragonling," Nara stopped to catch her breath, then continued, "Which was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen!" Her eyes were full of wonder as she recalled the fight between Sam in her Draconic Voidling form and the Matriarch, which was more of an overwhelming slaughter that barely lasted six seconds once Sam attacked. She ripped the E-Grade monster apart in pure brutality, ending the fight by tearing the creature's head off. Nara shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She continued, "Or it could have been when you roared that caused all the monsters in the cave to flee. Also, please warn me before you roar again. I thought my core was going to explode when you did it." She stared at Sam briefly, "You are truly the most amazingly terrifying person I have ever even heard of, much less met."
Sam smiled at her friend’s enthusiasm and looked to The Defeated, “Wait, did you call her Lupie?” Sam looked at the giant monster.
"I like the name," Lupie sent through their party chat and continued, "I am happy you are awake." The soft, soothing voice the Bloodmorph spoke with was in direct contrast to her intimidating appearance.
Sam ran a hand through Lupie's soft, dark red fur and listened to her chest's deep, contented rumbling. "I see Nara used her cleanse spell on you." Sam checked Lupie's status on a whim, "Holy shit, you got stronger! Good girl!"
At the praise, Lupie's tail started wagging, causing a minor ecological disaster when the appendage uprooted several plants and even a small tree, so enthusiastic was her response.
Sam and Nara laughed at the giant mutated wolf's antics. Eventually, they fell silent, sitting next to each other comfortably, enjoying each other's company by the warmth of the fire. It was Nara who broke the silence.
“Uh, Sam,” She sounded slightly worried, “What exactly are you?”
Sam looked at her friend seriously, "I'm your friend, and that will not change."
"I know it's just that…" Nara trailed off. Embarrassed that she had snooped around, checked Sam's status, and found out more than she had wanted.
Sam let her off the hook. She was openly sharing the information with her party, after all. She chuckled, "Why? Haven't you always wanted to hang out with a void hybrid before? You know us void people have to stick together." Sam tapped Nara's chest with a finger, "I'm talking to you in there, Naris." To Sam's surprise, Nara phased out, going incorporeal for an instant when she switched with Naris.
Naris jumped up from under the hide only to kneel about a meter away, facing Sam with his head bowed. Sam was about to ask what was happening, but Naris spoke first. "My Lady, this one humbly begs forgiveness for his transgressions against you and the collective!"
"Um…okay…" Sam said slowly, now thoroughly confused. "I kinda already thought you knew I was a Voidling, what with Void spilling out of my soul and all."
Naris shook his head, still not looking at her. "That only meant you had void energy somehow. But you are part of the collective! Had I known, I would have never—"
“What do you know about the collective?” Sam cut him off excitedly.
“I…I cannot say…it is not allowed…I thought you knew.” Naris’s voice went from reverently pleading to terrified in a matter of a heartbeat. “I have already said too much.” He worried with fear in his voice.
"Relax." Sam said, trying to reassure him, "I know I am part of the collective, and I forgive you. So now, why don't you tell me what you can about it."
Naris shook his head, finally looking at Sam, "I cannot. It is forbidden for those outside the collective to speak of it." He noticed Sam looking around and quickly added, "There is nowhere in reality that is safe to speak of it. Even safe zones do not prevent them from listening in if they choose."
Sam sighed, "Yeah, I figured that out when they heard my thoughts in my soul."
Naris's eyes widened, and he switched with Nara, who immediately asked, "What was that all about? I have never seen him that respectful.”
Sam shrugged, “I’m sure we’ll find out eventually. But on a different note,” Sam changed the subject, “The System admitted it was trying to kill me and that it no longer is.” Nara gasped at that revelation, but Sam wasn’t even to the best part yet, “The administrator sent a data packet about me for the System to upload.”
Nara's look of wonder turned into one of confusion. "What's a data packet, and what does upload mean?"
Sam could only sigh, "I'll explain it later. Just know I am free of the System's meddling for now, so hopefully, no more overpowered monster encounters daily." Sam thought momentarily, "Maybe one scary monster every two weeks or so," she tapped her chin, "or maybe every month…I don't know, we'll figure it out."
***
Sam, Nara, and Lupie chatted for a bit longer. Sam was surprised she had been unresponsive for three days and how damaged her body had been after the fight. Lupie explained how she had used all the dragon blood Sam had given her to heal her own injuries and restore Sam's body from the E-Grade toxin the Whitling Matriarch had injected her with. The giant mutant wolf was disappointed when Sam informed her she couldn't make any more dragon blood for quite a while.
Nara questioned Sam about how she had been able to turn into the three powerful avatars. Especially when, at level 21, she could physically tear apart an evolved monster over four times her level. Sam only said it had something to do with her origins, and she wasn't sure herself, which was mostly true. Naris's reaction to her new race had made her cautious of what she told her friend. The last thing Sam wanted was to endanger her friend's life because she told her too much about something she didn't fully understand.
After about an hour of conversation, Sam yawned. Even though Nara and Lupie had fully healed her body while she was trapped in her soul fragment, Sam was mentally drained to the point that meditation didn't help. Seeing Sam yawn, Nara stopped pestering her with questions and pulled the fur blanket around Sam's shoulders. She let the Pathfinder sleep while she kept watch just as Sam usually did for her.
***
Sam was asleep for about an hour when Lupie sent Nara a strange message. “I sense another creature with us in the safe zone. Its energy is faint and weak, but it is here.”
"What?" Nara whispered quietly, then realizing she was using their voice chat function, asked normally, "How could something be here, and the zone still be active?"
“It is trapped, as I was, in the other place. It wants out but cannot leave without being called." Lupie replied.
"You mean there is a summon token here?" Nara thought that was the only thing Lupie could be talking about, but she wanted to make sure.
"Yes, another link to the other place," Lupie confirmed.
Nara checked Sam's inventory but saw no summoning token. "Maybe you are mistaken, Lupie. Summoning tokens are one of the rarest items on Hallista, and I find it hard to believe that Sam would find two in such a short time."
Lupie only gave a mental shrug and continued to relax by the fire in silence. After a few minutes, Nara asked, "What is the other place like Lupie? Was it bad?"
"No, not bad, but always dangerous for those without a mark. I had a mark, so there was no danger. None would touch me, but I could not hunt in the beautiful forest to become stronger either." Lupie responded.
“So, it was a different world then?” Nara thought out loud.
“Different but the same,” Lupie said with certainty, “I could sense this world when I was out of the storage of Sam.”
"That makes sense. The stories I have heard are of Fae creatures being summoned. But almost all ended with the summon gaining power and then killing their summoner so they could return to the ether." Nara had read stories of unlucky summoners being tricked by their summons into letting their guards down and losing their lives.
"Lupie would never do that. Would you, Lupie?" Sam mumbled as she sat up and stretched. One of the benefits of her high stats was that she needed very little sleep. When she arrived back in her physical body, Sam had been automatically restored to the party leader in their group, so she had been notified of an ongoing conversation. "Definitely going to disable that annoying aspect of our party communication." Sam thought. But she was up now, so she might as well make the best of it.
"I would not," Lupie confirmed, then explained, "When you rejected our bond, I gave my soul willingly to become a summon. It was not forced upon me. Therefore, I cannot harm my summoner or any she deems worthy of my loyalty."
"Good to know," Sam said, standing up and pulling the black summoning token from her pocket. Her fingers brushed the notebook when she did, and her brows furrowed. “How did these items get from my metaphysical pocket in my soul to my physical pocket in reality?” She shook her head at the thought, "You know what? I don't want to know right now. I’m just happy I didn’t wake up naked for a change."
Holding up the token for Nara and Lupie to see, Sam asked, "What do you think about this token? I'm sure one of my Voidling siblings left it for me in my soul." She let that sink in momentarily while Nara and Lupei examined the token. Nara stared at the image while Lupie sniffed the token a few times before snorting and laying her head back down.
“It is weak. Much weaker than all of us. What is its name?” Lupie asked.
"It's a Nul," Nara said before Sam could respond, then switched to Naris, who only said one thing before switching back, "It is a Voidling." He changed with Nara, who only shrugged.
“So, that’s why the note said something about family,” Sam said, looking at the token. She looked back to Lupie, “How weak would you say it is? Can you estimate its level?”
“Level one,” she replied without hesitation.
Sam placed the token in her inventory, saying, "I don't think bringing a level one creature into this forest is a good idea. I'll wait until we get back to Helms Peak and are in our room in the guild where it is safe."
No one argued with her decision, so Sam changed the subject. "What do you ladies think? Should we break camp and finish the survey job on our way back to Helms Peak?"
The other two responded by standing up and stretching. It would be dawn soon, and by the time they reached the final survey point, it would be daylight, so it made sense to get a head start on the day. They donned their armor, and Sam doused the fire with her endless canteen.
"Could you make me a few arcane arrows while we walk?" Nara asked as she summoned her bow from inventory.
Sam was putting everything in the campsite into her inventory using her mana threads. She answered, "Sure, my core is repaired, so it shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I can try to make a void arrow, assuming it doesn't explode from—”
Lupie roared and leaped toward Sam so fast that her body was no more than a red blur. Sam turned around and threw up an arcane shield, not to stop Lupie but to block the attack she had sensed coming from behind her the instant before Lupie's lunge. A beam of concentrated light impacted her magical barrier, shattering it and slamming it into Sam's chest, launching her back nearly ten meters. It would have been farther, but Lupie intercepted the beam, taking the full power of it in her armor-coated side. She let out a yelp of pain when it melted through her defenses. When the attack began, Nara switched to Naris, and he scampered up a tree to get to a good sniping position before switching back. Nara readied her bow while scanning the dense forest for the attacker. There was no doubt in her mind the Children of the Light had found her.
At a mental command from Sam, Lupie darted off into the forest. Sam sent Nara a message, "Looks like they found us. You good on mana?"
“Yes, for now.” Nara replied, “I cannot see them, and they aren’t on your map.”
A lone figure walked out from behind a tree, clapping slowly. He was a tall blond man with blue eyes and chiseled features wearing dull white full-plate armor. He wasn't wearing a helmet, but Sam knew he could likely summon his helmet instantly from storage if he wished.
Sam identified the man.
Paladin of the Light [Level 63]; Hostile; Affinity – Light
The man spoke as he continued strolling toward them, "I'm impressed! I was hoping that attack would take you out of the fight early. It is not every day someone can—”
Sam cast Arcane Bolts in every direction and bolted toward the man, causing him to stop speaking and take a defensive stance, summoning a shield, sword, and helmet. "Like you're alone! What kind of idiots do you take us for, you little prick?" She heard several shouts as her bolts struck the little prick’s friends where they were trying to sneak up on them.
Nara wasted no time and began firing arrows and casting magic bolts at the hidden attackers as their cover was blown. She also moved from tree to tree, dodging beams of light, arrows, and even a throwing axe. The attackers were still hidden in the foliage cover, but she was beginning to zero in on the mage with the beam attack. “Got you!” She thought as she saw the mage's hand reach out from inside a shrub, aiming at Sam, who had engaged the paladin. She switched with Naris, and he cast two void bolts center mass into the bush the mage was hiding in. The bolts struck true, and an ear-piercing scream came from the mage.
Naris narrowly dodged an arrow before catching a flying hatchet in midair as he leaped to another tree, heading to the downed mage to finish him off. “At least I think it’s a male…that scream has me questioning its gender now, though.” He thought absently.
Another scream was coming from the archer's direction, accompanied by a kill notification. Lupie, who had been tasked by Sam to flank the flankers, had found one of them. Sam and Naris both grinned viciously.
“Fall ba—" The paladin's order was cut off again when Sam sent a blast of energy from her shield into his, the impact of her magic sliding him back a couple of meters.
"Oh no, you don't, you little fucker!" Sam shouted at the paladin as she closed the distance again, ducking under a swing from his sword and thrusting a blade construct into a gap in the plates protecting his side, eliciting a grunt from his helmet visor.
A burst of light energy knocked Sam back as soon as her blade struck home. The paladin followed up with a shield bash while she was off balance. Moving with incredible speed powered by his shield bash skill, the paladin slammed his shield into Sam. The clang of the impact sent out a small shock wave, kicking up dust and detritus around the two.
When the dust settled, Naris, who had just finished off the mage, yanked his arcane daggers out of the man's chest to see who was still standing. Another throwing axe flew toward him, but he sidestepped it with ease. The axe whipped around, circling back toward him, so he caught it when it tried to hit him again. "Lupie, save the axe thrower for me, please," Naris said, still watching where Sam was. He grinned when he saw her, then started laughing as he ran into the trees to hunt the axe thrower.
Sam smiled sweetly at the paladin. In contrast to her sweet smile, her eyes were hard and cold. "You are one stupid little shit, aren't you," she said to the flabbergasted paladin as she dismissed the ballistic gel construct she had erected to absorb the impact from his shield bash. "Do you normally wander around in the forest trying to murder innocent young women, or is this your first time?" She goaded him, forming a void bolt in each of her hands and at the tip of all six of her mana threads.
Seeing Sam summon the black energy orbs, the paladin laughed, "Foolish girl! I am a child of the light! Dark magic cannot harm me! You may be strong, but I will—”
Sam cut him off again, "It's not dark energy, you stupid fucking light baby."
The paladin looked confused at her statement and focused on one of the orbs. His eyes turned into saucers, and he managed to get his shield up before Sam attacked, but it was useless. The void bolts fell like rain, penetrating his shield like it was made from foil. Once his shield was destroyed, he lasted a few more seconds as void energy blasted holes in his armor, sending shrapnel throughout his body. When he fell, Sam stabbed a mana thread into one of his wounds and healed him just enough to keep him from dying. She needed some answers.
Sam heard a scuffle behind her and saw Lupie dragging a mangled but living man out of the brush. Nara was riding atop the Bloodmorph with an unconscious Alina across her lap. It looked like Alina's back had been broken in several places, and she was missing a leg, but somehow the warrior was still alive.
"Look what I found," Nara said with a mixture of confusion and disgust."
Sam reached behind her and yanked the annoying throwing axe out of her lower back, saying eloquently, "What the fuck?"