Chapter 281

A Magical Makeover

Somedays I wonder is it me, or would these things normally happen, and I just happen to notice the odd incongruities of the world.

While today could clearly be influenced by me, I do have to wonder about the odd timings of the world.

I mean it is not every day that you find yourself staring down the long twisting and molting version of a tentacle monster.

But the sad part is, even though the original shape has grown, molted, and is in a perpetual state of rot, I cannot help but recognize the inner essence of the soul controlling this odd form.

That is why, my first words to her, after seeing her not a few days ago was, “oh girl, you’ve let yourself go.”

I really didn’t know what else to say about her.

That is why I got closer. Yet as I did, others began to also move.

Yes, oddly in this horrific apocalyptic nightmare of a scenario where an extradimensional monster was appearing, and the very fabric of our computer assisted world was slowly melting away at the creature’s presence, other creatures both lived and moved.

Like some form of a graphic zombie apocalypse, three molting creatures appeared off in the distance and began shambling towards me.

Just as the world was being destroyed, I could see the skin on these creatures burning away, only to be slowly healed. The creatures moved slowly, but it was clear most of their slowed movements were due to the way new pain centers were exposed, burned away, and reformed by their actions.

Seeing them, I instantly felt revulsion.

Vomit.

At their sight, I couldn’t help but vomit a mixture of pixie juice and glowing sparkles.

I couldn’t help it, this was my fault. I caused this to happen. I wanted the enemy spies to suffer, and yet here they were set in an endless case of pain and agony but forced to be immortal and live through this pain forever.

Honestly, I didn’t think it would be this bad.

In fact, I hoped most of it was being exposed to the poisonous dust from the void realm where the apocalyptic void monster lived. Otherwise, what I did to these three would be too much of a punishment for any crime.

Then to make things worse, the tentacle creature seemed to first notice my vomit, and then excitedly turned and charged forward, before lancing out a long spear like arm into the vomit, with which is began slurping up the vomit.

“BLEH!” I wince out, as the site is just sickening. I’m reminded of the one dog we had that would always eat up the child’s vomit, it was disgusting and partly why I don’t like pets, or self-cleaning houses.

“Stop, just stop,” I tell the tentacle, going over and touching the tentacle gently, trying to get it to move. The same way I tried to get that darned dog to stop so I could clean up the floor properly. Not that I was going to clean up this floor, this was Timult, but the thought processes and instincts were still the same.

Apparently though, touching the creature was not the smartest thing to do.

Tingle.

The minute I make contact with the strange alien elf spirit tentacle monster-thing, I feel a slight connection, as I feel a slight pull on my energy reserves.

Worse, the slimy tentacle changes focus, from the now mostly cleared puddle of pixie vomit, to the pixie herself.

I try to fly away, but my muscles and reactions are muted, slowed as I’m exhausted by the touch. I soon find myself wrapped up by a tentacle. This must be how a mouse feels before the constrictor wraps itself around it and begins to squeeze.

So far there is no squeezing, yet, but it does seem that it is only a matter of time before this happens.

Mallory seeing this, pulls out her Scythe and instantly begins charging forward.

“No!” I shout as I manage to turn back and face Mallory. I even manage to get one arm out and hold it up in a halting gesture to her.

Mallory seeing me, pauses, but then just waits. She is an odd mix of serious Valkyrie warrior with a glowing death scythe, wearing a wedding dress.

“What?” Is all Mallory can ask, but I am already in de-escalation mode.

“We are trying to calm down the being of infinite power, versus cause her to go on a world burning bender,” I state.

At that, Mallory takes a half step back, but then just nods, while never putting away her scythe.

With the first crisis over, I turn back to face the Cthulhu horror monster and can almost see that odd old elven lady staring at me through the growths of twisting tentacles.

Seeing her like this is almost like witnessing my emo daughter lower her head forward and let her long hair dangle down and cover her face so others can’t see her.

I also understand the Cthulhu elf’s attraction to my vomit and seemingly all things magical, as the writhing tentacles that have come in contact with me, are slowly tightening down. Going away from dark withered amalgamations of husks of appendages and reverting back to somewhat healthier tones of living skin. Living skin that isn’t slimy or rotting, two steps clearly in the right direction.

“Hey there!” I state, taking my one free arm and waving it at the Cthulhu elven creature.

Not trying to startle the creature by getting my other arm free, though I am pretty certain I could. I just want to try to calm down this entity before me.

Head snap up.

Instantly the creature that had mostly been seeming to absentmindedly stare at the ground suddenly shoots its gaze up and I can almost feel dozens of eyes come to life on the tentacle appendage, all of which are now staring at me. Not creepy at all, nope, just a typical event one would find on any wedding day, Saturday.

Then as I see the creature getting better, even seeming to be healthier from just touching me, I begin to understand. All my excess ephemeral energy, the same energy that is used to generate my wings that I fly with, all the excess is being absorbed by this odd creature.

The creature for her part just comes forward.

Though it mainly looks like a semi-wiggling worm at this point as most of the creature is still in the same slow rotting condition that I saw when I first got here.

Seeing that this isn’t enough, I begin to Heal the creature. Infusing my Healing mana into the creature and trying to help out as much as possible. I even inject golden Qi to help with the muscle growth, along with silver spirit Qi to help with the entire melding process.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Woosh.

And like that, I find myself closer to the being’s face? Or where I can clearly see the closest thing to an alien Cthulhu consciousness in the being.

The creature is now just staring at me, though I can see it is just looking at me through its bangs. At least that is the impression that I get.

“Hey,” I say again, waving my arm still and trying to be cordial to the creature.

Right now, I don’t sense any danger from the creature, though I am pretty sure that can change at a moment’s notice.

The creature just stares at me with an odd sense of awe and wonder. I equate this to the way a child might look at a lantern fly that is captured in a glass jar. Still depressing analogy aside, this is good. The world isn’t being destroyed.

In fact, as far as I can tell the destruction of the world around us has stopped.

As the long slow tentacles of the creature have stopped spreading out.

With but a smidge of the mana and energy I have given it, the creature is able to take that same energy and seemingly do wonders.

I even see the fact that this creature is now beginning to create a large bubble over me. Instantly, I recognize the design, for it is a layered cascading effect similar to the one that protected both Mallory and me on our way here.

Now it seems that this creature is creating yet another bubble.

For a second, I wonder exactly what is happening, but then I realize the tentacle is moving once again and we are now before the exit portal I created. The one that led me from the void realm to Timult.

Though I am fairly certain by now that I miscategorized the void realm entirely, as I now see it wasn’t a void realm. Well not a complete void realm, as in one that drained away and misused all energy.

I am about to go deeper into what exactly I think the void realm is, when I realize my Danger Sense is suddenly going off.

Seeing the protective layer of amazingly intricate and refined magic forming around me, I pause. Mentally I try to understand what is the point of this cocoon that is now surrounding me?

Only once I see the Cthulhu elven creature begin to expand the exit while giving me a large protective barrier around me do I suddenly realize that my mental image of a child catching a lantern fly was not that far off.

“Wait, wait, I can’t go,” I shout out, waving my hand frantically, as I quickly wriggle my way free of the now smooth appendage that had just been loosely holding me.

Angry glare.

The elven Cthulhu creature just stares at me. With that stare, I see and almost feel lifetimes of betrayal, mistrust, and doubt all form and manifest in the shape of a staring gloomy teen staring through their bangs at their mother who just said, “I can’t take you to the store right now.”

“Wait, before you get all moody. Know I really want to go back.” I state honestly.

I don’t know if the creature understands English, or if they are just able to understand me from my emotional tone, or if there is something more. But for a moment there is a pause.

“See, I already promised my bestie over there…” I state, pointing to Mallory who is still holding her Death Scythe, but suddenly looks a bit sheepish holding the weapon.

Also, looking at the blade and seeing that it is made of ephemeral energy, I wonder if it will do as much damage as we expect, or if it will actually heal the creature? Though I keep that thought to myself for the moment.

The Cthulhu creature just stares at Mallory at that point, who has the wherewithal to look sheepish, before putting her hands behind her back and unsummoning her Death Scythe. With that potential threat over, I can once again draw the creature’s full attention towards me.

Or at least, that was the plan, before the three lumbering withering but immortal monsters saw me and croaked out nearly in unison.

“You.”

“You did this…”

“Get her…”

All three shambled forwards, moving forward, despite the clear discomfort and pain that they were in.

Honestly it was a sign of the perseverance and mental resolve to push on through obvious pain. The act might normally be commendable, other than the fact that they were trying to apparently attack me.

An act that the Cthulhu elf did not take kindly to.

Skewer.

For instantly three thick strands of muscles shot out from the overly large tentacle that hovered around me, and all but basked in my free falling pixie dust.

Those three stalks of wiggling muscles punctured into and through the three now immortal zombie like creatures. Honestly it didn’t seem like it was too hard, as even moving with a purpose was little more than a painful to watch side-shuttle hitch shuffle step. The same movement one would take when they broke a hip and had two bad knees. I would know, as that was my life for a bit there at the end.

Seeing them, I could only feel sorry for the creatures.

Slurp.

The three creatures were impaled and pinned to the ground. But rather than that being the end, the tentacle apparently saw something in the creatures. As the eyes of the elven creature suddenly all turned and focused at the three pinned immortal monsters.

Then with horror and precision the three pincers that pinned the creatures to the ground began to flare to life with new colors as they began sucking the glowing energy out of the husk like creatures.

Glug, glug, glug.

Like three straws being used simultaneously, the energy of the once cursed and former spies was drained out in three quick movements, leaving behind only withered husks of the people that once lived there.

For a moment, I could see the three spirits floating over the corpses. For a moment I tried to reach out to grab all three, but they quickly saw the creature that had just killed them, and they saw me, the inadvertent instrument of their death, where they glared for a moment, before turning and running away.

I honestly didn’t know ghosts could move that quickly, though it was clear that they were tearing apart the spiritual residue needed to keep their consciousnesses together. Though apparently getting away was more important than keeping their identity intact.

Another sad fact, as I literally saw three spirits rip apart their own essences, rather than deal with what I had done to them.

I didn’t even kill them, though honestly what the crazed void elf had done might have been a mercy over the fate that actually befell them all. As if to accentuate this thought, I even see a few of the dark karma strands that bound me to the three former spies suddenly grow large, break free and entangle themselves around me.

Perhaps that is why I kept them in the pods, until the moment they were released, I hadn’t actually committed a crime against them. Only once they were set free, was I able to see what I had done, and was I forced to reap the dark karma that I had sewn.

Looking at the pods, it was clear what had drawn the creature’s attention, as it was a condensed form of my own ephemeral energy that I used to seal them all in their Time Stasis spheres.

Oddly enough, the strange Cthulhu elf let them all live, until they showed signs of hostility.

Seeing how quickly the monster dealt with the three immortals, I turned back and saw that Mallory was now visibly pale at the sight.

I think we both had the same thought, that could have been her if she had tried anything.

Where was I, before this? Oh right, giant magical bug cage.

“Okay, now that, that is over,” I state while gesturing to the three lifeless husks that all have a giant hole in the center of their chests. “I made a promise, my bestie is getting married today to my daughter, and my tailor, don’t ask.”

I begin, but quickly realize this is getting off track.

“What I mean is that, I promised that I would be here with her until midnight tonight,” I finally get out.

“Did not,” Mallory protests.

Turning back towards Mallory, I hold up a finger, “I said I’d be with you until Sunday, which is midnight tonight.”

Then turning back to the Cthulhu elf, I continue, “which was when I fully planned on coming back to see you.”

I state and mean every word of what I am saying.

Then wanting to make sure this creature believes me, I try to do something completely stupid. I go closer to the creature, to its face that is covered by long greasy hair, or what at least appears to be long greasy hair to my senses. Then with a gentle hand I gently touch the creature, and begin infusing all forms of energy I can into the creature.

I infuse Healing magic to limited effect, the Qi I infuse does minimal changes, and even ephemeral energy has little effect on the layers of gunk and debris that are hiding this monster’s face.

That is when I decide to try out Karma.

Why not right?

End of the world, nothing else seems to work, why not try using what seems to be a mostly unknown quantity of energy.

Grabbing a large golden thread of karmic energy, I wrap it around my left hand and begin trying to massage the face of the alien creature.

The instant I do, I feel oily slime cling to my hand for a second, before a quick shake off relieves my hand of the mess. After which I continue to wipe away the years of residue and neglect that have built up on this poor elf’s face.

Almost in no time, do I see the shape of the true elven spirit hiding behind the layers of twisting and rotting muscles.

Oddly, I remember for the first time that I am once again Sculpting. This is the first time since Zero taught me the odd skill on the second floor of the Arcanarus Tower.

For a moment, I wonder how he is doing.

With an odd look of nostalgia, I raise up my arm to see that the glowing tattoo of Zero is still there, albeit far lighter than he has ever appeared before. I still don’t know what happened to the poor guy, but I want to give him time to heal. Also, calling him out here, in front of the creature that caused his energy levels to drop off might not be the best of moves.

Still, the Cthulhu elf seemed to notice my glance for a second, but otherwise let me continue to work.

In the end, I just let the karma do its thing, and work away the layers of rotting flesh.

Sizzle.

Layers of rotting flesh that sizzle on the ground and begin to hiss when coming into contact with the mechanical protective outer layer of this world.

“You are so beautiful, what happened to you?” I find myself saying, as her face is present, her hair is cleaned and parted.

I didn’t give her bangs, as I would never do that to a fellow female, but at first, I thought it might be a viable solution. Fortunately, we were able to save most of the actual hair.

“Were you also a beautician?” Mallory asks, having come around to inspect my work.

“Close, a mathematician with two daughters,” I reply.

I work until I am all out of all forms of energy. Omni-Healing, Qi, converted other sources, even my Dual Quintessence Healing gets pushed to its limits. That and the constant touches and caresses on my back for residual ephemeral energy, and most importantly the last of my good Karma all make it so I am near exhausted.

In fact, I am so exhausted from doing everything and talking to myself while I worked, that I almost missed the moment when the Cthulhu elf spoke.

“Midnight?”

I paused and shook my head trying to understand what she meant.

“What?” I ask, clearly not getting the statement in my exhausted state.

“Midnight?” She asks again, a picture of calm confusion, as if she is trying to understand the word she was using.

“I think she wants you to visit her at midnight,” Mallory helpfully translated, while my mind tried to desperately to keep up with the fact that this being who had been silent all this time was finally speaking.

“Yes, I will come visit you after midnight, I promise.” I state, and just like that, I feel a strand of golden karma form between myself and the ancient elven creature. For a moment, I feel like I might have just made the biggest promise of my life, but then after a second, I relax and realize I am okay with this promise.

Then nodding to herself, the Cthulhu elf nods, and with her hands, not tentacles, but actual hands she reaches out to me.

“Oh, you are a hugger? Okay?” I say as I go in for a hug, only to find that I was completely wrong.

Reaching out, she grabs my left arm, and proceeds to effortlessly pull out Zero from his tattoo state.

Shocked.

I was too shocked at this point to see what was happening, but then I saw the giant bubble that had originally been made to take me back to the void realm, shrink down and encapsulate the still slumbering form of Zero.

Only now did I see how sallow and pale Zero had gotten.

It was clear that despite being within me and resting, he was actually getting worse.

“I heal,” the ancient elven spirit stated. “Come and midnight and be healed.”

The elven creature stated, holding up the incubation cocoon that held Zero. Then before I could say or do anything, I saw the form of the elven spirit begin to pull its long form back through the portal that it came from.

Fortunately, I knew that both the Cthulhu elven creature and Zero were safe, as I felt golden threads of karma linking me to both. And both were still completely healthy.

With the strange alien elf gone, the mysterious draining energy left the surrounding area. Suddenly I felt a wave of heat, as if the sun was out, but I knew this was from my being able to regenerate energy naturally.

The world that had been slowly melting away, to its base underlying layer of magical components began to stop, and actually started to grow back.

I was so flabbergasted by the entire thing, and from energy withdraw that I had a hard time keeping up with what just happened. Then to make matters worse, Mallory asked me a question I had no answer to.

“Okay, I often ask what is happening. But this time I need an honest answer, what exactly just happened?”

And I was just as dumbstruck as everyone else was, but then I said the first thing that came to mind.

“Well, we survived…”