[The Goddess of Mercy asks what you are doing]
“Uhhhh… I can’t think of anything overly facetious to respond to that with,” Sebas said as he body checked a tree over and over, “Tough love? Maybe… inner turmoil?… no that wouldn’t make sense.”
[The Goddess of the Hunt suggested that you are “protesting violently”]
[The God of Humanity says that whatever you’re doing is, in fact, idiotic.]
A loud snap was heard, and Sebas fell over as the tree he repeatedly rammed finally fell over.
[The God of Alchemy says that you really love using Occam’s Razor to achieve your goals]
“I don’t know who Occam is, nor why he has a razor,” Sebas grunted as he held the giant black tree over his shoulders, bent over with his foot pressing the log into the ground while his arm used the leverage of his back to break the tree in half. Creaking screamed from the tree as the one armed monster slowly bent the unrefined lumber across it’s back.
[The God of Afterlife says that Alchemy admires that you think with your muscles.]
[The God of Alchemy said that is not e-]
A loud snap sounded as splinters and chipped wood chunks flew outward. “Thank you for saying so, did you ever figure out what you’re going to trade me this for?” Sebas asked, pulling the Essence Core from his mouth while letting each end of the tree fall to his sides.
[The God of Alchemy offers you “Unbound Lich’s Phylactery”]
----------------------------------------
[Unbound Lich’s Phylactery]
{Epic Utility}
Effect: The Phylactery replaces the heart of the soul’s flesh heart, and allows for it to be safely removed from the body.
Upon death, if the Phylactery is still present three days after the body perishes, the owner will revive within a space around five meters to the Phylactery.
Souls are needed to keep Phylactery functional.
“A Small orb, that upon willed, will turn into an object, a box, a fridge, a necklace, or a comb, and is used to keep the Lich “Lichin’””
----------------------------------------
“No.” Sebas said as he ripped a branch off the top of the tree and sat next to the segment of wood.
[The God of Alchemy asks what you mean by “no” with frustration]
“No? No; I don’t want it, No, that’s annoying to maintain, no, that’s pretty fucking useless… etcetera…”
[The God of Alchemy clings to his hair as you reject him again, devastated.]
[The God of Afterlife snickers as he watches Alchemy, saying that you’re one evil son of a bitch for playing with a God’s emotions.]
“Oh? So it’s my fault that everything he’s offered me is worthless?”
[The God of Afterlife says he knows you are not stupid, and that you know the value of each item, crusades could be justified just for something that could turn back time]
Sebas began to violently rake the branch up and down the grain of the wood as he spoke “That’s the thing, I already got some fucking asshole trying to make me a pet, I don’t give a shit about something that could help me out at some point, I don’t need to go back in time, or some sort of love potion that’ll lead me to the love of my life, I need to be strong, so I can go hang out with Adam and bully him for being a strange loser.”
[The God of Humanity scoffs]
“What’s so funny?” Sebas asked as he rapidly rubbed the stick against the log.
[The God of Humanity says that Humanity’s savior had nothing that he needs a monster like you for.]
“Adam Rynard? Humanity’s savior?” Sebas paused his fire making.
[The God of Humanity nods his head proudly]
Sebas began to chuckle, then laughing, before he clutched his chest and fell to the ground.
[The God of Humanity tells you to quit laughing]
Sebas continued, his face would have turned pink if his red feathered features didn’t already have a natural ruby tone to them. He wiped tears out of his eyes and breathed with labored breaths as he crawled back up to the column of wood to start rubbing the branching against the ground of the wood.
[The Goddess of Mercy says that it’s rude to laugh at others]
Sebas gave a light chuckle before responding “it’s just nonsensical to say, humanity, saved by the guy with 200 charisma…” Sebas smiled to himself, smoke started to rise from the middle of the log.
[The Goddess of Mercy says it is true, Adam Rynard is the Hero.]
“Huh…” Sebas mused thoughtfully while he collected leaves from the top of the tree, placing them in the small divot that was carved out from his repeated friction on the tree, and continued rubbing the log before speaking. “Humanity sounds fucked.”
A small pile of embers finally began to smolder within the middle of the wood, Sebas slowly blew onto the wood carefully and watched as the flames began to grow outwards from the center of the center of the split wood.
Sebas looked over towards the graveyard of shambling ghouls with a smile while lighting branches from the growing flame.
[The God of Afterlife asks if you’re just going to torch them with a long stick or if you have another plan]
“Nope, that’s pretty much the plan.”
Sebas held the wide trunk of a long branch, while letting the foliage slowly rain small particles began to fall from the end of his branch.
[The God of Afterlife began to speak before turning to Mercy as she grabs his attention]
[The Goddess of Mercy shook her head at him]
Sebas squinted at their strange exchange and leapt up the column and sat cross legged while holding the flaming spear on his shoulder while looking down at the rotten corpses that shambled towards his position against the wall.
“… is there something you want to tell me Mercy? I feel like everyone is surprisingly quiet.”
[The Goddess of Mercy shakes her head, while staying silent]
Sebas’ expression hardened and he held the flaming branch above the armored cadavers in front of him.
[The God of Humanity grins.]
[The Goddess of the Hunt tilts her head curiously]
[The God of Alchemy holds his breath]
[The Goddess of Mercy prays for you.]
[The God of Afterlife refills his wine glass]
“…” Sebas moved his branch away from the zombies.
“Ihta, is something going to happen if I light the ghouls on fire?”
[The Goddess of the Hunt has a hand placed over her mouth, unable to answer]
“You know, for fake gods you all are very strangely cryptic like real gods.”
Sebas shoved the tip branch into the midst of the Ghouls, and waited, jostling the branch every now and again when the undead grabbed at the branch.
“As a matter of fact, it’s almost like something bad is going to happen.” Sebas said as he watched the ghouls below slowly begin to burn.
Glowing embers began to wrap around the exposed flesh of the ghouls, pale dried skin began to glow on between the gaps of inconsistent rust plating.
[Notice: Environmental Kill confirmed, Level 12 Ghoul Militiaman]
[Partial Experience has been gained.]
Sebas watched as one of the burning corpses fell to the ground, and watched as the pale and dazed eyes of the creatures slowly began to emanate a dark red glow, each of the hundred odd corpses went from unfocused shambling to a still stare.
“Oh what the fuck?” Sebas asked as he started to stand up.
The Ghouls moved as one, ten ghouls sat their bodies against the walls as groups formed, and rushed their way forward, now five stood on each side of Sebas.
“Oh what the fuck.”
[Player has Enraged the Hoard.]
[The God of Humanity laughs at you while pointing]
[The God of Mercy prays for you]
Sebas shoved the uniform platoons that ran towards him with is hand, dropping the burning stick into the ground below, the first came towards him from his front, and aimed an elbow at his chin, Sebas ducked underneath it and swept his leg, kicking turned creature off the iron bars it walked over and turning around while his hand held onto the post, and sweeping the legs out of the ghoul behind him.
Sebas grabbed the militiaman with his foot’s talon and shoved his lower body forward, before landing on the iron bars that sat in between stone columns, running away from the creatures that started to chase him. Two of the ghouls fell off the fence from the launched corpse, while one got its head lodged on a decorational spike that Sebas considered relatively functional as his foot slammed into the spike while crushing the head of the creature below him.
Sebas ripped his foot out of the spike and sucked his teeth in as his unnaturally sturdy body began to run across iron tightropes with an injury to one foot, he progressed from spanning one gap of spikes to three before ending up leaping between the entire span of each of the seven gaps between each stone column, and eventually stopped to get his bearings of the situation.
A hoard of red eyes was seen, starting to rush for him. A line of ghouls with equally uncanny red glowing eyes followed him with a decent pace, however it was much slower than his own. Sebas looked around the cemetery and delegated his abilities and resources .
He had the fang of a dragon which he stabbed into a tree, the metal from the fences, and the stone of the graves. He turned around and began running again, nearing the first of two gates, Sebas saw that there was a small opportunity, he jumped from the fence, towards the inside of the square cemetery and began rattling the iron bar with all of his might until under a part of the metal dislodged from the stone in the wall. Sebas turned as a hoard of monsters enveloped him, the first was from the fence line, it leaped atop of him, and he used the metal bar that looked like an unfinished trident to slam it into the ground as its teeth bit into the unblemished iron, another tacked him from behind and sunk into him, then another arrived after he stabbed its skull with the tip of the metal bar, then two replaced them. Chunks were torn out of his flesh as his feathered upper body was raked with nails and ripped by disgusting and rotten teeth.
Sebas ran forward, bracing himself with the bar of iron, knocking over twenty something ghouls before he was able to free run across their heads, swiftly escaping over the crowd until he found a gravestone that he could properly see over the mixture of rotting and burning flesh that chased him with vigor of a fan group for Gold rank adventurer.
Sebas launched his body forward, stabbing into the large stone cube that sat atop a small tomb and lifted the gravestone that sat on the end of his stick.
[Notice: You have created a weapon, Great Hammer, Common Rank]
[Give your weapon a name?]
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh,”
[The name of the weapon will be: “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” is this correct?]
“No.”
[Give your weapon a name?]
“Fatal Impact.”
[Conviction detected; Common Rank Greathammer, Fatal Impact has been acquired, creation method, friction welding]
[Weld integrity: 0.3%]
[Smithing notes: Don’t use incompatible materials]
“SHUT THE FUCK UP” Sebas roared.
[+1 Hidden Notification]
Sebas slammed the tombstone onto then Ghoul that ran into him, cringing as he watched the metal helmet on the creature’s body squish like a beer can and began dry heaving as it splattered over his face.
“Oh my gods… I think it got in my mouth…”
Ghouls rushed atop of him as he stopped, and Sebas ran over them while propping his shoulders up on the metal sticking out of the stone. Landing on the split face of the tomb before yanking the makeshift hammer upwards.
“I’m sick of today… I wanna go home… I wanna go to bed… I’m still in jaiiiil” Sebas lamented as he lept over, slamming the rock atop a ghoul, and watched as it splattered into a small puddle of rotten flesh on the ground.
[+2 Hidden Notifications]
[+1 Hidden Notification]
[+1 Hidden Notification]
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Sebas shuddered and vaulted again, launching his body over the corpses before slamming the hammer over head and sweeping the stone through the heads of the hoard, removing a chunk out of a few ghouls. Sebas hung his hand limply as he continued running, slamming his feet into hands and heads as he had to zig zag his body around to find a proper footing as he turned in circles while dragging the hammer across the tops of the ghouls.
A voice sounded from the distance, “Do you need any help?”
Sebas looked up at the source revealing an old man, specifically the elven old man who he ran into at the beginning of his delve into this place.
As soon as his focus on battle was turned, Sebas was dragged down and ripped into by many hands, some broken and rotten while others were rusted spikes. He screamed as they pulled fistfulls of feathers off of him; thousands of hands enwrapped his body before he slung the hammer out with all of his might and stumbled off in a run.
“I asked if you needed help!” The ancient elf asked him once again, not moving from his position on the post.
Sebas snarled out a scream of “NO” as he rushed forwards, bounding over the gravestones , slamming the head of his hammer through the stone of the fence, and picking up the fire log and lifted it over his head.
[+1 Hidden Notification]
Sebas screamed as the flames lit up his flammable feathers and flesh, his hand was much more resistant to the flames, allowing him to keep his grip on the metal bar as he picked it back up.
[+1 Hidden Notification]
[+1 Hidden Notification]
[+1 Hidden Notification]
[+1 Hidden Notification]
Sebas unleashed a roar from his body as Ghouls ran forward.
[+1 Hidden Notification]
He sighed as he watched the group of monsters rush forward and rolled his neck on a circle before swinging the weapon like a baton, slamming the first dozen of ghouls with the giant clunky mace.
[+8 Hidden Notifications]
Sebas reaped hearts and heads from the creatures, launching his arm around even though it was hidden from his dampened senses if it was broken, as adrenaline had already flooded his body, ghouls ignited as they swarmed him, and a mindless anger took over his body as his wild instincts slammed his fist on the ground. Sebas got to all fours and dashed back and forth through the feet of the ghouls, slamming some of them into the air while his teeth grabbed some by the ankles as he bit through what was once their Achilles tendon.
From afar, ghouls were launched from the graveyard, while the hoard slowly began to explode in small groups, flaming bodies imploded outward and launched a horrifying blazing creature outward, that caught the head of a ghoul in its unhinging jaw before ripping it off and stamping two feet through a pair of ghouls.
The monster roared as its fire filled lungs continued panting out its’ violent fury was made audible from its slowly devolving thought process, if it wasn’t a creature of chaos, one might think the creature was a majestic Phoenix. The spectator watched carefully as the skewed numbers of each side swiftly decreased as explosions blasted the creature back and forth through its fight.
Blue flames started to rise from within the miasma of dark smoke from burning flesh.
“Well… this is an intriguing prospect…” The elderly elf said to himself.
”Angel?”
A small manifestation formed in the elf’s shadow, a pair of silver eyes like a cat’s reflecting in the deep inky surface of the void. A soft, calm voice spoke, “Yes Boss?”
“I might have a trainee… it seems violent… very feral…”
A blob of shadows began to bulge from the ground, and the shape of a head stared as it watched the nightmare creature crush ghouls and throw the explosive ones into the hoard as it flanked around.
“It’s certainly… interesting… what is it?”
”It looks like a shifter; have you heard of a “nightmare?” She asked her shadow.
“Can’t say I have…” the shadow replied, before sinking down into the watery surface of the dark shadow.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll do some research on them if your new pet survives whatever it’s got going on.”
The elf tipped its head to the side, conceding the point without verbally admitting it. It appeared like a very weighted battle, with a hundred and forty-four of the flaming ghouls to one big bastard a little taller over the rest of them.
***
Sebas crawled in and out of the fight, body checked creatures and slammed his teeth through their bodies to make the hearts a little bit closer to the flames he spread across their bodies.
Sebas began to slug the hammer into each corpse’s head before he eventually gave into his body’s tired thoughts and made wide movements, exhausted from his body’s overexertion and the smoke replacing the oxygen in his bloodstream. His swings devolved into slow and heavy swipes, and he began to spin in a circle, the weight of the hammer began to drag him forward from the force of the hammer’s stone head.
Ghouls began to run into the crispy nightmare’s attack launching themselves forward into the head of the hammer, and slowly, the numbers began to trickle down into the twenties before the buildup of garish boiling blood reached the small segment of the gate connection that was used as a handle more than a cross guard.
The hammer went flying into the distance as the spinning slowly stopped, and Sebas stood with his fist raised in a daze as he squared off with the blurry creatures in his rapidly declining vision.
[+2 Hidden Notifications]
His foot sank into a corpse, ripping the chest out of its body, rusty breastplate and all.
A glowing monster rushed forward in Sebas' vision, he grabbed it by the head and tackled it with his shoulder before running away. He fell forward as an explosion knocked him forwards, multiple Ghouls ran to him launching themselves onto his body, slinking their hands into his burning flesh, catching ablaze and exploding. Stabbing, burning and exploding, each time he kicked one off of him as it began to glow with the fire of one of the six suns, his ears were ringing as each and every creature lit itself on fire, began to bloat, and tried to explode right next to him.
Sebas shoved his charred body up with his hand, and started limping away, as three ghoul militiamen started stabbing their arms into his back, over and over and over.
“I’ll trade it…for a highest-rank recovery potion…” Sebas muttered out as his burnt mouth began to hang open wide.
[+1 Hidden Notification]
Sebas reached his arm up, and grabbed the small green orb that was under his tongue, his hand burned the inside of his mouth more as it pulled out the small object and held it up in the air.
A small beam of light shone down onto Sebas’ palm, and in its place, a flask with a cork stopper appeared in his hand, a golden-green liquid sloshed around inside of it.
Sebas poured the contents down his throat and screamed until his throat grew hoarse, and his lungs deflated.
[+1 Hidden Notification]
Feathers flourished in the flames as the liquid sank down in his throat, Sebas’ entire body began to glow from the energy in each cell that began to shed the burnt flesh and feather that once belonged to his body.
He roared out and rushed out as the flames on his body erupted with a new burst of energy, more fuel to his pyre. Reaching behind, Sebas grabbed a ghoul by the arm and slung it across the Graveyard. His labored breathing forced him to take a staggering pause before he laid back, ripping the arms off of the now slumped over ghouls that got dragged down with him.
He reached with his legs but had to watch as each one exploded, sending him flying across the arena of tombstone and gravedirt til he landed, embedded into the metal of the fence, nearby lay Fatal Impact.
Sebas breathed heavily as he looked forward, and let the mental notifications flood inward.
[The Creation of your First weapon under your [Blacksmithing] Master, Gis Solina, has been made.]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 20 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman “Kallus”]
[The Goddess of the Hunt cheers for you!]
[The God of Humanity sighs when watching your brutal fighting style, but is willing to thank you for getting a bit closer to finding the humans.]
[You have been inflicted with: Burn]
[You are taking major damage over time]
[(Risk-Taker) has been activated]
[The God of Humanity asks why the fuck you set yourself on fire while holding their head in their hands]
[The God of Afterlife cheers for you, claiming he’ll make sure you get a mansion when you die]
[You are Dying.]
[Constitution has been increased 50 -> 55]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 16 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 18 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 13 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 13 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 15 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 16 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 17 Enraged Ghoul Kamikaze]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 13 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 16 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 18 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 13 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 14 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 19 Enraged Ghoul Kamikaze]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 12 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 16 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 11 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 17 Enraged Ghoul Kamikaze]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 14 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 17 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 15 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 18 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 12 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 18 Enraged Ghoul Kamikaze]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 12 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 15 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 18 Enraged Ghoul Kamikazi]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 16 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 13 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 11 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[Notice: Kill confirmed, Level 13 Enraged Ghoul Militiaman]
[+89 Similar Notifications]
[The God of Alchemy offers you a
[Accept?]
[Yes] [No]
[You have received a
[Experience has been gained.]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Skill: [Unyielding Rage] LV 0 -> LV 1]
[Skill: [Flame Resistance] LV 0 -> LV 1]
[Skill: [Bite] LV 4 -> LV MAX]
[Skill: [Lowest-Ranking Hammer Arts] LV 0 has been created]
[Congratulations]
[Nightmare Level 25 -> 27]
[Access. 10 Stat Points are available for Distribution.]
[You have consumed a
[You have been inflicted with: Burn]
[You are taking moderate damage over time]
[Skill Experience has been gained.]
[Your body is healing and breaking down at an equal rate, making the effect of the
[The Hoard has stopped.]
[The Graveyard has gone silent.]
[The Guardian of the Tomb awakens.]
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
Sebas’ gaze snapped out of his trance, looking up at the Elderly Elf standing on the stone column.
“What makes you say I need help, old timer?”
“You appear to be on fire,” The Elderly Elf gestured with his hand.
“Ah… hmm…I might be okay?”
Sebas shot his vision over to the blood splattered hammer next to him, reaching for it, and looked at it as blue flames began to light from it.
He held up the stone on the metal bar, and read the epitaph out loud.
“A grave mistake turned into a smashing legacy.”
“Serril Zale?” The elf asked, curiously.
Sebas looked up curiously at the elf, confusion in his eyes.
“That’s a footnote in his book “Monster Almanac,” don’t you know?”
Sebas looked away from the Elderly elf and turned to the purple-black armored skeleton that began to rise from its sarcophagus.
“Talk about it later?” Sebas asked.
The elderly elf gestured forward as Sebas began walking with the flaming hammer slung over his shoulder, “Go on, there’s nothing a few more years won’t hurt.”
“Oh please, I’m gonna end this in five minutes, easy.”
Sebas ran forward, jumping from gravestone to soil as his body launched forward, his legs blurred as he ran forward.
[The Goddess of Mercy begs for you to put yourself out.]
“WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE FIRE IN MY EARS?” Sebas said with exaggerated volume.
[The Goddess of the Hunt said that Mercy asked you to put your fire out, but Ihta thinks that you look cool!]
“THANK YOU IHTA” Sebas yelled.
[The God of Alchemy says that maybe we shouldn’t be shouting our true names in the middle of public]
The armor-clad skeleton held its blade above its shoulder as Sebas ran forward. Both released their hold on their weapon, intending for a clash.
Sebas, however, had no plan to meet head on, and loosed his weapon forward, letting it release like a cannonball as it slammed into the blade of the armored cadaver. Sebas came up from below and straddled the creature's breastplate, holding down its staggering sword arm before using his glowing teeth to rip its head off, and shoving his arm into the open gap and removing its spine with a swift tug.
[Notice: Kill Confirmed, Level 26 Field Boss; Death Knight]
[Experience has been gained]
Sebas sighed and laid against the grass as it began to light under his flaming body, the elderly elf stood above him as he stood overtop of him.
“That was reckless and dangerous.“
“Man that’s all I got; if I wasn’t reckless or dangerous I would’ve died when I was thirteen.”
“Why are you still on fire, you should be dead.”
“Death couldn’t lay a finger on me even if I killed myself, the gods are laying claim over my body like a border dispute.”
The elf laughed for a bit, sounding gruff and wise before it distorted into a feminine chortle, and his face smoothed out, gray hair turning into a dark purple.
“You’re a funny kid.”
“And you’re not as old as you looked before.” Sebas said flatly.