image [https://i.imgur.com/xcQhW8Y.jpg]
After witnessing a goblin’s decapitation and missing out on potential skills from his corpse, I navigated the dungeon, deliberately avoiding the five dickhead candidates. Nowhere near ready to engage them for a murderous feast, I ventured into an area thick with underbrush and mushrooms that looked like it was ripped right from The Smurfs—albeit, most of the plants and mushrooms were bioluminescent, adding a surreal, psychedelic twist, reminiscent of a stoner’s blacklight poster. That said, I wasn’t sure if what I saw was neon or if it was Mana Focus playing tricks on my perception. I suppose I may never know.
What I’d give for some acid right about now.
Hmm… Maybe one of these mushrooms is the fun kind?
A chorus of high-pitched screams suddenly cut through the dense air, their shrill tones blending into an almost musical cacophony as rustling movements darted through the foliage all around me. Venturing a few steps forward, the underbrush parted to reveal a hidden enclave—a bizarre village shrouded in a swirling mist of spores. My assailants emerged: small creatures with stout, fungal bodies topped with bright red caps that glowed with a psychedelic luminescence. They swarmed like participants in a chaotic rally, their movements clumsy and uncoordinated yet charged with fearless abandon.
As they lunged at me, their red-capped heads served as makeshift battering rams. With each reckless charge, their impact against my gooey flesh dispersed clouds of spores, thickening the fog around us.
What are you, you little bastards?
The relentless assault from the small, determined mushroom creatures wasn’t the worst part—it was the spores! Overwhelmed, I struggled to dodge effectively. My movements became sluggish, as if I were wading through thick molasses. Each collision not only slowed me further but also released more spores, thickening the haze around me and deepening my irritation as I grew increasingly lethargic.
A system notification flashed, confirming my suspicion of what was happening.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
[Slow] Status Detected [SD]
Resist Status: No Immunity [Inactive]
Affliction: Slowness
Effects Applied:
* Delayed Physical Reaction
* Delayed Spell Casting
* Delayed Cognitive Functions
V:\>
Despite the chaos, my Corrosive and Venomous traits began to reveal their advantages—acidic burn marks appeared on their red caps with each collision, and soon, sickly purple veins began to show on their white bodies beneath the caps. The relentless creatures, tireless in their assault, were unknowingly succumbing to my passive attacks. I found that I didn’t need to do much beyond letting them hit me as they fell one after another. So much for their Slow debuff doing them any good.
A twinge of regret crossed my mind as I pondered whether Life Drain might have helped me regain mass while healing. Additionally, combining my passives with my new Paralysis skill acquired from the gelatinous cube, I could become the ultimate close-range fighter—despite my preference for long-range engagements. Sorceress all the way!
I ceased any attempt to fight back as the relentless mushroom creatures continued to charge at me in waves, apparently oblivious to the fate of their fallen comrades. They rapidly replaced each other, attempting to batter me with their small, shroom-like helmets, which only released more Slow spores into the dense mist enveloping us. Considering they weren’t wielding fire or holy magic, I found myself virtually immune to their physical attacks, allowing me to mostly ignore them.
Taking advantage of the relative safety, I decided to examine my newest skill more closely. However, I didn’t have a skill slot available for use anyway. Still, the chaos of the battle provided an odd backdrop as I delved into the details of my skill.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillDetails
[Paralysis]
Description: Temporarily immobilize your foes by touch, disrupting their nervous system or magical energies. Targets remain conscious but are unable to move or act.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Cast
Select [Paralysis]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
As I realized that Paralysis required active casting, a frown creased what would have been my eyebrow—kind of hard and awkward to do when you’re a single gooey eyeball. I had been hoping for another passive ability. Sure, my heart was set on acquiring long-range magical spells—something as badass as a lightning bolt would be ideal. Yet, the notion of assembling a passive build was becoming unexpectedly appealing. It wasn’t that I was abandoning my Sorceress dreams.
Speaking of wanting to be a Sorceress, I decided to give [Blight] a cast. Suddenly, a miasma of darkness misted out of me. Through Mana Focus, it appeared as one part sickly dark green swirling with one part cruel purple.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
BattleResult
Enemy Defeated: 32 [Dungeon Campestri]
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Current Level: 16
Level 15 Milestone Achieved [LMA]
Unique Skill Unlocked: [Oracle]
A new Skill Slot has been unlocked.
Initiate [Absorb] on 32 [Dungeon Campestri]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
As though someone had hit the fast-forward button, the Slow debuff vanished without warning—well, except for the system notification.
Wait—what?
It seemed I had won... I had been so lost in my thoughts, either fiddling with the system or daydreaming about becoming a sorceress, that I hadn’t noticed the end of the onslaught of munchkin-sized mushrooms. They’d been headbutting me like relentless billy goats—then nothing.
Glancing around, I noticed about half had succumbed to a mix of chemical burns and poisoning, while the rest had been done in by my Blight if the sickly look of rotten mushroom people covered in sores and blisters oozing with pus was any indication. Regardless, they were now all lifeless around me, victims of my passive skills and Blight.
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Dang, Blight is terrifying.
I gained three levels from that encounter and a new racial—no, a Unique—for reaching a milestone level. However, I found myself eyeing this Oracle skill with some skepticism. The last thing I wanted was a skill that induced hallucinations of possible futures—not that I knew if that’s what this skill did, but I was apprehensive nonetheless.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillDetails
[Oracle]
Description: Bear witness to the divine wisdom and insight into the arcane secrets of Magic.
Status: Active
Type: Unique
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Oracle]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
Huh, so it’s kind of like my other skill, Arcane Insight? Why am I getting so much insight? Not that I’m complaining about it.
A quick glance confirmed that, like all the milestone skills I’d gained, it was already active. For now, I decided to leave it alone—though I wasn’t sure what to make of it being passive. Maybe I’d gain some... insight into that? Tee-hee! My real joy, however, stemmed from two other things: first and foremost, I mentally clicked yes on Absorb.
My body began to deform autonomously, gathering every spore it could find—all seventeen, I suppose—and pulling them in to be quickly dissolved and devoured. Guided on autopilot by Absorb, I could feel my form shifting as though I were growing. The Campestri hadn’t been much bigger than me, but after consuming as many as I had, I now found myself about the size of a large dog.
Yay!
Wait—does that make me a literal bitch now?
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillUpdate
[Absorb] [Dungeon Campestri] Successful
New Selectable Skill Available:
> [Spores]
V:\>
Spores?
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillDetails
[Spores]
Description: Emit a haze of spores to envelop you, inflicting foes with a lethargic slowdown that delays physical reactions and spell casting.
Status: Inactive
Type: Ability
Activation: Cast
Select [Spores]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
Hmm… It sounds useful if I’m being groomed against my will to be a close-range spell fighter. Seriously! Can’t a girl get a lightning bolt spell up in here?
Despite my grumbling, I moved on to the last thing I was excited about—a new skill slot! I was gaining skills I couldn’t use like they were forbidden fruit. I had, what, like ten skills in the Selectable Skills list? The question was, what to pick? Ah, who was I kidding? I knew exactly what I wanted. Especially after that burning ceiling collapse, I needed a better way to heal myself besides eating corpses.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
ActivateSpell
Selecting Spell: [Life Drain]
Status: Active
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
[Life Drain] has been set as an active-passive spell.
_
Selectable: 5 out of 5 Skills Activated.
V:\>
I had just tripled my passive attack power and included a healing touch into the mix with that single skill. So, out of the five active skills that I had picked, I had Blight, Life Drain, Mana Focus, Silk Webbing, and Venomous. That didn’t include my Racial Skills of Absorb, Arcane Insight, Corrosive, Polymorph, and Thermal, nor my Unique Traits of Polyglot and Oracle. So, all in all, I was pretty well stacked... for a close-range mage fight. I’ll admit, I was still a bit bitter about that last bit, but who knew, maybe there was a way to deselect my skills later on, and respec myself to be a Sorceress that a sexy vampire couldn’t keep her hands off of.
What? A girl can dream, can’t she?
With my scrumptious meal done and the shroom dudes utterly annihilated, I ventured further into the dungeon, seeking what else I might uncover—only to halt just before leaving, drawn by the sight of a few copper-looking coins lying scattered where the corpses had been.
Had those been there before?
I gave a mental shrug; it wasn’t like I could use the coins for anything, nor did I have anywhere to store them. True, I had a pocket dimension for storage listed among my Selectable Skills, but that was far from a priority right now. So, I left the coins where they lay and was about to continue onward, seeking greater fortunes in levels, skills, and—yes—yummy treats. That’s when I noticed a wooden chest, reminiscent of something pirates would use to stash their treasure, just lying there. Oh—and by treats, I meant delicious corpses.
—Ugh! What’s wrong with me?
I’m losing my mind to these dark impulses—and what’s worse, I’m enjoying it!
And I’m still answering my own questions? Argh! Talking to myself is one thing, but talking back is a whole other level. I need to be careful, or I might actually end up with a split personality.
“Yes, you do.”
—EEK! Who said that?
I scanned my surroundings with my single eye, searching for the source of the mysterious voice.
Despite my size increase, I was still essentially a gooey orb with an eye. Why such a simple form? Honestly, I didn’t have the time or patience to experiment with Polymorph. Thus, I opted for the simplest shape: a slimy black eyeball supported by tentacle-like tendrils that acted as legs.
Maybe I should give myself a mouth? Now, if only I could fly, I’d look just like a Beholder.
Back to the matter at hand—treasure! And that other voice. I turned in every direction, utilizing both Thermal and Mana Focus, but found no one. Just me and the unassuming chest. Yep, that’s right! Absolutely no one else! That stark realization sent a chill through my core. Could it be? Was I going insane? Or worse, was I actually developing a split personality?
Great, just what I fucking needed.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SystemAlert!
Dungeon Core Removed.
Dungeon Ockpool monsters' respawn and rewards are now deactivated.
Notifying Primary Admin.
Error.
Error.
Admin:\Life>Not_Found.
Notifying Secondary Admin.
Access Denied By Secondary Admin.
Admin:\Death>Login_Denied.
Notifying Auxiliary Admin.
Admin:\Magic>Login_
Resetting Dungeon Modules...
Configuration Incomplete.
Dungeon Ockpool Core Not Found.
Dungeon Deactivated.
_
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
AdminQuestAlert!
Quest: Retrieve Ockpool Dungeon Core.
Reward: Immediate Graduation to Ascension.
V:\>
I froze—literally. My entire body seized up as the system alert flashed before my eyes. The dungeon core for this place had been removed? Now it seemed that even the backup to the backup admin had now tasked me with retrieving it.
Seriously?
However, what truly transfixed me was the reward mentioned: Ascension. Although the specifics were unclear, the omnipresent mention of Ascension throughout the system notifications hinted at its importance. Flickers of an idea about ascending to godhood danced in my mind. While nothing confirmed such grandeur, the mere possibility was tantalizing. Plus, the thought that the other candidates might have received the same notification spurred me on.
I want that reward, whatever it is!
Taking a deep breath—metaphorically speaking, since I'm pretty sure I don't have lungs—I cautiously approached the chest. I scanned the area thoroughly, using both Thermal and Mana Focus, but nothing unusual about the chest itself caught my attention. So, my focus remained sharply on my surroundings as if waiting for something to attack. And yes, I know I can't use items in my current form, but maybe, just maybe, if there's something enchanted inside, could I use Absorb on it? It's a long shot—I know—but I'm just winging it here. After all, it’s not like I know what I’m doing, no matter how badass you think I am.
I extended a tendril to nudge open the lid. Abruptly, a massive tentacle, like a grotesque tongue, shot out, wrapping itself around me. It squeezed mercilessly as it hoisted me off the ground and into its gaping maw! I shrieked in surprise, instinctively unleashing Blight while ensuring all my passive skills were active—Corrosive, Venomous, and even Life Drain.
The creature, a mimic chest I now realized, clamped down, its razor-sharp, spiked teeth puncturing my black flesh. Despite the barrage of my Corrosive and Venomous attacks, it continued its assault, chewing and tossing me within its saliva-coated mouth like I were nothing but a pleasant treat to be savored.
Time stretched into an agonizing eternity as the mimic chest tried relentlessly to devour me. Despite the ferocity of its assault, we reached a stalemate. My array of attacks seemed ineffective; my Corrosive and Venomous skills did nothing against the creature's unnatural resistance. Even Life Drain proved futile, doing little beyond inflicting superficial damage to my own pride. As I was chewed and tossed like a toy within its maw, I realized that, for all my skills and immunities, I was powerless against this dungeon monster.
After enduring what felt like endless hours of humiliating torment, the chest finally spat me out—my ego bruised and battered. This wasn't just one unfortunate encounter but three excruciating ordeals. Each time it spat me out, hope surged, only for its tongue to snatch me before I could escape, pulling me back into the fray, each episode more degrading than the last.
Until, at last, the chest spat me out one last time out of sheer boredom. I lay on the dungeon floor, devoid of the strength to recoil immediately, reflecting on the utter failure of my passive skills against such a foe. No new skills, no levels gained, and not a single mark made on the monstrous chest despite my desperate efforts. As I slowly crawled away, the bitter taste of defeat lingered, overshadowed only by my resolve to never speak of this again.
Hours later, I trudged through the dungeon, muttering a stream of curses that would likely have gotten me canceled in my previous life. In search of the elusive dungeon core and my next meal—to vent my annoyance—I navigated the cavern's intricate layout. It boasted a myriad of chambers and corridors etched along its walls. Some pathways delved deeper, revealing expansive, yet now eerily empty chambers, which I found bitterly relieving after that humiliating encounter with the mimic chest.
Despite needing a long breather, I was on edge. Occasionally, I flinched at the sound of scurrying, crab-like feet just behind me. Each time I spun around to confront the source, I found nothing.
Since the system alert, encountering dungeon monsters had become increasingly challenging. No dropped coins or items came from killing monsters anymore. Yet, the unsettling tapping of unseen, crab-like feet was a constant presence—always near, yet perpetually elusive, adding to the creeping dread that followed me through the shadowy corridors.