image [https://i.imgur.com/xcQhW8Y.jpg]
I peeked through the doors as they screeched open. I won’t lie—I was jittery about facing my first boss fight, but the jitteriness was born—or reborn—out of pure excitement. Something was definitely off; I’d never felt like this before waking up in this realm as a monstrous pudding. Sure, I had more than a few screws loose, but actually enjoying fighting, murder, and—let’s not forget—cannibalism? That was entirely new.
Setting aside my insane self-reflection, what lay before me was a massive circular chamber, part chiseled stone and part unfinished cave, adorned with those spiky rock things hanging from the ceiling and matching spikes rising from the ground. It eerily reminded me of the Bat Cave! However, these rocky spike-pillars emitted a soft, gentle glow, bathing the chamber in a pale, ghostly light.
What are those spiky rock things called again? I hate it when I can’t remember stuff like this! Ugh, the name’s going to pop into my head at the most annoyingly awkward moment; I just know it.
Yep, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.
“So, what should I expect in there?” I asked.
Redtail reached up and scratched the side of his head with a single long reptilian claw, seemingly pondering the same question.
“It’s an Ethereal Horror Weaver,” he finally answered, his voice tinged with apprehension. “It manifests in any form drawn from the deepest fears buried within your soul, though its true form remains shrouded in mystery. It’s a real terror born from the Realm of Dreams, seeded within the Ethereal Plane. Beyond that, all I know is that it will relentlessly try to terrorize you throughout the fight.”
“Well, isn’t that lovely,” I sighed, wishing I had some kind of fear immunity. However, a smile spread across my face. “Wait—isn’t that just a Boggart?”
“I—I’ve never heard of that creature before,” Redtail paused as if rifling through a mental almanac of monsters.
“Well, as long as it doesn’t appear as a creepy clown, I’ll be good,” I said with a smile, though in truth, I was dead serious—I really meant that shit!
Don’t be a clown! Don’t be a clown! Please, please, please!
“Wait!” Redtail grabbed my arm just as I took my first step past those imposing iron doors.
I glanced down at his hand, which he quickly removed—lucky for him, I hadn’t activated my passive skills. He sucked in several deep breaths, gearing up for either a confession or a breakdown—I couldn’t tell which. It was almost cute, like watching a cow hesitate at the entrance to a slaughterhouse.
“We should skip this boss,” he blurted out, biting his lower lip as if he’d just confessed his undying love.
“What—why?”
“I—I took you here not knowing you were a Precursor,” he mumbled, glancing away, his scales darkening with shame.
Hey! I’m getting better at reading the gecko’s expressions!
I crossed my arms and glared at the big lizard. “Look, I don’t really get all that crap you mentioned about convergence or whatever. Hell, I can’t wrap my head around any of this shit. Magic and skills? It’s nuts, man! Half the time, I’m convinced I’m dead, dreaming away in the hereafter.”
My eyes narrowed, and my voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “So, what are you not telling me?”
Redtail’s shoulders slumped, and he avoided my gaze, his shame wafting off him—no, really! I could smell it. And let me tell you, it was bitter!
“I brought you here hoping the boss would kill you, not knowing you were a summoned soul from a world beyond this wretched realm. T-That changes everything.” His back straightened, but he still refused to look at me, his voice heavy with shame. “I’m sorry, I really am. This fight is beyond you—it’s a secret dungeon boss that’s undefeated, as far as any of our memories go, and our memories go a long way. That being said, we’ve never had any user dungeon divers before, just the typical cocky denizens from Ockpool trying their luck.”
Redtail laughed, though the sound was as bitter as his aroma. “System users are the stuff of myths, and according to those myths, these dungeons were designed for your kind. For what, I don’t know, but I can tell you it wasn’t for ascension to false godhood.”
“Huh, good to know,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm as the iron doors began screeching shut between us.
My future lizard-chicken-dinner’s eyes widened when he finally noticed I was inside the boss chamber. I flashed a wicked grin, feeling a surge of exhilaration. This prick actually thought he could off me—me! The audacity. I wasn’t just going to show him I was a badass; I was going to defeat the undefeated and rack up some seriously badass skills.
“What are you doing?” Redtail panicked, his voice rising to an almost squeaky tone in desperation. “Hurry, it’s not too late to come back!”
I continued to smile at him, radiating confidence as I wiggled my black, gooey fingers from my right hand. “I’m fearless. Hear me roar!” And with that, the doors shut, cutting off any hope of second-guessing my decision.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Blake, what the hell am I doing? No, seriously—this is so fucking stupid!
Wait—wasn’t that roar bit a Cat Woman quote? Great, now I’m channeling my favorite movie villains. Purrrfect!
Oh, and I’m talking about Michelle Pfeiffer, Catwoman. Now, that’s a cougar I wouldn’t mind getting my claws into. That said, Zoë Kravitz, meow!
“Fuck, I need to calm my thoughts,” I breathed in and out. “That’s right, Blake, focus!”
Taking another deep breath, which, now that I thought about it, was weird—how the hell was I doing that? I’m sure I’ll circle back to that conundrum a few more times before cracking it. I shrugged it off and scanned the Bat Cave, on the hunt for this Horror Weaver-thing, not really sure what to brace for. I mean, what am I truly, deeply, to-the-soul scared of—midgets? Nah, probably not… I hope.
Ugh, it’s going to be clown midgets, I just fucking know it! And if it’s not, I’d bet a hundred dollars it’ll be something even worse—their evil twins: rampaging, pint-sized toddlers!
Eek! Just the thought of one of those little bastards calling me ‘Mommy’ gives me the heebie-jeebies!
Still, I couldn’t think of anything that would be so ingrained in my soul, given what the big lizard had said. “It manifests in any form drawn from the deepest fears buried within your soul,” was the key takeaway I had gotten from his words. Yes, I was paying attention, believe it or not—what else he may have said is a bit muffled, but hey, at least I got the key part, okay!
I strolled around a large stalagmite and froze, a sly grin spreading across my face. My memory decided to kick in at the most ridiculous moment—an inside joke only the observant of you would catch. But the laugh died in my throat as my grin vanished. There it was, sitting smack dab in the middle of the cavern—correction, boss chamber—a single treasure chest, looking as innocent as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding—”
“RUN!” a man screamed from behind me.
I spun around—not out of fear! Nope, didn’t scare me… not at all—only to find myself in the middle of a blizzard at night—deep within a fucking forest? Snow swirled fiercely around me, and in the distance, a fire raged, casting eerie, flickering shadows dancing on the snow. Five men stood before me, dressed like Spartans—or Romans—hell, history was never my strong suit. But they were undeniably from Earth’s past. The strangest part? They didn’t charge at me; they didn’t even seem to notice me. Their eyes were fixed on two figures running through the storm, their expressions predatory. One of the figures was clearly injured—a woman, desperately hobbling as a man—the one who’d screamed—tried with all his might to carry her along.
What the hell is going on?
Glancing back to where the treasure chest had been, I found nothing but the dense, snow-coated forest stretching endlessly before me. It became painfully clear that this dungeon boss was playing serious mind games. I turned back to the five soldiers—two were drawing their bows. Tears welled up in my eyes as I forced myself to watch the two fleeing figures, listening to the groan of the drawstrings as the archers took aim.
I reached up to wipe away a tear trickling down my cold cheek, only to freeze when I noticed it wasn’t the black, gooey hand I’d expected. Instead, it was a pale white hand attached to a tattooed arm—adorned with flames, tentacles, and My Little Pony unicorns... don’t judge me! It was my old arm, from before I woke up in this nightmare realm of monsters and magic.
Glancing down, I found I was back to my old self: a short, blue-eyed, skinny, pierced, washboard-chested goth girl with pale skin, and shoulder-length hair dyed half black and green down the center, concealing my natural red. Oh, and let’s not forget the black t-shirt emblazoned with “I Decapitate Teddy Bears” paired with a short plaid skirt adorned with a few chains—maybe a bit overboard for a twenty-three-year-old, but that’s exactly why I loved it so much!
The twang of a bowstring as an arrow was released snapped my attention back to the present. An inexplicable weight settled in my chest, a sense of loss and despair that I couldn’t quite place. The other three soldiers charged, their swords gleaming and their shouts piercing the cold air. Yet, amidst the chaos, all I could focus on was a haunting feeling that something irreplaceable was slipping away.
I watched in horror as the arrow sailed into the back of the woman the man was carrying. With a sickening thwack, it pierced through her, protruding grotesquely from her chest. She dropped to her knees; involuntarily, I mirrored her action, transfixed by the brutal scene. The woman turned to the man, her eyes wide with shock, tears glimmering like diamonds as they fell. As each tear dropped, I felt a piece of me crumble away.
“Aislinn!” the man cried out.
Much to my confused sorrow, he was powerless to help her as all five soldiers closed in around him, taunting him as they poked and prodded with their swords. Blood gushed from shallow wounds, mingling with the snow, as their cruel laughter echoed in the cold air. He fought desperately, but it was in vain.
I felt a profound sense of helplessness and loss along with his own, amplified by the haunting realization that, for the first time since waking as a monster, I couldn’t understand the language they were speaking—Latin? It sounded like it. The unfamiliar, taunting words only deepened my sense of confusion and despair.
Suddenly, a sixth soldier emerged from the trees amidst the whirlwind of snow, a forbidding shadow cast upon him as the flames behind him created an ominous darkness. His presence added to the overwhelming sense of dread, a dark figure that seemed to embody the hopelessness of the scene.
Unable to handle any more, I screamed and lunged from my knees, my fist raised as I dashed at him with all I had. My fist swung through nothingness, as though he weren’t even there, causing me to lose my balance and stumble face-first into a snowbank.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Pulling myself out of the snow, I watched, mortified, as the sixth soldier approached the woman. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I took in the scene. A cold dread washed over me, paralyzing me with a mix of fear and anger. From my new vantage, I finally got a good look at her. She was about my age, early twenties, with fair freckled skin, long blonde hair, and green eyes that shined like emeralds. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t pull my tear-streaked eyes away. The soldier loomed over her as she stared defiantly from her knees, acceptance etched on her face, a bloodied arrow protruding from her chest.
The soldier pushed her with a brutal force that toppled her onto her back, violently snapping the arrow lodged in her chest. A ghastly cough of blood erupted from her lips as her body shuddered under the pain. Rage boiled within me, unbridled and savage, as I watched the man mount her, tearing and clawing at her clothes in a frenzied violation. Meanwhile, the five others ceased their cruel taunts and began to mercilessly hack at the man who had been with her, their swords slicing through the air with a chilling finality. Each strike felt as though it was chopping away at a piece of me.
Tears streamed down my face, a cascade of helplessness and horror, as I screamed, powerless to intervene. My heart was torn with confusion—why did this agony grip me so intensely? These people were strangers from a distant ancient past, yet the anguish I felt was as piercing as if I had known them all my life. A visceral, primal fear surged through my veins, a deep-seated pain that gnawed at me as if a piece of my soul were being torn away, a sensation I could neither understand nor articulate.
In her final moments, amidst the chaos and the carnage, Aislinn’s eyes met mine. With a strength that belied her agony, she whispered, her voice a haunting echo of a bond I didn’t understand, “I shall find you in the life beyond, my dearest love.”
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
Fear Status Detected [SD]
Dread Status Detected [SD]
Sorrow Status Detected [SD]
Resist Status: No Immunity [Inactive]
Affliction: Soul Fracture
Effects Applied:
* Emotional Volatility: Increases unpredictability in behavior and reactions.
* Weakened Resolve: Lowers perseverance and resistance to negative influences.
* Dulled Senses: Slows reaction times and diminishes sensory awareness.
* Diminished Willpower: Impairs focus and task persistence, reducing performance.
* Heightened Sensitivity: Boosts susceptibility to other mental negative effects.
V:\>
My mind was too numb to comprehend the floating system display before me as I stared into Aislinn’s eyes. I watched the light fade from them as she let go of this world and set her sights on the next, leaving me behind—feeling forever alone and broken. And yet, I couldn’t explain why I felt this way; I didn’t know her. This had to be some twisted mind fuckery, a hallucination, but it felt so real, so piercing, that I couldn’t tear my pained gaze away.
“Snap out of it!”
A distant, almost familiar woman’s voice repeatedly screamed into my mind. Still, it sounded as though it had come from another world. I was submerged in a sea of grief, my eyes fixed on Aislinn’s lifeless form as the soldiers desecrated her with barbaric glee. Her cold, lifeless eyes locked onto mine, a haunting mirror of the brutality her corpse was enduring.
“WAKE UP! I’ve got too much invested in you to die here—not yet! It’s too soon!”
Behind me, the snow whispered under slow, measured footsteps, reminiscent of a wolf stalking an injured deer through a silent forest. Yet, I paid it no mind, transfixed on the horrifying scene unfolding before me. Tears continued streaming down my face, each one marking the unexplained emotional turmoil that fractured my soul with each passing moment.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
AdminSystemOverride
Admin:\Magic>Login_
System Access Granted [SAG]
Loading Modules…
Configuration Complete.
Initializing NEW Character Skills…
NEW Data Accepted.
Reinitializing NEW Character Data…
_
V:\SkillUpdate
NEW Immunity Skills Initializing:
> [Fear]
> [Dread]
> [Sorrow]
V:\>
In a single blink, I found myself staring at the empty space where Aislinn had been. All around me was a blend of chiseled stone and raw cavern, illuminated by the dull glow of stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites rising toward them from the ground. The fog that had clouded my mind began to evaporate with each blink, but regrettably, the emotional memory of the pain lingered like a scar I wouldn’t soon forget.
Glancing down, I saw that I was back in my black gooey humanoid-ish form. Suddenly, the sound of feet against stone echoed behind me. I spun around, instinctively launching my arm forward. It morphed into a long tentacle, reacting with a combat reflex I hadn’t known I possessed, and wrapped around the most unusual creature I had yet encountered.
“What in the fuck are you?”
I leaned my head back, giving the scene in front of me the full dramatic effect it deserved. There, looking like a rejected sketch from an artist’s pad, was a dark gray figure resembling a wisp of a bald, nude man. His features? Barely human, more like lazy suggestions than anything solid. And by wisp, I mean he—or it, since there wasn’t anything particular to note in the nether regions—was as skeletally thin and almost translucent, kind of like a bad special effect, flickering on the edge of reality. Watching it writhe, claw, and belt out a horrifyingly raspy scream in a futile bid for freedom, I couldn’t help but relish in its pathetic physical weakness and frailty.
Really, this thing almost broke my mind?
—Well, maybe more than ‘almost.’
“So, you’re an Ethereal Horror Weaver?” I asked, smiling at the flailing, snarling creature.
“ARRRGH!” was its only reply.
I shrugged and activated all three of my passive attacks, adding a bit of Blight for good measure. The snarls and growls became high-pitched shrieks as the creature’s flailing became more desperate and vicious. However, its frenzy quickly dwindled until, at last, the expected system notification flashed before my eyes.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
BattleResult
Enemy Defeated Dungeon Boss: [Ethereal Horror Weaver]
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Current Level: 21
Level Milestone Achieved [LMA]
Unlocked 6 Skill Points
Next Milestone at Level: 25
_
Initiate [Absorb] on [Ethereal Horror Weaver]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
“Hmm… No new Racial Skill, but six new skill points? Well, aren’t you a generous little milestone gift,” I muttered with a smirk, pleased to see that system notifications still worked on dungeon bosses, even if the rest of the monsters did absolutely zilch.
Hey! That should bring me up to a grand total of ten skill points, if my dodgy math checks out—don’t judge, math was never my strong suit!
As I looked over the notification, my mind wandered back to everything that had happened during that fight, especially that voice—the one I could have sworn was just my imagination. But the more I replayed the memories, the fuzzier they became. Even the system notifications I got during the fight had vanished when I checked the system page to verify what had happened.
“Had I imagined it all?”
The pain of remembering Aislinn’s eyes on me as she died felt piercingly real and continued to ache within me. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t erase that haunting image from my mind.
“It wasn’t real, Blake. It wasn’t real,” I repeated, shaking my arms as if trying to fling away the bad thoughts—it didn’t work.
Needing a change of thought, I mentally clicked yes on the Absorb option.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillUpdate
[Absorb] [Ethereal Horror Weaver] Successful
New Selectable Skills Available:
- [Ethereal Awakening]
- [Ethereal Mist]
- [Fear Harvest]
- [Terror’s Infusion]
V:\>
A fleeting smile flashed across my face before a frown bulldozed it away. “Where the fuck is that Soul Fracture shit?” I snapped. Seems I remember a tad more than I let on, but let’s be honest—it’s still a hot mess up there.
Grumbling a string of obscenities, I pulled up my new skill options.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillDetails
[Fear Harvest]
Description: Absorbs the ambient terror of those around, converting their fear into mana. The greater their fear, the more mana is regenerated, empowering your abilities further.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
Select [Fear Harvest]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Ethereal Awakening]
Description: Grants the ability to transition your soul between the Metaphysical and Ethereal planes, and reach into the Realm of Dreams. Caution advised to maintain metaphysical form to avoid becoming lost in the Ethereal.
Status: Inactive
Type: Ability
Activation: Cast
Select [Ethereal Awakening]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Ethereal Mist]
Description: Temporarily transforms your physical form into mist by shifting between the Metaphysical and Ethereal planes, enabling evasion of attacks and stealthy approaches to unsuspecting prey.
Status: Inactive
Type: Ability
Activation: Cast
Select [Ethereal Mist]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Terror’s Infusion]
Description: Passively imbues all your abilities with the essence of fear, causing each skill to instill terror in your foes, disrupting their actions and making them more vulnerable to further fear effects.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
Select [Terror’s Infusion]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
“Well, out of all of them, I’ve got to say, that Fear Harvest looks the most tempting,” I muttered to myself.
“You don’t need it,” a feminine voice in my head replied.
I might have jumped and peed a little at the sound—wait, do I even pee? Anyway, I spun around, not expecting to actually find anyone. But hey, a girl’s got to check, right?
“Um, hello?” I called out into the apparent nothingness.
The words just hung there in the cavern, and much to my growing annoyance, there was no reply. Crossing my arms and huffing, I reluctantly took the advice of the voice in my head, passing up Fear Harvest for now. What? You wouldn’t listen to the voices in your head? I certainly would—if they made sense… not that this one had.
I mostly knew how I wanted to spend my six skill points; I was just torn between two skills, Fear and Terror’s Infusion. Fear unleashed its own separate aura of insanity on others’ nerves, while Terror’s Infusion seemed to do the same but didn’t broadcast it as an aura; it infused all my other skills with terror. The kicker? Terror Infusion was a passive skill, and I was honestly starting to lean towards passives over casting skills. Not that Blight was a bad thing, but come on, I was doing some serious skill stacking with passives. And seriously, who puts a cap on awesomeness? Not this system, apparently.
So, with utter delight, I hummed a little tune and started clicking on skills. Terror’s Infusion—because, let’s face it, terror is my new perfume. Astral Insight—because, come on, insights stack as well. Ethereal Mist, because yeah, shifting between planes? Fuck yeah! And Necrotic Flame, since I needed a ranged offensive spell besides Blight.
Then, the next choice was more indulgence than practicality, but hey, who doesn’t want to walk on walls? So, Spider Walk it was. Last but not least, Ethereal Awakening. Why? I’m not sure; it felt like something was pulling me in that direction—let’s just call it a gut feeling or an insightful nudge.
As the skills toggled to active, I suddenly snapped back to that dark, snow-covered forest. A moment of panic tried to grip me, but really, there was no room for dread or fear—not even a smidgen of sorrow. Maybe a whisper of apprehension, but who’s counting? Not me! I’m scared of nada... Ha. Ha. Ha.
In my typical denial mode, I scoped out the area. No soldiers, no Aislinn, despite my intense eye-sweep of the place. Curious, I stepped forward and spotted a meadow through the trees. It teased me, opening up into what looked like a never-ending sprint towards a spring day—seriously, not a speck of snow. And what’s that on the hill? A quaint little cottage puffing out smoke like it’s brewing a witch’s potion or something. Real cute.
I blinked, and just like that, back in the Bat Cave. “Okay, maybe listening to that gut feeling was as good an idea as socks with sandals,” I muttered as I eyed my new skills, especially that Ethereal Awakening.
Feeling done with this place, I decided it was time to make my exit. However, just a few steps toward the iron doors, I spotted a treasure chest sitting smack in the middle of the chamber. Now, this could be an actual reward for defeating the boss, or—and hear me out—it could be one of those damn mimic chests. I eyed it with distrust, deciding I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, and continued on my way to the doors, whistling a little smug tune to myself.
My thoughts drifted to a particular vampire as my hands reached up to push open the two imposing iron doors. I froze, suddenly wondering if I was crying again. But no tears came; this monster shed none. Still, there I remained.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
CharacterStatus
Name: Blake
Race: Black Pudding
Class: Monster
Level: 21
Titles:
- [Hopeless Crusader]
Racial Skills:
- [Absorb]
- [Arcane Insight]
- [Corrosive]
- [Polymorph]
- [Thermal]
Spells:
- [Astral Insight]
- [Blight]
- [Life Drain]
- [Mana Focus]
- [Necrotic Flame]
- [Terror’s Infusion]
Abilities:
- [Ethereal Awakening]
- [Ethereal Mist]
- [Silk Webbing]
- [Spider Walk]
- [Venomous]
Vulnerabilities:
- [Fire]
- [Holy]
Immunities:
- [Acid]
- [Darkness]
- [Disease]
- [Dread]
- [Fear]
- [Poison]
- [Sorrow]
Unique Traits:
- [Polyglot]
- [Oracle]
Selectable Skills:
- [Dull Corrode]
- [Fear Harvest]
- [Fear]
- [Paralysis]
- [Spirit Vessel]
- [Spores]
- [Stellar Void]
V:\>