image [https://i.imgur.com/xcQhW8Y.jpg]
Yeah, this new life bites, and yet—this bitch really does taste amazing!
The woman I was totally lusting over had just thrown me into the face of a demon, and now the two of us were plummeting down into a sinkhole, a massive abyss! Despite the chaotic descent into infinite darkness that swallowed us whole, I was unfazed. Instead, I clung tightly to my quarry, ignoring her muffled screams. My corrosive form enveloped Niamh’s head, and her frantic clawing for release proved fruitless. Her dissolving fingertips had been reduced to bony-like claws, her suffering, and desperation igniting a wicked delight within me.
Am I a sadist?
It wouldn’t be long until the rest of her hands succumbed to my touch, a thought I savored with perverse glee. Though a hint of remorse might have stirred within someone else, the alluring taste of cherries and the intoxicating aroma of her melting flesh overwhelmed any traces of something as silly as morals.
As we continued to fall for what seemed like an eternity—seriously, how deep is this hole?—I noticed Niamh’s fingers had almost completely disappeared. Surprisingly, her head remained intact, although her facial features were another story. Giggling a bit as I jostled her face, I could discern that her nose, lips, cheeks, and even her eyes were gone. Yet, she fought against me with relentless tenacity.
Somehow, she managed to forge what remained of her digits into a fist, landing solid punches on what used to be her face—effectively, to me as well. Sharp waves of pain—or was it more surprise than pain?—washed over me with each blow. Her desperate persistence, even now, commanded my admiration.
Isn’t she quite the stubborn one?
Unwavering, she continued to batter me with a barrage of blows, akin to a boxer striking a speed bag.
Awww, isn’t she just fucking precious.
And then, in the blink of an eye—or rather a flash of a notification—the assault ceased.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
BattleResult
Enemy Defeated: [Demonic Sovereign Vessel]
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Current Level: 13
Level 5 Milestone Achieved [LMA]
Racial Skill Unlocked: [Arcane Insight]
Level 10 Milestone Achieved [LMA]
Racial Skill Unlocked: [Polymorph]
Next Milestone at Level: 15
Initiate [Absorb] on [Demonic Sovereign Vessel]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
Nine levels? Holy shit! I need Aurelia to toss me around more often.
That boost had been significant, granting me two milestone skills. But what came next was pure ecstasy! An orgasmic wave surged through me as the level-up notification pinged, invigorating every fiber of my being. My grip tightened around Niamh’s face, squeezing with newfound strength as I mentally screamed in delight. Like a watermelon overburdened by too many rubber bands, her head gave way with a grotesque pop. How I longed to shriek aloud in my euphoria!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end—this monster girl met the floor with a bang! I crashed into the ground with the ferocity of an apocalyptic explosion. A sickening splash resonated as Niamh’s remnants burst upon the stone, my viscous form following suit, splattering grotesquely in her wake.
Every part of me throbbed with pain, despite being reduced to a quivering, orgasmic goo. Oddly, it reminded me of my first time doing an—never mind! Bereft of limbs, bones, organs, even a brain, I was merely a pudding—a sinister, demonic pudding—smeared across the stone floor, mingling with traces of the succubus.
I lay there among the viscera, dissolving everything within reach, without any intent to move. My all-encompassing gaze eventually drifted to the persistent notification that still floated before me. After what felt like an eternity, I sluggishly heaved myself from the smear I had left on the ground.
Ugh, they call this a trial?
Glancing back at the notification, I conceded with the faintest of mental whispers, yes, on [Absorb].
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillUpdate
[Absorb] [Demonic Sovereign Vessel] Successful
New Selectable Skill Available:
> [Astral Insight]
V:\>
What’s with all the insight? I really should take a moment to go through all these skills. And why only one skill this time? Olin was too weak to give me any levels, yet I snagged three skills from him.
It was painfully clear that I had no idea how my system worked. Nonetheless, every advantage was crucial, especially since I had no clue what awaited me in this dungeon. Yes, I was actually inside a dungeon! My mind struggled to focus, continually drifting back to the system skills.
Yeah, it’s time to explore these skill options.
After painstakingly pulling myself together, I was disheartened to find no remaining pieces of succubus flesh. It seemed my splattered form had no trouble devouring the remnants after she burst like a pulverized pumpkin.
Ugh, I want more—yikes! What’s happening to me? No, Blake! Bad! Bad!
With a mental shake of my non-existent head, I focused intently on my status sheet, particularly the skill details. Anything to distract myself from the unsettling realization that I’d morphed into a monstrous version of Hannibal Lecter. I mean, consuming people wasn’t entirely unpleasant—it was surprisingly delicious.
No! Bad!
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
SkillDetails
[Absorb]
Description: Gain the ability to assimilate the skills of your prey into your own repertoire. Success rates significantly increase when used against dungeon monsters and other system users.
Status: Active
Type: Racial Skill
Activation: Cast
_
[Arcane Insight]
Description: Provides a deep understanding of the mechanisms behind your system skills, enhancing your acquisition of arcane knowledge.
Status: Active
Type: Racial Skill
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Arcane Insight]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Astral Insight]
Description: Perceive the subtle interplay of souls and mana in your vicinity, revealing hidden connections and essences.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
Select [Astral Insight]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Blight]
Description: Conjure a toxic mist that spreads a miasma of rot and disease, devastating those caught within its grasp.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Cast
Select [Blight]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Corrosive]
Description: Your touch becomes lethally acidic, dissolving all that lacks sufficient immunity or resistance.
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Status: Active
Type: Racial Skill
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Corrosive]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Fear]
Description: Emanate an aura that instills terror in those around you, selectively bypassing individuals based on subconscious criteria.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Cast
Select [Fear]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Life Drain]
Description: Drain life energy from a target to heal yourself, transferring vitality with each touch.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
Select [Life Drain]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Mana Focus]
Description: Acquire the capability to comprehend mana through inherent sorcery.
Status: Active
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Mana Focus]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Polyglot]
Description: Master all languages spoken across the Moons of Völuspá by harnessing the ripples of mana to manipulate linguistic barriers.
Status: Active
Type: Unique
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Polyglot]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Polymorph]
Description: Harness your eldritch nature to shapeshift at will, seamlessly adopting the appearance and physical characteristics of any shape you desire, contingent upon your understanding of those traits.
Status: Active
Type: Racial Skill
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Polymorph]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Silk Webbing]
Description: Produce exceptionally strong silk threads from your body, perfect for crafting intricate webs or durable fabrics.
Status: Inactive
Type: Ability
Activation: Cast
Select [Silk Webbing]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Spider Walk]
Description: Traverse any surface effortlessly, as if gravity holds no sway over you.
Status: Inactive
Type: Ability
Activation: Passive
Select [Spider Walk]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Stellar Void]
Description: Summon a pocket dimension by tearing through the veil into the void, creating an ephemeral space between realities where the normal laws of physics are suspended.
Status: Inactive
Type: Unique
Activation: Cast
Select [Stellar Void]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Thermal]
Description: Empower your senses to detect subtle thermal variations in your surroundings, allowing you to discern hidden life forms and environmental anomalies based on temperature differences.
Status: Active
Type: Racial Skill
Activation: Passive
Deactivate [Thermal]?
> YES
> NO
_
[Venomous]
Description: Infuse your flesh with a potent toxin, harmful to those who lack sufficient immunity or resistance.
Status: Inactive
Type: Ability
Activation: Passive
Select [Venomous]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
Okay, that was a fucking lot to take in all at once. Jesus, how am I supposed to even process all of that?
My biggest takeaway was that the racial skills I gained from my milestones came pre-activated on my skill sheet, and I could toggle the passives on and off—and boy, did I have a lot of passives. I didn’t bother digging into my immunities or vulnerabilities; those seemed pretty self-evident, though I felt rather smug about having immunities instead of mere resistances—go me!
However, as I stared at the list of skill descriptions, caught in a bizarre mix of fascination and revulsion, I was only now coming to terms with the fact that I was ensnared in a reality filled with magic, vampires, necromancers, and demons—oh my. To top it off, I had become some kind of monster! I shouldn’t be pondering this bullshit now. No, I should be selecting skills to activate, yet... It had been less than a few hours since I woke up from death—I had died—and here I was, plunged into the abyss of a fucking dungeon. The uncertainty of what awaited me only fueled my frustration.
Focus, Blake. I need to pick skills, not dwell on all that dramatic bullshit.
I have always been an anti-gun advocate... Well, maybe not an advocate, more of a silent complainer. Whatever! At this moment, what would I have given for a pistol or assault rifle? It’s funny how danger can realign your values. My moral compass? Completely scrambled right now! Hell, I just ate a woman, and not in the naughty way—the diabolically evil way—and I liked it! I sighed internally at the pleasant memory. Where was I going with this? Oh, right! The next best thing I needed besides a gun was range magic!
I scanned my list, slightly irked by the vagueness of the descriptions. Blight seemed to be my only ranged spell, but a miasmic mist didn’t sound quite as volatile as I’d like; it seemed more like an area attack spell, similar to that Fear spell, though that was more of a mental attack. I’d rather kill than make someone piss themselves. Life Drain could count as an attack, even if it was a healing touch-based attack that siphoned health from others to restore myself, but I’d rather poison them—though, on the other hand—healing! Still, I lacked any strong offensive spells, and that’s precisely what I needed. If only I had a fireball or lightning spell, or any spell with some serious kick!
Glancing at the list of selectable skills, a strong impulse surged through me, urging me to try something, anything, just to see how it worked. Without much thought, my focus hovered over Silk Webbing. With a smirk playing on my non-existent lips, I decisively clicked yes on select [Silk Webbing].
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
ActivateSpell
Selecting Spell: [Silk Webbing]
Status: Active
Type: Ability
Activation: Cast
[Silk Webbing] has been set as an active-cast ability.
_
Selectable: 2 out of 4 Skills Activated.
V:\>
Two out of four? Fuck! What was the first one I selected? Oh, right, Mana Focus. Did I ignore a similar warning when I activated Mana Focus? Now, how the hell do I deselect Silk Webbing?
In a fit of cursing, I scrambled to toggle both skills on the list, but panic set in when I only saw Deactivate as an option—there was nothing about deselecting. I sifted through the status interface, desperately searching for the elusive option to unselect them. I swore it was there, or should have been, likely smirking at my futile attempts. The problem lay in the status screen’s simplicity, reminiscent of some ancient operating system from the 1980s, offering scant space for hidden options. Yet, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that it was my own incompetence that prevented me from reclaiming that precious skill slot.
After taking a long moment to curb my stream of vulgarities and quiet the internal screaming, I gradually calmed down.
Shit, now I need to be careful about what I pick.
Casting my gaze back at the list, Stellar Void momentarily caught my attention with its promise of dimensional storage—an alluring prospect. However, my priority was offense; I needed an attack spell. My only long-range options appeared to be Fear and Blight, and I wasn’t about to choose a mental debuff before securing a solid attack skill. Though Life Drain also intrigued me, it wasn’t a ranged skill, but its dual functionality as both an attack and healing tool was tempting.
Considering my current condition, I doubted I’d need much healing if I could just find some fresh flesh to consume. After all, I had just survived a tremendous fall. It seemed that as long as even a part of me endured, not much else could take me down.
That’s probably why Fire is one of my two weaknesses.
Then there’s Blight, which appeared to be a combination of an attack and a disease debuff, but the information provided was rather scant. However, Blight might be superior to Life Drain, considering it could potentially serve as both an offensive and debuff spell. Dammit! I just wasn’t sure if Blight was strictly an attack spell or not.
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. I’m making far too many assumptions! What really is a mist of rot and disease—damage over time, maybe?
The allure of Venomous was undeniable, with its description hinting at a passive touch ability similar to Corrosive and Life Drain. The tantalizing prospect of inflicting a twin payload of suffering on those foolish enough to make contact with me was too irresistible to ignore. Even better, I could amplify my potential by combining all three skills! I made a mental note to circle back to it. Pairing up passive attacks seemed like an obvious strategy, especially since those skills thrived in close-quarters combat.
Honestly, I won’t lie. I really wanted Spider Walk. It seemed like an excellent choice, especially given my current predicament. I might even be able to scale up the hole I was thrown into with that ability. But knowing the bunch of cult-like lunatics up there, they probably wouldn’t consider that “completing the trial.” So, I had to stay focused on offensive skills.
At first glance, Astral Insight seemed unnecessary, but I couldn’t deny its appeal—seeing someone’s soul would be absolutely badass, especially considering all the anime I’ve watched that made such abilities look incredibly cool. However, Astral Insight reminded me a bit of Thermal or perhaps more of Mana Focus. Nonetheless, it didn’t seem essential to acquire it just yet.
Without further hesitation, I returned to my selectable list and chose Venomous as my third skill. While it might have been prudent to wait for a more formidable option, survival was my immediate priority. Given the circumstances, this was one of the best tools at my disposal, especially when paired with Corrosive to amplify its effectiveness.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
ActivateSpell
Selecting Spell: [Venomous]
Status: Active
Type: Ability
Activation: Passive
[Venomous] has been set as an active-passive ability.
_
Selectable: 3 out of 4 Skills Activated.
V:\>
I was still torn between Life Drain and Blight for my last skill slot. I weighed my options, considering whether it might be wiser to save the slot for a potentially superior skill that could appear in the future. Yet, as I had previously determined, maximizing my survival chances with my current abilities was paramount. I needed to make the most of the available options.
Healing was crucial—I’d be a fool to overlook it. Yet, with a moment of hesitation, I chose Blight as my final option. After all, who needs healing when you can wield a strong offense? Yeah, I’m an idiot! But, with no regrets I’d admit to, I took a moment to review my complete status sheet.
V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE
CharacterStatus
Name: Blake
Race: Black Pudding
Class: Monster
Level: 13
Titles:
- None
Racial Skills:
- [Absorb]
- [Arcane Insight]
- [Corrosive]
- [Polymorph]
- [Thermal]
Spells:
- [Blight]
- [Mana Focus]
Abilities:
- [Silk Webbing]
- [Venomous]
Vulnerabilities:
- [Fire]
- [Holy]
Immunities:
- [Acid]
- [Darkness]
- [Disease]
- [Poison]
Unique Traits:
- [Polyglot]
Selectable Skills:
- [Astral Insight]
- [Fear]
- [Life Drain]
- [Spider Walk]
- [Stellar Void]
V:\>
As I perused my updated status sheet, my attention was captured by one of the two newest racial skills I had earned after defeating the succubus: Polymorph! The thought of looking human again had me practically dancing with joy. It was easy to forget about such a gift with everything that had happened—like pulling myself back together after a rather literal splat.
However, before I indulged in shapeshifting fantasies, I surveyed my surroundings, or at least what I could discern in the dizzying technicolor chamber. My vision was still a blur, with only minor relief provided by the system screens, which helped me moderately focus on objects nearby. It dawned on me that maybe I should just turn off Mana Focus for now. After all, from the skill’s description, I realized that the colors I saw might not be colors at all, but rather the distinct types of mana emanating from everything around me.
Once I deactivated the skill, the world erupted into a psychedelic display of grays and blacks. I wondered if this was how all Black Puddings perceived the world. It was a racial skill, after all. Either way, I found it much easier to navigate without Mana Focus.
No nausea anymore—sweet!
With the easier vision to take in, I found myself in a chamber chiseled out of solid stone. The walls were adorned with enigmatic engravings that resembled hieroglyphs, though the details were murky. The only discernible feature was the slight variation in temperature between the etched surfaces and the rest of the walls. Most of the walls bore a deep shade of gray, interspersed with random black splotches that framed the carvings. White speckles and smears littered the floor—likely remnants of Niamh’s explosive demise. The wonderful taste of her blood and flesh still lingered in me, and the image of her obliteration refused to fade.
Therapy might be in order.
As I scanned the chamber with my thermal sight, a black figure in the corner, at least twenty meters away, caught my attention. Either my ability was failing me, or there was another presence in the room.
Yay… I’m not alone.
I couldn’t tell if it was human, but I doubted they had noticed me. I mean, I was pretty tiny... wait, scratch that. I had tripled in size since consuming the succubus.
Just how much fat was that demoness storing in those tits? Wait, that doesn’t matter—focus, Blake!
I flattened myself to the ground, which turned out to be rather low, and crept toward the hopefully unsuspecting individual. The silhouette remained motionless, likely relying on their lack of visibility for protection. Foolish. I could see them clearly.
This will be an easy kill.
Wait, am I really going to kill some random stranger? Blake, what’s wrong with you? Self-defense is one thing, but am I capable of attacking and murdering the first person I encounter at the bottom of a hole, completely unprovoked?
YES!
Uh, I mean if I don’t, they surely will attack me…right? So, yeah, that’s a legit reason to strike first. Besides, I’ve seen enough movies to know a good defense is always a strong offense! Right—right? Ugh, I really should stop repeating that line; I’m starting to sound like a cliché.
I was beginning to accept that I’d lost any resemblance to my past morals and sanity, hoping it wouldn’t get worse. My pudding-low-crawl came to a halt at the figure’s boots. To my disbelief, they remained oblivious to my presence, even though I was directly in front of them. They appeared completely incapable of seeing in the dark. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but admire their steadfastness in remaining silent and still. There was no indication of movement from them, not even the rise and fall… of their chest.
Well, crapola, they are already dead.
Damnit, Blake, stop feeling disappointed you weren’t the one to kill them!
With my thermal vision, I should have realized that a body appearing black meant they were literally dead cold—wouldn’t that also apply to vampires?
Wait, Aurelia was all black in my sight, wasn’t she? Huh…
As I slithered to their side, I noticed some curvature in the chest. It’s a woman! It was difficult to discern her age, but I could tell she hadn’t been dead for more than a few days. A slight scent of decay was in the air, and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of hunger.
No. No. No! Stop thinking like that, Blake! The body hadn’t decomposed enough to make me salivate.
Blake—what did I just tell myself?!
The temptation to not let her belongings go to waste was too strong, so I tried to pull off a boot. However, my current slimy state meant I stuck to it like glue, slowly corroding the material into a gooey mess. Damnit! I released the boot before causing more damage, but not before a hole had already formed by the big toe.
I’m thinking like a human, as if I needed boots or gear. Wait—does this mean I can’t collect any dungeon loot? Well, shit! I can’t use items, even if I wanted to. Shit. Shit. Shit. What the fuck do I even need dimensional storage for then? Whatever! I guess I have no other choice.
Sorry—not sorry, lady, but you’re my meal now!
I wasn’t even sure if Absorb would work on a corpse, although it had been effective on a ghoul. Still, there’s no time like the present to find out. Without further hesitation—I froze as the body shifted ever so slightly.