Ah. My body morphed into an incarnation of adrenaline and rage, but my consciousness floated atop it. It was a calm bubble, simply bobbing with the violent currents beneath. Ohoho. If I had an empty Skill slot, wouldn’t I have earned a Mental Attack Resistance Skill from these assaults? Heh.
Hey, System.
Oy.
Give me… my Level in Monster’s Wisdom for my genius insight…!
My companions ignored my curled fingers and trembling, getting straight to work; ripping away the limbs of the Reanimated Bloat Toads and leaving their helpless bodies on the ground. I took several deep breaths, to my own horror defaulting to the breathing exercises I had learned from Mr. Gains.
Tension thrummed through my body, but I could totter forward on my stubby legs.
The corpses watched me with bulging eyes as I walked amongst them. Occasionally I had to pause and dodge to the side, as they still possessed enough muscular integrity to open their mouths and lash out with their growth covered tongues. But mostly, they squirmed on the ground, necrotic energy turning their remnant flesh to furnaces of ire.
“Note to self, leaving out corpses inflicted with necrotic fire will cause them to condense a weak necrotic seed, and soon those seeds will grow and create a zombie.” I stopped over my next target. I rubbed my hands together, activating weak healing secretion. The Reanimated Bloat Toad opened and closed its mouth, but Sage had simply ripped out this one’s tongue. I pressed my hands against its flesh.
Your Skill (Temp) Weak Secretions has grown to Level 19.
Immediately, the surrounding flesh began to cave in underneath the healing; zombies were definitely weak to even my minor powers. When no golden flames erupted from the applied secretion, I grimaced, secreted some more, and rubbed it across the rest of the body. The zombie toad deflated like a leaking balloon.
Unfortunately, my hands were covered in toad corpse gunk in the process.
You have assisted in slaying a Reanimated Four-Horned Bloat Toad Lvl 13.
“Malignance’s activation is still pretty rare. Should I put more points into it, if I have the chance…?” I squatted next to a puddle and rinsed my hands. The question made me hesitate, but at least it was a concern for later; the presence of multiple non-(Temp) Stats was a relatively novel problem, but I gained access to them quite rarely.
Besides, a new fire of resentment had been lit in my chest: what asshole was undercutting our investment in this land and creating an army of zombies…?
The worst was Old Oak's eyes when we came about the beach covered in corpses. I had worked so hard, I had tried to make Mimi proud, I had listened, understood, acted, and invested in a new life. Yet all of that was undone when the former Kami had seen evidence of its worst suspicions about us. All of my efforts had seemed so small.
I hated that. It reminded me so much of reader comments, when all the love I poured into a story was dismissed out of hand by them, invalidated by a single mistake.
And its not our fault…! That train of thought brought so much tension back into my body that I once more had to stop and do counting exercises.
Regaining my leisure was almost impossible when the bad news kept coming.
Already, a fresh wave of reports came in from the hexspiderlings. Almost thirty reanimated toads were spotted in the area North of our home. Apparently, the mudfields the otters had been exploring were rife with the vermin, and now they shambled South, driven by the rage and madness of the necrotic energy to kill others.
Luckily, the spiderling’s silk was enough to restrain the zombies. So they could slow them down and allow Sage and Nightshade to move and slaughter them safely. Meanwhile, the otters had gone to inform the Kami of the developing situation.
I almost expected a quest to emerge: find and eliminate the source of the reanimated corpses. But the duck Kami remained silent. Perhaps it expended more energy than expected, remaking the teddy bear’s body?
Even if we are getting blamed now… can’t we also prove our usefulness by breaking this threat? I reassured myself.
Arriving at the next dismembered zombie, I rubbed my hands together and secreted more lesser healing liquid. My squirrel hands naturally moved through different hand seals, which I graciously ignored for my own peace of mind. I pressed my splayed fingers against the toad flesh. Luckily, after only a few seconds of the flesh rapidly withering/healing, golden flames erupted across the toad’s body.
Your Stat Malignance has activated! The effect of Status effects is greatly increased.
Your Skill (Earned) Mana Sensitivity has grown to Level 25(+23).
In front of me, the entire zombie evaporated underneath the assault of the golden flames. When Malignance activated, the process of disposing of these bastard moved more quickly.
“Ah, will I get another powerful Skill if Mana Sensitivity gets to +25…?” For a second my snake eyes glittered, but then the chill waters of reality quenched that light. “Shit… all ten of my Earned Skill slots are still filled… System…!”
The cycle of indignation began again.
Frustration bubbled up to the point I almost felt suffocated by it. Yet I was almost just as angry with myself for allowing desire to cloud my pure pursuit of leisure. The more I fixated on possible benefits, the more the System’s tricky antics got under my skin. But down that path lay a brain aneurysm, arguing with internet commenters, and spending the last seconds of my life drooling on a keyboard.
No, I had to refocus. I had to invest in this life. Right now, what I needed to discover is the culprit.
Once we caught the source of these reanimated corpses, wouldn’t our name be cleared?
My thoughts churned as I mechanically moved and eliminated the last of the dismembered reanimated toads.
Your Skill (Temp) Weak Secretions has grown to Level 20.
Your Skill (Earned) Detection has grown to Level 25(+18).
Your Skill (Temp) Weak Secretions has grown to Level 21.
When I finished, I scanned the mud field; most of the surrounding reeds were flattened and broken by the lurching movements of the zombies. And the ground was covered with bits of disintegrated flesh. In truth, it didn’t all vanish; remnant pockets of flesh not affected by necrotic energy lingered, becoming foul-smelling crud after I ‘healed’ the zombies.
Looking at the disgusting scene, and knowing that more zombies walked tirelessly South, I felt a stark flashback to the dirty scene of my apartment when I died in my first life. I had gotten so caught up in avoiding my feelings that I had even avoided addressing my physical situation.
“Okay,” I clapped my squirrel hands against my cheeks. “Not my favorite activity, but… my physical home has gotten very little love in the last few days. Time to clean.”
Once I made the decision, a lot of the tension in my jelly eased. I understood the path forward. Already the machine began to hum, as I considered the life I wanted to build here and what I needed to do to reach that future. Finding the true culprit was a portion of that, but I couldn’t lose sight of my life and obsess over one detail. If I truly wanted to unite the surrounding area and create a place of trade, this location would need to be a crossroads people wanted to visit.
A plan gradually emerged in my mind. Considering all the details made me want to swoon under the amount of labor I envisioned, but who was I? As Tallum, the chill Chimera Core, I wouldn’t get swept up in such trifling concerns.
“Spiderings!” I delegated much of the work to my subcontractors. “We have a new project.”
Midnight approached and my continued activity would draw heavily from my Anima, so I first returned to the rotfly swamp. The flies’ buzzing was almost a comfort, after being thrown into so many harrowing situations over the past few days. My flesh settled on the ground. I relaxed all my integrated body parts; the only movement was the lazy flicking of Chimera Core tentacles.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
Your Skill (Species) Absorb Anima has grown to Level 40.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“Without a doubt, comfort foods are the best,” I muttered to myself. My Dao of Leisure had advanced to the point that pesky sensibilities from my past life didn’t begin to wonder when flies had become comfort food.
Obviously, if I had access to potato chips or popcorn, would I mess around with flies? Mmm, I made some mistakes my first time around, but my ergonomic computer chair…
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +1.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
At the second notification for +2, my eyes sharpened. I released a low growl at pesky information constantly dragging me back from my reverie, but I was also unwilling to ignore the evidence right in front of me. It was my left tentacle that continued to grab the Anima heavy flies, so I narrowed my snake eyes in that direction. And through the haze of the swarm-
“Oh, were they gathering around the sapling?” I stretched a few tentacles deeper into the swarm. Of the four saplings stolen- well, relocated from the forest, one had been planted in front of the Kami’s temple, while the other three were planted near the stump. Spiderlings, being a force of chaos when not tempered by my wisdom, had planted one within the confines of the rotfly swarm.
Even with my Mana Sensitivity, the sheer amount of movement and bodies almost completely masked the signature of the magical tree.I scooped up several flies that were skittering across the surface of the tree bark and received a new series of notifications.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +4.
You have successfully Absorbed Anima! Anima +2.
My gaze turned serious. “Definitely, suddenly some flies being worth two Anima could be considered some healthy weight gain, but four…”
I tried to remain concerned about the impending fly revolution, but I could only maintain that state for a brief moment. Not only had I completely internalized a relaxed lifestyle, but also-
“If I had to choose between fattening flies and an invasion of zombie toads, wouldn’t the flies be more of a breeze?” I reasoned to myself. “In fact, a stiff breeze might even solve the problem. Let’s not sweat the small stuff- urghk!?”
I wheeled around, intending to survey the area and begin planning my ‘stump-revitalization-project’ but what I didn’t expect was for the three-headed duck Kami to be waiting behind me.
“Your self-talk is off-putting,” The left head observed.
The right head frowned. “It is a distasteful habit… yet is not verbalization an improvement over the constant internal dialogue? Our Blessed has a compulsion for examination, both inner and outer. Left alone, it would indeed be degenerative, yet has it not allowed this monster to adapt quickly to the world?”
“A quickening of lethality and sinister habits are not a cause for celebration,” Left head quacked.
I opened my mouth and closed it. Honestly? They had a point.
Your Skill (Earned) Short-Term Prediction has grown to Level 22.
Your Skill (Earned) Short-Term Prediction has grown to Level 23.
Your Skill (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom has grown to Level 25(+27).
Heh, did I receive extra Skill experience because I’ve completely seen through your personality, System? Naive, that I could be ambushed by petty Skill Level timing.
“Chosen Tallum.” The central head interrupted both my musings and the two other heads’ bickering. “Our representatives Takkle and Pukkle have cleared the path to the mud fields to the North and prepared the ritual site. As unclaimed land, there is no Kami to slow our advance. But we must proceed physically to perform the ritual and to draw from the Land its genuine Mantle. During that time, we leave you with the responsibility of defending our Temple.”
The right head added, “We will also be taking High Venom Mantis Violala, to ensure the Ritual will not be disturbed. Compared to our usual might… during the process of the Ritual, we will be vulnerable.”
“Maybe you should also take Old Oak,” I suggested.
The left head shook its beak with such force it seemed about to snap its own neck, but the right head answered. “The bear is currently returning to its former domain, to warn the Fae Squirrels about the zombie threat. While they should be able to overcome the threat on their own…”
“If left to their own devices, they will challenge the zombies to physical combat. And the ranks of the necrotic horde will swell,” The left head hissed. Its beady eyes focused on me. “Do you feel joy, initiating such a broad swath of chaos?”
“What?” I frowned.
“Ah, you are unaware.” The central head hummed. “The spread of necrotic energy… you are the original source. Remember, Chosen, your choices have consequences. All things are connected. Action and inaction are irrelevant.”
With that mysterious accusation, the Kami turned and walked away. The sky gradually lightened from black to grey, revealing heavy storm clouds over the wetlands for the first time in several days.
I stood very still in the wake of the Kami’s departure; its words had slapped me in the face and I struggled to understand them. ‘You are the original source’... Does the Kami know something I don’t? Did it mean I somehow caused this? Or my siblings? Or are we being blamed just for the presence of Necrotic energy in our animating array…?
If it was Nightshade or Sage… For several long moments I tried to set aside my emotions and consider that. My machine hummed, sensing my tension and taking quite a bit of encouragement before the brass teeth would bite into the subject. But even as I considered the possibility, it seemed incredibly unlikely. Both were battle junkies, but what they craved was powerful challenges; bullying common toads would be beneath Sage’s pride and Nightshade’s notice.
Plus, they wouldn’t have had time to do it. The problem appeared to have developed while we were away, heading to the Old Oak’s territory.
Another possibility occurred to me. Perhaps not directly… but our presence drew another necrotic creature here? Something with better Mana senses than even I. Another escapee from Racain’s tower?
I used my reliable squirrel hands (how quickly my opinion on these limbs changed!) to rub my temples. I strongly disliked how today had become a day of worries. While my companions were roaming the area and obliterating any reanimated toads that stumbled toward the base, I would purposefully invest in our future here.
Soon, this location would become a magnet to draw in commerce-
“...actually, bad analogy,” Faust muttered to himself. “No more drawing in dangerous foreign elements please…”
With the spiderling’s help, we cataloged the surrounding area. To the Southwest was the mudfield with the temple. To the Northwest was the crayfish/toad mud beach. East from the beach, almost directly North of the stump, was the stretch of wetlands claimed by the spiderlings. East from the stump were the casually planted strawberry fields, which had been ceded for a while to serpents but now largely retaken. Southeast from the stump were a few meandering streams and where I planted cranberries.
Mostly the environment was mud and reeds. The movement of the Chimera Cores had worn down a few paths through the reeds, but it was a chaotic mix of trampled greenery and standing water.
I hunched over a spiderling with a bark-chip clipboard. We had drawn the expanded plans for our new home in the mud. After examined the finalized plans, I nodded. “Alright, this seems workable. Might as well get started.”
The spiderling waved a foreleg at the sky. While we had planning, the clouds had sunk lower and lower in the Western sky, until they appeared ready to break out right on top of us. I could only shrug. “We can’t dry the bricks yet if it rains, but we can at least mark out the areas.”
The clouds rumbled, daring us to do our worst.
Yet I felt strangely elated. After being infuriated by the System and the strange accusation from the Kami, it felt good to focus on other things.
By midmorning, the spiderlings were out in force, ripping up the reeds in the North and East parts of our designated base. Our first order of business was getting a solid look at the area we intended to claim.
I moved to the East portion as well, plucking up strawberries and moving them to the Southeast, to be planted along the edge of the Kami’s temple. When I first arrived, a few serpents hissed at me, but driving a fang through the top of one’s skull and pinning the unfortunate victim to the ground really sent a message.
When that first message didn’t appear to completely disperse their ill-will (RIP, oppression), I used Weak Secretions to cover my fang with poison and stabbed the second serpent. Almost immediately, a spark of Mana caught in the monster’s flesh.
Your Skill (Temp) Weak Secretions has grown to Level 22.
Unlike the critical activation of healing, critical venom generated a green flame that rapidly devoured the snake’s flesh. Malignance made quick work of the relatively weaker serpent, reducing it to rotting scales in only ten seconds.
After that, I pretty much had the freedom to move as I pleased without interference.
“Ah, violence. How swiftly you’ve become an indispensable tool.” I sniffed. “Perhaps… alright! I, Tallum Frost, make a solemn vow. The next monsters I encounter, I’ll first attempt to persuade them. Only if the first method fails will I resort to violence.”
Feeling content with my current resolve, I continued with my work. While increasingly loud thunder rumbled the sky, I cleared out wide swaths of reeds and replanted the fruit to be located entirely in the South.
Plus, I didn’t miss these chances to train my new Skills.
Your Skill (Earned) Minor Realm Step has grown to Level 4.
I pressed my foot into the muddy ground and stepped with all my might. Although this Skill came along with modifier ‘minor’, my body launched forward. Unfortunately, such was my speed that when I attempted to stop, my tortoise legs skidded through the mud and I collapsed in a tumble. With a sigh, I pushed myself to my feet. “This… is why I practice.”
However, the previous collapse had given me an idea.
I stood a short distance away from a cluster of reeds I wanted to eliminate. I settled my weight, feeling the interplay of forces Sage had talked about while dancing. I didn’t think I could rival anything like the dancing with the world that she managed, but at the very least, I could activate my new Skill.
“Minor Step… Major cannonball!” I shouted as I moved.
Your Skill (Earned) Minor Realm Step has grown to Level 5.
Your Skill (Earned) Body Manipulation has grown to Level 25(+16).
Your Skill (Earned) Minor Realm Step has grown to Level 6.
As I threw my body forward, I tucked my body together into a ball, so the only side I showed the world was my armored spine. My impact point was perfect; had I actually been impacting bowling pins, they would have been obliterated in a dramatic strike.
But the reeds just bent and I skidded across the muddy ground until I hit the river. Calling it a ‘cannonball’ became almost prophetic.
My buoyant body bobbed up and down as I unrolled myself and paddled back to shore. It was a bit silly, and I knew there were real problems looming in the area, but for the first time that day, I felt my tension truly beginning to evaporate. “Let’s work on the execution a bit. Won’t it be cool if I can transform between different monster forms in the future?”
Above, the sky loosed one more rumble of agreement and then began to downpour.