The tabaxi moved away as a group to some extent, but two stayed behind to stand guard. The same two that had attacked her. "They really don't trust me!"
“Why did they keep calling me monster?”
[You are according to the rules of the »Great Game«. Besides, after seeing your marks, anyone would attack you without hesitation.]”
“What do they see then?”
“[The information that can be obtained about you with Identify (Advenced) is:
»Monster (Devourer)«
Level 7
Name: Jean
Marks: [Child of Nimireth], [Condemned], [Chosen One], [Human Killer], [Devourer of the Plague], [Rat Exterminator], [Cave Licker]]
[Child of Nimireth]: Player who has broken the rules by adopting the forbidden transformation from prey to hunter.
[Condemned]: Curse imposed on those who break the rules of the Great Game. The deities will try to eliminate you.
[Chosen One]: You have been chosen by an entity of great power to complete a mutual goal.
[Devourer of the Plague]: Obtained by devouring hundreds of infected.
[Rat Exterminator]: Obtained by exterminating hundreds of rats.
[Cave Licker]: For eating hundreds of inedible mushrooms.
Rolling her eyes. “Really?! The last two are kind of unnecessary.”
Jean picked up the notebook. It was small and fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. Without dwelling too much on the appearance of its aged cover, she opened it. Inside, she found dozens of pages covered with symbols.
Sketches of maps drawn with charcoal, similar to her map, caught her attention. “This part here looks like... Yes! It's the waterfall! Then there is a passageway...”
Jean searched for several minutes, she even pushed the walls thinking it was a secret passage. However, no matter how hard she tried, she did not find it until she looked up. Without understanding the annotations in the margins, finding her way around would be tricky.
The passage was several meters high, close to the ceiling. She climbed up the jagged wall about halfway up, but realizing its small size and the cobwebs around the hole, she climbed back down. “No way! I'm not getting in there!”
She sighed in disgust as she flipped to the first page; the only one she could understand. She would need to improve her Linguist skill, and she didn't feel like wasting levels on it.
“If you are a disgusting aberration of Nimireth in possession of Yusthor's necklace, read on, monster. Otherwise, close this notebook and don't waste your time! This is none of your business!”
Jean glanced sideways at the tabaxi. Whoever wrote that was hoping she would find it. The whole situation stunk. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she appeared in that cavern. “Has someone deliberately thrown me here?!”
“If you don't know what comes next, run. Everyone wants your head! But don't be stupid enough to do it with the necklace on. If you come in contact with a soul, it could be the last thing you ever do. I'd wish you luck, but since most of you are just trash, screw you!”
She immediately stored the necklace along with the notebook. In the inventory, the necklace had no effect. “How can I know if I am in contact with a soul?”
“[Why don't you try equipping it? Maybe then you'll understand the warnings.]”
After much thought, Jean decided to put it on. As soon as it appeared around her neck, her vision blurred and hundreds of minute floating particles appeared.
“They're everywhere! What are they?”
“[They are fragments of souls. Nothing happens if you touch those, but be careful with the ones lying on the ground near their remains. Their desire to live is dangerous.]”
“Why?”
“[This is only the superficial level of the plane of souls. The problem with entering in contact with a soul is that the deeper you go, new rules appear.]”
“Rules?”
“[Each world and plane has its own in the Great Game! And each has its own information. Some of it very valuable.]”
“What kind of information?”
“[Mainly skills, some unique from that world. But also experiences from the past.]”
“Funny that they gave this to me, who can learn skills by devouring, isn't it?”
“[Another important aspect of the soul plane is that souls can be collected from there and relocated in new bodies.]”
Jean was speechless. “Like Red Eyes?”
“[Yes.]”
Analyzing her amazing body. “Has the same thing happened to me?”
“[Not like you're thinking, but yes. The moment you came to the Great Game.]”
“What happened to my original body? The one I had on Earth. It's not this modified one, is it?”
“[We don't know what became of your original body.]”
She remembered the jelly body of her vision. Now she understood the reason for the sadness she felt back then. “It vanished, right?! ... What am I then?”
“[A Player.]”
“Whatever that means, right?”
An intense point of light in the distance caught her attention. It was no bigger than the head of a pin, but its murmuring attracted her. It floated motionless an inch off the ground, amidst bones and tattered clothes. He had been dead for many years.
“[Don't get any closer! That soul is »awake«.]”
Taking a step back. “Awake? What does that mean?”
“[Avoid those that give off so much light. They are very persistent and can be aggressive.]”
“And that implies...?”
“[Making contact with a soul implies entering the memories of that player. And if it’s aggressive, it could try to possess your body. You would be their ticket to a second chance.]”
Jean took off the necklace immediately. Everything became darker. “When were you planning to warn me?!”
“[Your high Willpower and Endurance make you resistant to possession. However, nothing guarantees that you can dominate this particular soul.]”
“Dominate? I don't want to dominate anyone!"
She sighed. “How does it work to relocate a soul? Does it need a special skill, a new artifact or does the necklace itself do it?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“[Yes, no and yes. Although some can perform it with their own power.]”
The sound of bones breaking startled her from behind. It was nearby, from the passageway where the armed guards were.
“Be careful, you idiots!” That sounded like a woman's voice, though she wasn't quite sure. The waterfall made a lot of noise.
Jean hid and approached stealthily, taking advantage of the darkness.
There were three individuals near the hole she had unclogged. Their eyes were red, like the sneaky bastard, but they weren't exactly tall. They looked like children of strange proportions.
“What are they? Gnomes?”
»Construct (Minion)«
Level 36
Name: ???
Marks: [Killer], [Torturer]
Details: This opponent's attributes make him an exceptional opponent for you. Beware of...
Two of the constructs began to gather magic in their hands, and turned in her direction as if her hiding attempt meant nothing to them. The third accelerated his crawling along the passage, eager to attack her.
One raised his hand and a small flame appeared. The other conjured a lightning that circulated between his hands.
“You're gonna pay back, bitch!”
The woman spoke again. Jean heard her clearly this time, though she was nowhere to be seen.“Reveal yourself! You're not the only one with a score to settle!”
The woman laughed out loud. “I hold the whip hand!”
The woman was behind her, but before she could attack, her feets were frozen up to her knees. The third construct was to blame. Despite the warnings, a lightning strike followed.
Her body refused to react no matter how much she asked it to. She couldn't stop shaking and the loud ringing in her ears didn’t help her. concentrate either. She didn't even know she was lying on her back.
By the time she managed to slightly rise, leaning on her elbows, her vision was fully illuminated; a huge fireball slowly advanced in her direction.
A whirlpool of fire preceded. A devastating explosion that smashed her to the ground. This time, the pain instantly took away her consciousness.
««◊◊◊« »◊◊◊»»
A sudden bump on the head woke her up. Someone was holding her feets and dragging her through the cavern. The pain of her skin tearing from contact with the even floor was terrible, but it was nothing compared to her burns. She was seriously injured and her body wasn’t responding at all, but she had to endure it. Her senses were clouded, but she recognized the voices of 5 individuals. The 3 constructs, that bitch, and who else? They spoke in a language she didn't understand a word of.
A male voice spoke. “Why do you always have to put yourself in danger?! What if something happens?!”
“You expected me to miss the show after she destroyed my favorite?!”
“I just don't understand your twisted tastes. What's so funny about watching her burn?”
“It's not just the view, the smell of barbecue is the best part!”
He mumbled something and then snorted, but she didn't stop there. “You know what I don't understand? I thought this shit was over and I could finally get out of here. I was so stupid that I actually thought we were finally done with them and... Kaboom! Almost three months later, another one! Fuck all of them and that bitch of Nimireth!”
He laughed. “I don't mind! There is no big difference between being here and on the surface!”
She was outraged. “Are you kidding me?! There's no color!”
...
“Do they know I'm alive?”
“[It's very likely they want you alive.]”
“I need to heal myself without being noticed! How do I do that?”
“[Potion regeneration is uncontrollable, but your skill isn't. Conjure it at low power with the effect of Perception. It will require all your concentration, but you would be able to repair only internal damage.]”
Jean followed the instructions, but it was like trying to put 5 threads in the eye of a single needle at the same time. It took a lot of effort to keep her skin from barely repairing, directing the bulk of her efforts to her muscles and organs.
When the waterfall was far behind them, they stopped. Jean sensed that they had reached the passage that led to the great tunnel. With her eyes scorched, she couldn't see it, but she sensed it. It was time to put her plan into action.
Facing them all at the same time wasn't an option. The only thing left to do was to flee, but first she needed to wait for them to separate. She would have to consume quite a few potions from her stash, but not yet, or they would discover that she was conscious.
“Hurry up, you brainless bastards! I want to get back to base! I'm tired because of this bitch!”
Jean wanted to pounce on her, but restrained herself. She was the master of the constructs. Surely she wasn't good at fighting, or she wouldn't stay hidden all the time. “An invisibility skill?”
Jean considered new options. That woman must be weaker than her creations. Otherwise, she would have come for her personally. “Maybe it's not such a bad idea...”
Transporting her to the other side would be a difficult process, and it didn't look like she was going to help. She waited for everyone to pass and when she was grabbed by the legs again, she kicked the hands that grabbed her.
With an eye on the shield in her inventory, she overloaded the healing skill. She also consumed quite a few potions, allowing her to stand up and block a short sword straight to her throat. The attack barely moved the shield. As she guessed, she was quite weak.
“Thitad! What the hell is going on?!”
Jean equipped the sharp dagger of Red Eyes and attacked the woman's side, easily piercing between her ribs. Three stabs that brought with them an agonizing scream that echoed throughout the cavern.
The man on the other side was desperate. “THITAD!”
"B-bitch! Y-you fucked me," she managed to say while coughing blood.
She raised her voice, coughing even more. "HELP ME!"
Whispers shouted, instructing her to protect her legs; a powerful yellow light illuminated the cavern. It came through the passage. One gnome was conjuring another mobile barbecue from the tunnel, and everyone was invited.
"Stop, you brainless fuck! I'm next to her! ... DO SOMETHING, AHAM!"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? IT'S YOURS!" He blurted out as he walked away.
“I can't control them without concentrating! If only they were in sight...!”
Jean dropped to one knee, taking cover behind the shield. The explosion wasn't as devastating as the first, but it was enough to lift her off the ground and throw her against the landslide about four meters away.
Silence reigned for a few moments, broken only by their coughing. "Damn brainless...!"
Thitad's voice sounded fragile, but also close. She had crashed into the wall one meter away. Jean hurried to consume more potions and continue healing.
Aham limped over. He had also suffered the consequences. "Are you ok? I told you not to bring those good-for-nothings. I am more than enough!
Thitad began to heal, or so Jean sensed as she watched her glow white at the same time as she did.
“How do you expect me to be okay, dammit?! … “Come and help me kill this bitch!"
"Are you sure?! We have orders!"
Thitad spat out a lot of blood. "I don't give a shit! JUST KILL HER!"
A purple glow came through the narrow passage. The man was approaching. She had to act before he removed the damaged constructs.
Getting up was difficult, but walking was the worst. Her double-burned skin was tearing with every step under her burned clothes.
Thitad raised her hand. A green liquid green ball appeared. A yellowish aura followed, transforming it into small needles of acid.
The whispers brought panic. The attack was so wide that the shield could only block part of it. The splatter burned her face and legs. Large pustules erupted almost instantly.
Jean pressed forward, enduring sheer pain until she stabbed her in the neck. Not once, not twice. Six times she plunged the dagger into her windpipe. Despite Thitad futile attempts to conjure more acid, the woman perished. The damaged constructs collapsed in response.
“NOOOOOOOOO! I'LL KILL YOU!!”
Jean stored Thitad's body in the inventory. She also thought about approaching the corpse of the nearest gnome. The construct had tried to reach them, but had died blocking the passage. The man's shouting stopped abruptly. Something changed in him.
His breathing became heavier by the second while a purple light came through the passage. Its glow increased until it temporarily blinded her. A huge claw emerged, cutting the rock like butter.
Whispers warned her to run away, but Jean was already crawling through the hole leading to the waterfall. She hoped he couldn't fit through the hole, but she wasn't going to stay and check either.
Running was excruciatingly painful. The burns had not fully healed and the acid was still taking effect. But the icing on the cake was that she couldn't heal properly. It wasn't that she hadn't tried, she suffered a temporary debuff that slowed down any kind of healing. Thankfully, devouring seemed unaffected, giving her a small respite.
[You have devoured your first »Dark Elf«. You have gathered a lot of new genetic information. After combining it with the material you have already obtained, you have created the following skills:]
[You have learned Devourer's Minion — Basic Rank. Unique skill.
Allows to create a suitable container for a player's soul with essence. It's essential that you have a soul and that it’s attached to you. You can only keep one alive at a time.]
[You have learned Devourer Barrier — Basic Rank. Unique skill.
Create an aura that envelops you and protects your entire body from physical and magical damage. Lasts until deactivated or your mana runs out.]
[You have learned Chameleon — Basic Rank. Unique skill.
Allows 15% presence concealment. In the shadows it's twice as effective and quadruples if you are standing still. High mana consumption when moving.]
[Calm Mind has increased to Advanced Rank.
As long as you don't move in the middle of combat, it allows you to create a connection with the Ether planes, vastly increasing mana regeneration.]
[Master of Perception has increased to Advanced Rank.
Any effect based on Perception costs 20% less mana.]
[You are ready to »Level Up«.]
15% concealment was ridiculous, but she tried it anyway. Only a couple of seconds were enough to understand the mana and concentration required. Staying still without knowing if that creature could see her, seemed like suicide. She needed that mana to heal herself, no matter how little.
Her only hope was to reach the other side of the waterfall, since climbing through the spider hole wasn't even close to being an option. The last thing she wanted was to be cornered.
“What was the guy's name? … Aurom, Aurum, … Auru?”
“[Auruth.]”
“AURUTH! I need your help! They’re trying to steal the necklace! I need to jump to your side of the waterfall!”
Jean left behind the glowing mushrooms. No matter how much she overloaded the healing, it barely regenerated a couple of burns. And to make matters worse, the sound of claws shattering rock only increased her distress.
“Shit! He's going to kill me!”
After a loud rumble, the wall gave way and the creature chased at full speed. The waterfall was already in plain sight, she just needed a little push.
The tabaxis showed no sign of help, so she would have to reach the rope herself. She focused on healing her legs with the effect of Perception and Wisdom. Death kept reducing the distance between them.
Barely 5 steps from the edge of the waterfall, whispers warned her. She hardly managed to summon her new barrier skill. However, a single swipe from the monster's claw easily destroyed it and caused three deep cuts from her shoulder to her hip.
Pain was the least of her worries now. She had lost her balance, hindering her from gaining enough momentum to jump. Despite extending her arms to their fullest extent, the rope remained inaccessible to her left. Furthermore, she collided with the wall with no opportunity to evade the impact.
She fell into the void with a bloody chin, torso and legs. She even lost several fingernails in a futile attempt to grab onto one of the small ledges.