Item: Prized Candy box Type: low Triggered event: "This is nothing but a box of candies! I can assure you I do not possess valuables! So please let us go..." Effect: To fool your captors or to fool yourself? Manifesting the box your child once had, you can store what's truly valuable in a size that fits your greedy hands.
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“Thats….your plan?” Stevan asked as he looked at the far view of the insane battlefield.
“Whats wrong with it? Just run up there and fight.”
“With all due respect Lord Verum, but that is not a plan, that is called suicide.”
His Lord laughed, “Perhaps you are forgetting the master of your enemy? He won’t harm you if I tell him to, and your friend can’t afford to do so either.”
‘How am I going to contribute though.’ He asked to himself.
At Core perfection, he isn’t even allowed to breath on the presence of Star Perfection beings like her.
“I did say you will die.” His master chuckled, “but in all seriousness, I do not think you could do anything that will prevent her death, she will lose no matter what.”
He continued staring at Marie. She is getting more and more injured. Her once beautiful robes are spattered by blood, her attacks getting fewer and fewer. He could even faintly feel the heat of her orbs dwindle in intensity. At some point she would either ran out of energy, or her life will fall at the hands of the king.
‘I’m going anyway.’ He thought, then looked at his Lord that just came out from his body.
“I can already sense your intentions, but I disapprove. Death does not interfere with the inevitable.” He argued.
Stevan doesn’t know why, but he felt his Lords words to be correct and must be obeyed, yet his heart knew it was not the right thing to do.
He doesn’t like the feeling of trying to make excuses to save his friend, yet his Lord demanded that he doesn’t even try. What should he do? To obey his master or to obey his heart?
“I-“ He was about to come to a conclusion, but then he remembered his Lords previous words.
“Experience define our abilities…..right?” He gambled, hoping it won’t backfire and make him upset for talking back.
He held his breath, then slowly turned his head at Lord Verum and saw him nod. “Yes, you are not death after all, you are Stevan, I can punish you later, but do what you must do. Just know that I will not help.”
Stevan brightened. It has always been proven long ago that the things people do does affect their abilites, and many took advantage of that knowledge and perished. Fighting unwinnable odds has always been a stupid option, regardless of the rewards. Yet his Lord allowed him to do it, was it because he believed in him? was it only a test? or he just doesn’t care?
No, It must be because he knew what Stevan was feeling. To risk it all to save a friend. Was that the reason his Lord became undead at some point? To save someone?
Only his Lord will ever know.
Suddenly, he felt a little bit strange, like a missing piece appearing out of nowhere and settling inside of him.
It was familiar, and he almost immediately recognized it. It was the same feeling as his first time that the world blessed him with an ability.
Stevan immediately channeled his energy through his tattoo system circuit. It looked almost the same, except for one new description.
Ability: Gamblers Skill Type: mid Triggered event: "Luck can only get you so far." Effect: Either through luck or skill, the unlikely may happen, you just have to be worthy to earn it.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you are starting to doubt yourself?” His Lord questioned.
Stevan merely smiled, “No, Lord Verum, I just think my luck has helped me once again.”
‘Was my speech really that inspiring?’ Verum wondered as his subordinate explained his joy, ‘or is it because he is lucky?’
Most of the time, abilites are acquired through extreme circumstances, but Stevan seemed to have obtained one at the right time, and far too easy at that.
‘Well to be fair, I’ve never been to a lower world anyways. Maybe the laws were a little too loose?’
“I’m leaving now Lord Verum.” Stevan intervened, “I hope to see you again.”
‘Didn’t I tell you that you will live?’ He thought, then gave him a farewell, “Go.”
His undead jumped off the roof, landing on top of an unsuspecting goblin and crushing its head, echoing a small pop.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He then proceeded to run at breakneck speed and annoying some monsters on the way to chase him.
Verum kept floating above the buildings, quietly contemplating a decision.
He contacted Kreig.
“Yes, my king?” he asked.
“In a bit, your senior, Stevan, is going to try saving that girl you are fighting. I want you to kill him as well as her.”
“Yes, my King, I will not har-“ Kreig answered, but froze midway to understand his words.
“You heard me.” Verum confirmed, “I do not need an undead who doesn’t follow my ideals.”
‘Nor do I want a subordinate that acquires abilities without any consequences. ’ He secretly thought, ‘ In all of my undead life, I refuse to believe that any ability that isn’t born out of tragedy had no form of backlash. This is the nature of our powers, and its better if you die than risk any danger. ‘
“If you fail to kill any of them, then I will deem you [Unworthy].” He threatened.
“Y-Yes My king!” Krieg stuttered.
Verum proceeded to cut off the conversation.
He could have ended this whole fiasco by telling Kreig to stop, but he didn’t like the fat noble either. This way, the true battle would be between an unsightly subordinate or a ticking time bomb. In truth, He slightly leans more towards that lucky fool.
Verum sighed at the destroyed city, “This is not good, I’m getting attached to a nobody. I’m going to need to accelerate my plans.”
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‘What a shi- annoying situation.’
She doesn’t want to believe it, but she might just die at the hands of The corrupted noble.
Her robes had long been far too soaked with blood to be radiant, and her skin are too marred with cuts. Worst of all, Marie’s [Light sword] is dimming with each second, unable to keep up with the reality cutting swings. Her once mute scent had long been mixed with the burning town and the blood soaked ground.
Suddenly, the horde became more aggressive, as if it was fighting out of fear. Her frown deepened.
She started to cast several more [Small spark], only for it to be slashed before even forming.
“Shit!” She cursed as she is forced to block his downward swing with her [light sword] again, Unfortunately letting a good chunk of the monsters get past her and to the barrier.
She watched as the adventurers hop out of the barrier, stopping her from casting [Small spark] lest they might get harmed. Their abilities, which was somewhat working from before, was now almost ineffective. All the foolish and weak monsters had long been culled, leaving the best of the best to invade at the forefront.
She knew this is the last stand.
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Keren was slammed into the barrier by an incredibly tough troll. It’s dwarf like body holding so much strength befitting it’s 8 feet stature and rock colored skin.
Keren conjured [Fueled breath], only for the troll to power through and punch her in the gut, making her spit blood and cracking the barrier she is directly behind of. The taste or iron filled her mouth.
‘Shit. What kind of troll did that fucking noble kidnap. Its goddamn out of this world!’
She tried to push it away, but it never budged and delivered another shot to the stomach that made her vision almost darken.
She then saw a silhouette appear from the side and slam her giant sword sideways, hitting the troll’s hip and making it stumble.
“Fuck he hurts.” Keren complained.
“Leave, miss.” The elf stated as she effortlessly held her sword towards the troll and away form Keren, “ There is a Star manipulation adventurer going to open a path through, you should join them. I cannot afford to see you die in front of your children.”
“Children? What Children?” She asked, then realized what she meant, “Wait no! They are not mine!”
Suddenly, the troll charged at them, intending to finish both off in one blow. Its footsteps rumbling with each step, aligning with the monsters’ inhumane grunts. It raised its fist in an exaggerated motion downward.
The elf prepared for the punch, positioning her weapon to perform an under swing.
For a brief period, Keren may have hallucinated her giant sword, which she was slowly pushing up previously, to suddenly travel at a speed that could only be swung if it was a twig.
Nevertheless, she met its fist with her sword, quickly sending her away and into the direction of Keren, who had ducked in advance.
She then held the elf’s sword that was flung with her mid air, grunting at the sudden shift in weight.
Just as she suspected, it was heavy as hell, so she had to hold onto it as the momentum throws her away.
A giant shadow then fell on her, and its full force are about to erupt at her face. The troll is already in the middle of a large swing that would definitely end her life.
Quickly, she poured her energy into the sword. Considering that it’s her main weapon, she must have used this hunk of junk long enough for whatever ability she used to have been engraved in the sword, making it a magic item.
At least that is what she hoped as she held the large chunk of metal upward like the elf. If it didn’t that ability, then she would most likely meet the afterlife. That is not even factoring that a different ability could be on the weapon.
As the energy traveled through the very essence of the weapon near instantly, the sword suddenly felt lighter than a feather, making it far easier to swing upward.
There was a brief pause as sword met fist, then, the sword overcame the pressure and successfully deflected the punch, enough for Keren to cast it again, making the sword light enough for her to stab the troll in the chest.
At the same time, it’s other different fist came flying towards her. A desperate attempt to bring someone down with him. Keren did not block, and instead activated [Moments before disaster] to sidestep the troll, position behind him, and deliver a diagonal swing towards the ground.
A fountain of blood came from the fatal wound. Ending the monster’s life almost instantly and showering Keren with a taste of crimson.
A few seconds later. The corpse and the blood on her body slowly evaporated like smoke, leaving behind an ugly blue sphere as large as a thumb.
“Dungeon monsters.” Keren confirmed, “No fucking wonder they are so tough.”
She wasn’t able to figure out their true nature from before, but now that the only ones left are monsters at core perfection and above, she is able to see the single characteristic that the vast majority of Dungeon monsters possess upon death.
‘Wait, fuck! I need to tend to that girl first!’ She panicked and ran towards the elf leaning on the barrier.
She wasn’t looking so well. Clearly, the punch was extremely concentrated and traveled through the sword and into her body, absorbing the shock. She guessed it must be the ability of the troll. The blood on her eyes, mouth, and ears is a big sign of internal bleeding. She definitely can’t fight for a while. She isn’t even sure if she was alive.
Several green men at the size of 3 feet then jumped from behind, holding different kinds of weapons to ambush her.
She doesn’t even need to know the appearance of these creatures to gauge their strength. She had been to The Dungeon after all. With one stroke, Keren used the sword again to quickly turn around and slice all of them like a stick hitting a ball across the yard.
Another group of monster then arrived, ready to tussle with her.
Keren realized that she wouldn’t even have the time to care for herself, let alone the people around her.
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‘Is that Stevan?’ Marie speculated, then blinked a few more times before confirming his existence.
She could see him weaving through monsters like it’s nothing. He isn’t killing them, but rather avoiding them with great success. Each time he appears on one side, the monsters convincingly turn around so that nobody notice him. They would also face other adventurers, or conveniently die in the most improbable situations like getting struck by a stray ability or getting caught in rubble. Its almost like he is invisible in a silly way.
A sword swung downwards, barely scratching her cheek.
“Annoying.” She cursed, ‘I can’t even die in piece. Why can’t anything go my way for once and let this….wait!’
As she was backing off, Marie once again took a glance at Stevan, who now stood behind a silhouette of a fat man with a golden mustache.
Stevan locked eyes with her, and shrugged his shoulders as if he did not expect to find him either.
Marie smiled, “Found you.”