It took a moment for its words to sink in as a lingering ache had shown up in my head and made it hard to think. It seemed to sense this, and it shifted its grip again -- both mentally and physically -- and I found my mind clearing. It didn’t take me long to gather want I had wanted to tell the creature.
The big things. The little. The bright ones and the dark. The longing and emptiness that couldn’t be fill without. The need to connect.
“Hmm… I am familiar with these concepts. Food for the mind. Food for the heart. Food for soul. A Food call Companionship that can’t be given when the Prey is gone. I accept your answer. Congratulations on completing your first, and for you, your most important trial.” It told me as it removed its tongues from the inside of head. They left an odd impression behind though, my mind remaining clearer and feeling cleaner than it had for a long time. I eyed the creature before me with suspicion as it changed its grip on me from my head to my neck and left arm.
“What are you doing?” I demanded with a glare.
“I am taking you up on your offer. You did tell me to ‘eat you’ during your trial~ But do not worry. You’ll get your reward, and I will not be doing any lasting harm to you either.” It replied in amusement, its mouths twisting into grins before opening its main set to bite a chunk out of me.
It didn’t get a chance to as I heard a whispering voice call my name. The creature must have heard it as well since it closed its mouth with a grimace instead of biting me like it had intended.
“Hmm... That is a pity. Looks like I will have to enjoy you later. You are needed elsewhere.” It told me as it let me go. Instead of falling to the ground in a heap, I just sort of drifted in the air away from it. It gave me a little push to encourage me to go faster before taking a step back and making a sweeping bow.
“Until next time, young human. It was nice meeting you and you will be seeing me frequently in the future.” It added after it had straitened up and the place began to fade from view.
“When!?” I demanded and I could see the smirk on the monster’s face.
“Whenever I wish! You did make that offer to me after all and I fully plan on collecting it at every opportunity!” It shouted back before disappearing entirely. I flipped it off or tried to but my world all too quickly turned to blood, and grit, and pain as I finished my return. I could hear a panicked system yelling in my ear upon my arrival, but I paid it little mind as I tried orient myself before responding to it.
samuel! SAMUEL! YOU MUST WAKE UP! YOU CANNOT STAY THERE! WHAT IF ANOTHER MONSTER APPEARS!
“I’m up… awake... just… give me a moment.” I croaked as I moved to obey.
My insides felt raw and sore but no longer overly full like they were before I passed out. I wondered what had happened while I was out and the pain and the blood gluing my eyes shut were pretty good indicators that not everything was going well for me. I took note of the timer I could see in the corner of my limited sight as well as the blinking light that indicated unread system messages that were waiting for me to read them.
I ignored them for now and focused on dragging my sorry ass away from the place I had been laying. My eyes continued to refuse to open so I had to crawl blindly for the time being and hoped I was going in a straight line. I bumped into multiple scraps of bone along the way, but I was eventually rewarded with a wall that I scooted myself up to sit against.
The crawl had caused the timer to run out before I got there but it was enough that I could discern some of the changes my demon form had given me. I had claws for certain, but they weren’t the ‘meat hook’ ones that the monster had. Instead, they were more modest like sharpen nails in desperate need of a trim in comparison. My limbs also felt longer than they had been as my human self, and I felt stronger too. Unfortunately, the pain I was in diminished that and I wasn’t in the mood to try anything because it as well.
I took a moment to rest once I was sitting before, I tried summoning the flask from my inventory only to find that it wasn’t there. Neither were the rats or anything else for that matter.
“System? What gives?” I asked it when I couldn’t get my things.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE SECURITY SYSTEM EMPTIED YOUR INVENTORY AS WELL AS STRIPPING YOU OF ALL YOUR OTHER THINGS. ONLY YOUR LOCKED, SOUL BOUND ITEMS REMAIN IN THERE.
“Damnit.” I muttered to myself before working some spit into my mouth to clean my eyes so I could at least see.
It worked fairly well, and I was finally able to see the throbbing red light that lit the containment pit. I was also able to see the slight bulge that was just below my rib cage, made more obvious by how starved I was. Without the clothes the system had given me, I could see all the bones in my body. The only good thing I could say about it is that I could see the bulge move with I felt the demon wolf squirm weakly inside of me. I pressed on it gently and elicited soft, high pitch whining from the animal that I could hear clearly in my head.
SAMUEL, I DO BELIEVE YOU SHOULD LOOK A YOUR MESSAGES WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE. THE CAPTURE FUNCTION OF THIS FACILITY IS STILL VIABLE AND ANOTHER MONSTER MAY SHOW UP AT ANY TIME. YOU NEED TO BE AS READY AS POSSIBLE IF OR WHEN THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF HOW YOU ARE TRAPPED IN HERE STILL.
“True. How long until I’m able to get out of here? I thought the stuff I broke was supposed to fix that.” I asked.
IT DID. WE SEVERED THE FEED BACK LOOP THAT FED POWER BACK INTO THE CONTAINMENT FIELD FROM WHAT WAS SIPHONED OF THE CAPTIVES AND BROKE THE MAIN POWER LINE LEADING TO IT FROM THE MAIN STORAGE AREA AND CORE. HOWEVER, IT HAS BACK UP POWER SUPPLY I DID NOT DETECT AND WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT RUNS DRY BEFORE YOU CAN GET OUT OF THERE. IT MAY TAKE ANYWHERE FROM A FEW HOURS TO A FEW DAYS. MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME FOR THE OUTER RIM OF THE ARRAY TO CAPTURE SOMETHING AND SEND IT HERE.
“So, in other words, 'stop stalling and read your damn messages already'. Got it.” I commented before doing just that. And boy, there was a lot of them. Red followed blue as I was captured and sequentially attacked.
WARNING!
YOU HAVE PREFORMED AN UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY IN A HIGH SECURITY AREA. YOU ARE BEING STRIPPED OF ALL YOUR ITEMS AND DETAINED.
ERROR!
UNABLE TO STRIP CRIMINAL OF ALL ITEMS
ILLEGAL SOUL BOUND ITEMS DETECTED
DETAINING NEAREST CONTAINMENT PIT TO AWAIT TRIAL
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WARNING! YOU ARE UNDER ATTACK!
DEMON WOLF KING SALAZAR SEEKS TO DEVOUR YOU!
YOU HAVE USED ‘DEMON FORM’ FOR THE FIRST TIME!
YOU HAVE COUNTERED WITH A SYSTEM AIDED SNEAK ATTACK!
YOU HAVE USED CONSUME ON DEMON WOLF KING SALAZAR
SNEAK ATTACK+DEMON FORM INSURES SUCCESSFUL USE ON HIGH LEVEL OPPONENT
YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CAPTURING DEMON WOLF KING SALAZAR AS PREY
WARNING! PREY IS TOO POWERFUL FOR YOU TO PROPERLY CONTAIN IN ‘GLUTTONOUS PRISON’
A ‘STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL’ HAS BEGUN!
YOU HAVE SUFFERED DAMAGE!
YOU HAVE SUFFERED DAMAGE!
DIGESTION OF PREY HAS BEGUN!
YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED THROUGH DIGESTION
YOU HAVE SUFFERED DAMAGE
YOU HAVE PASSED OUT
YOU THNDLFNLKAL….@(&$*
)($)@(*^$@*&^*#@*
YOUR TRIAL OF FATE HAS BEGUN
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY HAS CHALLENGED YOU!
FAIL AND BE DEVOURED
SUCCEED AND BE REWARDED
YOU HAVE DEFIED THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY
YOU HAVE MADE A SACRIFICIAL OFFER TO THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY TO TAKE THE PLACE OF ANOTHER
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY ACCEPTS YOUR OFFER AND HAS CHANGED THE PERAMITERS OF THE TRIAL
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY QUESTIONS YOUR CONVICTION AND UNDERSTANDING
YOU OFFER AN ANSWER BUT YOU LACK THE STRENGTH TO GIVE IT
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY USES GLUTTONOUS SIPHON TO COLLECT THE ANSWER
YOU RESIST
YOU HAVE SUFFERED DAMAGE TO YOUR MIND AND CRITICAL DAMAGE TO YOUR BODY
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY USES SACRIFICIAL FLESH HEALTO MEND YOUR INJURIES
YOU LET THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY SUCCESSFULLY RETRIEVES YOUR ANSWER FROM YOUR MIND
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY ACCEPTS YOUR CONVICTION
CONGRATULATION!
YOU HAVE DEFIED THE PREVIOUS MASTER OF YOUR FATE AND MADE YOUR FATE YOUR OWN ONCE MORE
YOU HAVE SUCCEED IN YOUR TRIAL
YOUR FATE HAS GROWN IN POWER
YOU HAVE EARNED THE APPROVAL OF THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY
YOU WILL RECEIVE A NEW FATE SKILL AS FASHIONED BY YOUR WILL AND SHAPED BY YOUR FATE
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY BELIEVES YOU DESERVE MORE
YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A BOON FROM THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY
THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY IS SATISFIED WITH YOUR REWARD.
YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR FIRST TRIAL OF FATE
COMPLETE MORE TO GROW YOUR POWER FURTHER…..
When I saw those messages from my ‘trial of fate’ an icy dread took up residence in my gut and didn't feel the urge to leave. I stared at them for quite a while before speaking up.
“Um… what’s this about a ‘trial of fate’?” I asked the System.
IT IS EXACTLY AS IT SOUNDS. DEPENDING ON HOW WELL YOU DO, YOU ARE ABLE TO SHAPE THE SKILLS YOU RECEIVE TO SUIT YOUR WANTS AND NEEDS RATHER THAN SIMPLY UNLOCKING IT.
“So, it’s a good thing then?” I inquired hopefully.
IT CAN BE BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE VERY DANGEROUS. BE CAREFUL WHEN TRIGGERING THEM. THE FIRST ONE IS BY NEED. THE REST ARE BY YOU WILL.
HOWEVER, ABUSING THE POWER GIVEN TO YOU MAY INCUR THE WRATH OF THE FATE’S ORIGINAL HOLDER. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY MAY TRIGGER A TRIAL WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT.
“So don’t muck about with them and use them only as needed?”
NOT ALWAYS. BUT I DOUBT YOU HAVE TO WORRY. I REMEMBER LORD GLUTTONY AND I DOUBT YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING TO INCITE HIS IRE. NOT WITH YOUR ‘NOBLE’ SOUL TRAIT. IF ANYTHING, YOUR SOUL TRAIT WOULD MOST LIKELY ENDEAR YOU TO HIM.
“Oh, great. That sounds fantastic. I’m going to have a literal demon practically hanging out on my shoulder, aren’t I?” I muttered sarcastically.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
“I mean, I som – Wait… weren’t you there? I shouldn’t have to explain this to you. You were there, weren’t you? And even if you weren’t, can’t you just read the messages?” I question it.
I CANNOT GO INTO THE SPACE TRAILS OF FATE OCCUR IN NOR CAN I READ THE MESSAGES THAT COME OF THEM. I CAN ONLY RECEIVE THE RESULTS WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETED. ANY OTHER KNOWLEDGE FROM THE EVENTS MUST BE SPOKEN FROM THE ONE WHO UNDERWENT THE TRAIL.
“Huh. Well, during the trial I made the mistake of telling him to ‘eat me’ and the last thing he told was that he was going to take me up on that offer whenever he could.” I told the system.
AH. THEN, THIS MAY BE MUCH WORSE FOR YOU FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE. BECAUSE YOU HAVE OFFERED YOURSELF TO HIM, HE TRULY CAN VISIT YOU WHENEVER HE WANTS WITHOUT HAVING A TRIAL TO BRING YOU TO HIM. BUT THERE IS AN UPSIDE TO THIS. BECAUSE OF HIS HABITS, HE TOOK TO STUDYING ALCHEMY TO HEAL HIS MORE MORAL FRIENDS AND ALLIES. AS A RESULT, HE HAS CREATED ALCHEMIC RECIPES FOR THE MOST POTENT AND VERSATILE RECOVERY ITEMS THAT EXIST IN THIS WORLD. YOU WOULD DO WELL TO LEARN FROM HIM IF YOU CAN.
“Ug. We’ll see about that.” I replied before returning to my messages.