Dennis was fourteen and he finally learned the ice bolt spell. He was so happy that he planned to show it to his siblings back home next month.
His family was visiting next month and he hasn’t seen them since he enrolled in the academy. He made sure to study everyday. He even found friends who likes the books and games he likes.
A roachkin student and a batkin serf who works as a helper in the kitchen were his first friends away from the province.
He pilfered some apples from the pantry to give to his new roachkin friend. Apparently he knows how to cast one of those really hard spells called Detoxify. His batkin was pretty good with a knife too, but recently he expressed his desire to learn some magic spells.
He whittled a practice wand to give to him. He blushed thinking of his friend smiling when he gives it to him tonight.
Hehe, maybe one day we could team up and become a really amazing adventuring group.
Dennis was excited for tonight.
He ran through the corridors of the academy, dancing and running between students just getting to class.
“Excuse me”
“Woah! Watch it!”
“Sorry”
“No running in the halls!”
“Pardon me”
He passed the cafeterias entrance and entered a small hole in the wall covered by a plank hidden behind a bush.
He crawled inside the hole and appeared to the other side.
“Hup, Oof! Gosh that hole gets tighter every year.”
He checks his pockets and saw that his goods were unharmed.
Nice
He gathered his mana and focused it into a spot above his hands. He was getting better at casting spells, so he hopes it works without a hitch this time.
“Light!”
Suddenly, a gentle light radiated from his finger tips. It felt like a campfire that would comfort anyone at night. Like a twinkling, sparkling orb of glowing embers.
Even now, Dennis still found this spell beautiful.
He looks around and sees that the other two still aren’t around, so he decides to pass the time by reading.
He took out a book he was reading a while back, a small green book he found hidden in the library. Somehow nobody ever found it or felt its presence, which was strange since it was an artifact.
He read the cover and smiled.
5 Ways to live forever
He tried reading the first chapter before, but the class bell rung before he had the chance to finish the first sentence. It spoke to him somehow, like a whisper of things that shouldn’t be and words that never existed before.
He feels the book with his fingers and traces the grooves that periodically appear in the cover. It feels like it’s always moving and shifting itself to a shape that should not be possible. He opens the book and touches the pages as they flutter ever so slightly, which is strange as there isn’t any wind down here.
He moves his hands to the first page and reads.
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
Death is often a hindrance in the pursuit of knowledge. Many brilliant minds have been cut short from fulfilling their works, due to this. And it is because of this that this book was written, to give a chance for other such individuals to pursue an unending life.
Through my travels to the many planes and realms of reality, I have compiled the different types of immortality that I know of.
There are five different types of true immortality, all of which require incredible effort to achieve. These are the following:
Foci or immortality via external subject – This is where the person is tethered by a mechanism that loops them back to life, either through a vessel of their soul, multiple bodies carrying their being, an idea tethering their being, or even the rare save point ability of fabled system users. This is the most common type of immortality, where most sages and mystics often attain it. Because of this, there are many different types of foci immortality.
Sirus or immortality via severance – This is where one separates themselves from everything, be it their own death, their future, their past, or even their present. This is denial of a basic truth. This is what scholars call ‘transcendence’ or the ability to rise above a rule. This gives them the ability to deny aging, change, damage, or even time. These are often acquired by individuals who have perfected their craft that it allows them to overrule a concept by sheer ability.
Ouroburos or immortality via endlessness – This is where the concept of an end to an aspect of a being does not exist. A good example for this would be primordial phoenixes, beings who have multiple lives that never run out. Their bodies can be extinguished or their souls could be destroyed, and yet they would still find a way to come back. They usually have a soul, body, or mind that allows them to recover from whatever harm that befalls them.
Anchor or metanarrative immortality – This is where one where an individual is required to exist. This is often due to the individual being tied to a concept or being a personification of a phenomena. These are usually acquired by individuals who have connections to the different ‘Overgods’, beings that form the basis of everything. Attempting to acquire this type can be extremely risky and must be done so with caution.
Null or immortality due to technicalities – This is a type of immortality that exploits the hidden mechanisms of reality and unreality. This is where enlightenment or the divine come in.
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
Dennis flipped to the next page and saw an image of a circle with a figure filled with strange indecipherable markings. It made him feel weird just looking at it.
image [https://imgur.com/gallery/enlightenment-C68Yp9I]
The more he stared at it, the more it seemed to draw in his focus. It was as if it wanted him to figure out what the picture was saying, like it was begging him to speak to it.
Suddenly he was poked in the ribs by a finger.
“Watcha reading?”
“Gyaaahh!” He yelled, almost dropping the book before catching it.
He turned and saw the batkin and blushed.
“What the heck Wyatt, don’t do that!”
“Hehe, sorry, sorry, I just thought you were so absorbed with what you’re reading that I just had to startle you.”
“Well it’s not funny.”
Dennis frowned before slowly cracking his facade to show a genuine smile, a face that Wyatt mirrored. They laughed in the darkness, illuminated only by a faint light that shone between them.
Wyatt smiled, stealing glances at the ratkin. He wished that he could stay here if only for a moment longer.
“So, about your book...Yoink.” Wyatt slipped his hand and grabbed the green book from Dennis’ hands before flipping through it. “I can’t understand anything about it. Do you think we can sell it?”
“Give that back you bratty bat” He took it back, still staring at the batkin menacingly. “Also it’s an artifact, I wouldn’t in a million years even think of sellin’ it. See it’s about immortality Wyatt. I’m planning to live forever and your gonna be with me to do it.” He smiled.
“Aww shucks man, you promise.” Wyatt smiled wide.
Wyatt opened his eyes and suddenly a grotesque creature appeared behind Dennis. A horrid roach creature smiling with sharp mammalian teeth. Wyatt shivered as he pointed behind his friend.
“D-d-dennis behind you”
The ratkin slowly turned and saw the visage of true horror.
“HAAAA!!!!”
“Hey guys”
“Oh hey Charles”
Dennis rummaged his sack and pulled out a bunch of apples.
Charles quickly took a handful of them and began munching.
“Also here’s a gift for you Wyatt” Dennis took out the apprentice wand. “Tada!”
“Aww you shouldn’t have, gimme, gimme!”
Dennis rolled his eyes and gave it to the batkin.
“Starting today, I’m gonna teach you guys some spells. And I just so happened to learn Ice bolt.”
------------------------------------------------
Dennis opened his eyes to see a dragon standing above him.
“Gaah!”
Ogier put both of his hands up and tried to calm Dennis down.
“Hey, hey it’s fine your alright mortal. No need to panic. See, my name is Ogier. O-g-i-e-r, Ogier, and I-”
Dennis stopped listening and saw some kind of line connecting both of their souls.
What the hell just happened?
Dennis tried severing the link by FILLING it with flaws, gaps that he can bypass it’s defenses with. It doesn’t seem to be working, so he tried casting a silent spell.
--3rd ANIMACRAFT: DETACHMENT FROM BURDEN--
A dark aura filled the room and coalesced behind the yapping Dragon before it jammed itself through both of their chests.
“Whoah, what was that?! Did you feel that? It felt like an icy-”
Tch, still doesn’t work. He should be dead right now.
Dennis had a cyanide pill embeded in his tooth that allowed him to kill himself and revive immediately. The pill melted and filled the area. Honestly it should have killed everything around him after he woke up, so why is the dragon still alive and kicking.
Cyanide gas has been filling up the cave before Dennis even revived and woke up. Also what was that incredibly sad feeling he just felt before he woke up?
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
It feels like he and the dragon became phylacteries for each other. But that can’t be. How did such a weak being break his defenses and somehow jam his soul into him?
Hmmm, he should try something.
“HEART BOMB!”
Suddenly Dennis burst into a tiny sun, burning the flesh off of their very bones. The cave shook as the very stone sublimated and destabilized at the sheer force of fission.
Both of them were revived to full health in but a moment.
“Whuh, huh?! What just happened?!” Ogier blabbered in panic. In a second he was destroyed then created in the blink of an eye.
Ogier, the muscular and sexy dragon stood next to the black furred ratkin wearing some sort of penis cage contraption.
What the hell was that? How is this guy still alive? I just saw him die along with my vessel. Also why is the soul connection still there, he’s supposed to be in the afterlife now.
He looked at the dragon in confusion. Also he looked down by instinct and immediately regretted it.
Gods damned it Dennis, control yourself! Okay I can work with this. If I can’t kill this guy then maybe I can take him with me.
He debated tying up the dragon with shadow bindings but immediately scrapped the idea. The idea of the dragon grunting and struggling made his head hurt, so he instead chose to make him follow him willingly. Preferably four meters away and behind him.
Wyatt always emphasized diplomacy, so maybe I can do that here. Oh yeah, Judith has an apprentice, maybe I can preoccupy him with missions while finding a way to sever the link.
“Ehem, congratulations I have determined that you have fulfilled the requirements to being my apprentice. Be grateful child, I have found great potential in you and you have passed my tests.”
“What? Hang on, your supposed to be my minion here. I thought I gave a really good explanation a while ago.” Ogier pouted.
Damn, I wasn’t listening at all. If all fails, act like you know what your doing.
“Nonesense, I came here to test you after seeing your magical potential, I was merely pretending to be a weak mortal.”
Ogier raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“Yes. Look, I’ll show you.”
Dennis snapped his hands and summoned his ‘I am the biggest and baddest lich you’ve ever seen’ outfit, complete with floating skulls that do absolutely nothing and a levitating skeleton throne. All in all, it looks intimidating.
“O-oh”
Nice, time to reel him in. What was his name again? Olir? Omir?
“ONIR!”
“Ogier”
“OGIER! I have scoured the land in search of a worthy successor to my craft and magic and I have found you to be that person. Also, you’re cool!” Dennis said in an echoing voice accompanied with ominous music and background lighting.
Ogier’s ears twitched and wagged his tail at the praise. Something he’s never heard from anyone before, considering all he does is lift weights and hide in a cave alone.
“I-i’m cool?”
“Yes, you’re awesome. You have great potential.”
“Okay, I guess I can be an apprentice.” Ogier couldn’t hide his smile as he twirled his fingers together.
Someone actually doesn’t think I’m a disappointment, and if a powerful wizard said it then it must be true. Ogier found no fault in his reasoning.
“So, could you tell me abou- Sorry I can see that you are nude.”
“Oh-um sorry I don’t really have clothes anymore.”
“Th-that’s okay.”
Dennis pulled the spirits of the dead and solidified it into a robe of wailing souls.
“There” Dennis could talk with the guy without getting distracted.
Ogier admired the intimidating clothing.
“So, could you tell me why we are soul-linked to each other?”
Ogier scratched the back of his head.
“Sorry, I just used a cup that a witch gave me for a soul bonding ritual.”
Dennis analyzed the connection, finding it to be somewhat of an anomaly he has never encountered before.
“Fascinating, this connection gave you a type of immortality that I possess. I hypothesize that with this link, you’ll slowly gain the same forms of power that I have. I mean, I just killed you a while ago and you revived immediately without a hitch.”
“Wait, what was that last part?”
Dennis clapped his hands.
“I’ve decided to make you into the most powerful dragon that has ever dragoned before.”
Dennis held out his hand.
“Omir”
“Ogier” The dragon corrected.
“Ogier, how would you like to be....my apprentice? Look, I promise to make you the most powerful dragon that ever was, how about it? Would you like to come with me?”
“....Even more powerful than the primordial dragon kings?” Ogier fidgeted his hands and smiled sheepishly.
Dennis rolled his eyes. “Even more powerful than the primordial dragon kings.”
“Okay, I accept! Let me just pack a few things.”
Ogier looked around the burned, melted, and broken cave and grimaced.
“On second thought, I think I can go right this second.”
Dennis smiled.
“Excellent!, also I might need your bones.”
“What?”
Dennis put his hands upon the dragon and cast a spell.
“REMOVE SKELETON!”
Ogier felt his very bones slide off of his body seamlessly. His mind was filled with shock and horror as he plopped into a pile of muscle and flesh.
----------------------------------------------------
An orphan was bloody and bruised in an alley, in an unnamed city, in a land that cared not for it’s people. She got beaten up again today, and it hurt. It hurt not because of the wounds, but because of the words that were flung at her. They called her ‘Kibria the whorechild’ and ‘Kibria the bastard child’, and she would have held her head high if not for the new name they branded her. ‘Kibria the lesser’ a name that hurt her more than she would like to admit.
With wobbly hands and broken legs, she stood up, wiping her hands in her ragged clothes. It was ripped, but she could always patch it up again. She had more wounds in her body now, but it would always heal. What hurt her the most was the tears that blurred her eyes.
She wiped it and she looked up at the bright sphere that filled the sky. It always comforted her no matter what, to see her glowing friend up in the sky cheer for her no matter how hard life would kick her down.
She was sixteen now, barely a child in the eyes of the gangs that prowled the streets. She would be forced to work for them, but she always managed to avoid their grasp. She was smart after all, she made it this far and that was something to be proud of.
She looked up and her heart eased it’s tightening grip upon her.
“Someday I’ll get out of here” She said, barely a whisper. Despite being born to a life lower than most would ever hope, she knew in her heart that she was destined for more.
She walked back to the alleys, and the torn down walls, and the desecrated buildings. She reached a dark and damp hole in the ground with pieces of cloth hiding it’s entrance. She went down and saw the many shelves that were filled with curios that were almost usable made from trash and dungeon drops stolen from climbers.
She pulled a brick to reveal a small blue knife that had intricate beetle motifs. A blade made by her sister. A memento from when she was still alive. It was the only thing keeping her hopes together.
If only I had enough money to get in a tower. Maybe I could get a system of my own.
She had so much faith in herself. She hopes to make it big and escape the slums that swallowed her dreams and crushed her sister. She looked at the knife, it was a precious artifact, something that would sell for enough gold to ferry her out of here, but she wouldn’t do that. She knew that she could do it herself, getting out of the life she was cursed to live. She wanted to do it without selling her principles and the only thing that was left behind by someone important to her.
She looked at the knife and it shone to her, slowly pulsing and shifting as if moving. It was directly telling her what it truly is.
The Blue Scarab’s Wing
Knife, Precious, Living Weapon
A fine blade made of spellspark alloy. May cancel mid level spells against user when used as an off-hand. Requires blood from monsters to upgrade and increase it’s sentience. It is alive.
“Never forget that you are a better than them, believe in yourself sister” - Sherin
She smiled, even when she’s gone her sister was always by her side.
Suddenly a smashing sound was made just outside her home.
“She’s right here!”
Kibria held her breath. Did they finally come for her? Did they know that she still held her sister’s knife?
Kibria stood her ground, ready to take a life if the need arises. She hid the knife in a strap hidden beneath her cloak. She slinked back to the darkness and waited for anyone foolish enough to come down into her home. Anger filled her as the thought of someone barging her home unannounced repulsed her. This was her place, her home. She would fight, she didn’t even think of running away. If she lost and died here, so be it.
She won’t back down.
“FIRE PULSE”
Spellscript filled the air, engulfing the entrance in light and heat. A bonfire exploded, sending a shockwave that shoved her to the wall.
Crap, she felt something break in her chest as she slumped to the ground. With her hazy vision and ringing ears, she saw a man with daggers and climber gear enter and meet her eyes directly.
He pointed at a man near him and shouted.
“Someone keep her down!” Someone tackled her and pinned her down.
“Kibria, you’re late for your payment.” The man with daggers said with a frown.
“Fuck you! I already paid my loan in full.” She bit her lip, rage filling her as she felt wronged and insulted by the accusation.
“There was interest Kibria. Now I don’t want to do this, but you forced my hand.” He pointed to two of the goons and ordered. “Shake her down, she must have something valuable with her and you take everything you can from the shelves.”
“No!” She struggled as she fought, but she was weak, malnourished, she didn’t even know magic or have a system of her own. Yet she fought. A hand grabbed the knife she was hiding in her cloak and her eyes grew wide. “Stop don’t take that!”
The climber inspected the knife and whistled. “A living weapon. You probably stole something like this. To think you’d pilfer something like this Kibria.”
“Shut up, I did no such thing! That knife is mine!” Tears filled her eyes as she gripped her teeth.
She was weak. So weak, if only she had a chance.
“Well, we’ll take this as payment then. You let her go, she’d be useless to us if she’s dead.” He looked at her and sneered, noticing the pus and bruises that covered her. “Afterall, people below should know their place.”
They were walking away and Kibria was clawing her way towards them. But her bones were broken, but her skin was torn, but she’s system less, but she’s weak and stupid, but she’s so, so weak. So many reasons and she couldn’t deny any of them despite the spirit that still drove her to pull herself from the ground.
“Stop!” She felt something watching her.
“Stop! Come back!” She said as something crackled inside her.
“STOP!”
Then they did as she said and stopped. They stopped moving, they stopped breathing, they stopped thinking., and they fell as if every muscle in their body stopped.
They were dead, somehow Kibria knew they were dead. It was as if her words had weight, her spirit had so much more inside it, as if she realized she was more. She looked around to see if anyone saw what happened, maybe someone intervened.
Then a bright window appeared in front of her.
She looked at it, shocked that something bright and ethereal presented itself to her. She heard stories of this before, a system window.
Before anything else, she grabbed the knife and leaned herself to the wall. She read the system window with eyes widening like dinner plates.
NAME: KIBRIA KORAR
CLASS: LORD OF MORTAL SIN, PRIDE(MYTHICAL) - Lvl. 1
“Hello little one. From the many, many beings that want such a gift from me, I deem you to be the one worthy of inheriting my legacy. You have confidence in yourself, that’s good. So don’t lower yourself. I expect great things from you, so hold yourself up with pride.”
Remember, you are destined for greatness. Do not dissapoint me.
- Superbia, The Demon God of Pride
HP: 20/17,000
MP: 9,700/10,000
STA: 8,000/8,000
STATS
STR -600
END-500
INT-900
RES-400
PER-900
SPD-900
SKILLS
ARROGANCE Lvl 1 -SPECIAL- (300MP/SEC):
You are somone who deserves to be heard, to be revered, to be respected, to be obeyed. Force all that reaches your voice to follow your command. Your words shall take precedence to the laws of the world, and it will bend under your thumb. Your voice greater than most, let it be heard.
VANITAS Lvl 1 -SPECIAL-(PASSIVE):
What you see and hear are truths and what you deem worthy to experience shall be what the world shall follow. Damage and effects shall be influenced by your perception of it. If you chose to ignore damage, then it shall not come to pass. Conversely if you put your whole attention into something you perceive would harm you, then it would do so, regardless of it’s actual impact. A little gift from me child, remember to always hold yourself in high regard and always strive to be better.
SELF-CENTERED Lvl 1 -SPECIAL -(PASSIVE):
You have a pull to you that influences everything within your view. You may emit your own gravity and disrupt normal physics in favor of the one you impose. Things will move with you as the basis, regardless of it’s initial status. Remember child, thinking of yourself is never a bad thing. So hold your head high and become more.
--Good luck dear Lord of Mortal Sin, you’ll need it.--
Kibria’s eyes were wide. She was speechless at the sight of the window, and now she’s apparently an inheritor of a god’s power.
“Holy shit”
Kibria had to pinch herself just to know she wasn’t dreaming, or maybe delirious from the blood loss. Her body hurts, and she’s probably gonna pass out from the damage she sustained.
Suddenly she had an idea. If the goons died because she commanded them to stop, then why can’t she simply command herself to do something she wants.
She took a deep breath and centered herself, leaning, with her back against the wall.
Here goes nothing.
“HEAL” She commanded her body.
She could feel the strain in her flesh as it knit itself and formed skin, veins, and complex tissue. She could feel the pus and scars in her body recede. She could feel her bones realign and shape itself to what it used to be. She could feel the haemorrhage in her head get less and less prominent until it was no longer there. She was healed, truly healed.
Just as she was about to stand up, her stomach growled like a beast defending it’s territory.
Apparently the heal might not have been free, and it took nutrients to stitch back her body.
She looked at the still bodies that littered the floor. Through years of living as a streetrat, she had a primal instinct not to waste such an opportunity.
She stood up. “Let’s see what kind of loot we have.”