I finished with the last body when pitch darkness already reigned outside. I breathed in the invigorating night air at the open window—now I had the terrible temptation to smoke. My hands trembled from exhaustion: "Yeah, I did a damn good job." Now I had a decent number of bones in stock. Glancing at the line with the Energy of Nihility, I noticed that it was restored to twelve units. Before going to bed, I should use it...
After some contemplation, I decided to make a couple of bone traps—the lowest-level material is enough for their craft, and better bones would be left for crafting equipment and other items. Infusion took five units of Energy of Nihility.
"Oh, so I'll only have two."
“Bone trap creation!” I spoke softly and touched the pile of bones with my hand. After a couple of seconds, a familiar disk appeared on the floor; after which, by repeating the command, I received a second one. Having almost completely depleted my mana, I checked my status.
“As I thought, the class progress was filled by 4%. Following simple calculations, it turns out that for every three units of Energy of Nihility used, I get one percent of class experience.” I wonder what will happen once the scale reaches a hundred?
I had to build assumptions on this topic while simultaneously cleaning the room. After a few back-and-forth walks, I finally managed to get rid of the foul-smelling monster flesh.
My busy day ended as soon as I got to bed; my head barely touched the pillow.
***
I could sleep peacefully only for about five hours. As soon as the first rays of the sun manifested in the sky, a cat woke me up - he pounced around the apartment like a rabid rhinoceros, jumped on me, meowed loudly, and eventually laid a huge stinky pile right in my room.
“Ginger swine!” I grabbed a small pillow and threw it at the scurrying sack of wool. The unbearable smell made me get out of bed, roll the old rug with the morning gift, and throw it out the open window.
However, stray dogs did not let me rest any longer. On the dumpster yard, where I took the body pieces of the monsters, it was a real feast. Even with my head pressed down with a pillow, I could not manage to force myself to sleep at all. Several times I was visited by the thought of going out and killing a couple of these malicious creatures... However, I quickly discarded it - after all, these are man's friends and companions, and not damned monsters.
I tossed and turned from side to side on a terribly creaky bed because of the endless barking. As a result, fixing my spiteful gaze at the ceiling, I resigned myself to the beginning of a new day and got out of bed.
My usual morning routine didn't work today - I couldn't shower. A thin trickle of water barely ran, so I could only wash my face, and brush my teeth, smearing the paste on my finger. Note for future reference: take a toothbrush.
As I sat down with the cat for breakfast, I apparently saw a dog's wedding taking place outside the window. About twenty of them had gathered by the dumpster. They were running in circles, carrying bloody, torn bags in their mouths, barking, and fighting among themselves. I wondered: «How come the horde of monsters didn't come running at such a noise?»
After finishing my tea and sandwiches, I checked my status. After the night, my mana had been restored to seven units.
“That ought to be barely enough. Hmm, should I wait a couple more hours or run some tests right now?”
There was nothing else to do anyway, so I got dressed and headed to the next apartment. The room stank terribly of something rotten - it turned out that yesterday I overlooked one of the bags. Overcoming the urge to vomit, I had to cover my face with the collar of my T-shirt and dart quickly through the rooms, throwing open all the windows. A gust of invigorating morning breeze refreshed me pretty well.
“Fuh, now it'll need to be ventilated for a week!” Scolding myself for carelessness, I remembered yesterday's exhausting experiences and the methods of dealing with the monsters that boss over the world.
The first conclusion I came to yesterday was that creatures only have a small number of vitals and vulnerabilities. You can quickly deal with them by beheading or breaking their skull. Unfortunately, I am not some main character of a Bollywood movie and can't blow heads off with my hand. Maybe someday when I level up enough, acquire a bunch of skills, and become a true killing machine, but at the moment, I'm just a nobody.
The second method I often used was slicing the neck or the inner side of the thigh arteries. It seems that blood remains an important vital in keeping the vile innards of these creatures running, at least at the current stage. Even if it's true that wounded creatures, not feeling the approaching death, can pose a serious threat for another minute or two.
In fact, all the monsters I met had extreme resilience to piercing damage, so, unfortunately, the spear will have to be abandoned.
I released the bones of the 2nd-leveled creature from a large black bag - I had set them aside deliberately yesterday for later. It took three units of mana to infuse the materials.
“Bone weapon creation.” I mentally imagined the shape I needed, but the object that appeared didn't really meet my desired form. I wanted to create a Bec de Corbin, but it turned out to be a club, somewhat reminiscent of a bat. Its length was about half a meter long.
The new weapon seemed heavy, but I think it should be as it is, because it has to crush skulls instead of fencing. With the remaining mana, I decided to make a shield - with such a «mallet», I will have to let the monsters get much closer.
The new item, somewhat reminiscent of a small turtle shell in shape, was fifty centimeters in diameter and had only one central handle.
«Strange, I always thought that there should be two straps to grip the arm.»
I grabbed the handle and tried to turn the shield in different directions - it was damn uncomfortable. The bone shell wasn't heavy, but it sat very unusually in my hand.
«Okay, I'll have to adapt somehow.»
Equipment ready, mana spent, means, now is the time to go shopping, and maybe hunt a few more monsters. I would like to test the upgrades as soon as possible.
I went out into the street in full combat readiness: in my backpack were two traps and a Pakhom grenade; a sash with a saber hung on my shoulder, and in my hands a shield with a club and a bag full of rotten innards.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
As soon as I left the building, and the iron door slammed behind me, the same second, the whole pack of dogs with loud barking jumped up from their hideouts and rushed in my direction. I dropped the bag on the floor and, holding up the shield, raised the club over my head. System signs were showing over stray dogs. Each had its own status!
«To hell with it!» With a glance, I singled out the largest of the hairy creatures hurrying towards me.
Pack leader
Level 1
Neutral
The seasoned beast has already begun to change - its mouth has become disproportionately huge, and its fangs are clearly larger than usual. At the corner of the mouth, pink foam seethes and small eyes are covered with oozing ulcers.
“Damn you!” I can’t even get my traps - I didn’t expect to meet enemies right at the doorstep. “Ugh, go away!”
The creatures had already surrounded me from all sides and barked heart-rendingly. In a panic, I just waved my club in the general direction of the approaching creatures; however, I did not take my eyes off the leader. He grinned and was already preparing to jump, but something happened that brought down the mood of all the monsters - I accidentally overturned an overflowing bag of intestines standing next to me with my foot. The pack abruptly fell silent, focusing their gazes at the pieces of flesh stretched out on the ground.
Pink saliva flowed from the leader's mouth in an endless stream; but, seeing me as a threat, he did not dare to approach any closer.
“Everything's fine! Come on,” I took a small step to the side. The dog looked at me thoughtfully and carefully, step by step, approached the beckoning flesh overflowing with red juices. Having licked a puddle that had spread from the meat a couple of times, dog raised its head and stared at me expectantly, as if asking for permission. “Go, eat to your heart's content, or maybe you want me to bring even more later?!”
The pack chief considered my proposal for a couple of moments, and then grabbed a piece of meat, and, turning around, roared loudly. The mongrels surrounding me, bowing their heads, made way, and I, trying not to fuss and hustle, escaped out of the cordoned off territory. I moved away another twenty meters, but the dogs did not follow me. And only when I disappeared around the corner, there was a screech and barking. For animals, obviously, that bag will not be enough. I might really need to drag over here a couple of whole monster bodies.
I got to the square without any incidents, and tried not to look in the direction of the hypermarket. First on the list of necessities were black trash bags and plastic wrap. I entered a completely empty hardware store and hauled out a couple of carts on wheels loaded with all sorts of crap I liked. One of these items was a circular saw - now the hassle with the corpses will not be so protracted.
And then I went along yesterday's route: a grocery store, a clothing store - everything on me pretty much became a complete trash. I still need to visit an electronics store — maybe the phone signal or the Internet started working, but I have no idea.
However, on the way to the small one-story pavilion, I noticed oddities: a small mossy coating was spreading from the base of the building to the sides, and a dense gray fog stilled the air. It is surprising that it did not disappear under direct sunlight.
Just in case, I took a grenade out of my backpack, and, having unpinned the antennae a little, put it in my pocket, and then went around the pavilion in a circle. Everywhere there was a smell of dampness and sludge algae; no longer listening to my inner voice, I walked closer.
The door was wide open, but I'm not an idiot to just break in, having no idea what might be inside, right? Peeking through the only unblinded window seemed like a good idea. In the cramped, devoid of light, hall, twilight reigned, through which one could still see a dozen frozen silhouettes of the altered.
Altered (*). Level 3. Orange faction.
Altered (*). Level 2. Black faction.
Altered (*). Level 4. Green faction.
…
Beings of different factions sat on the floor in peace and tranquility, and did not pay any attention to each other.
“Are they having a yoga session in here?” I thought, feeling no fear or even anxiety at all. My altered friends were in harmony and serenity. This crazy world really needs some peace and quiet.
«I need to go inside!»
I entered the pavilion with wooden legs, and the monsters inside did not even move. They were sitting in front of a huge, human-sized wooden cone.
“Oh! How beautiful she is!” I admired aloud the bewitching creation of a new world. I wanted to come closer and hug those rough scales.
Some of them were opened, and from there, to the bodies of my brothers, thin, flexible vines-roots stretched. Only by letting them into my body, only by allowing them to grow, can I feel the same love and care of the Supreme. And now, another scale clicked, exposing a new beautiful sprout.
«Faster! I so want to become a part of a cozy, serene, better world! Ah!» A sharp pain pierced my thigh, and I seemed to wake up from the charm.
Altered, ELITE (***)
Level 5
Green Faction
Attention! You have unlocked a new stat: mental resistance.
A wave of fury and discontent filled my consciousness, but these were not my emotions. The cone shot a sharp root in my direction. The buckler withstood the blow, but my wrist clicked unpleasantly, and the bone shield slipped out of my extremely weakened hand.
There was nothing to block the second strike with, and the vine struck into my stomach, quickly spreading thin woody vessel-roots through my body. I rummaged in my pocket and took out the grenade prepared in advance; it was hellishly painful to pull out the pin with my left hand; but my life was at stake. Throwing the shell into the nearest corner, I tugged at the level 4 altered of orange faction standing next to me and covered myself with his limp body. An explosion rumbled - I felt like my ears were completely clogged, and the body responded with terrible pain in several places.
You eliminated level 4 Altered using an off-system technological weapon, received 12 penalty experience.
You eliminated level 3 Altered using an off-system technological weapon, received 9 penalty experience.
Only two? Elite is still alive? I tossed the body that had pressed me down and stared at the huge cone. She cut off all the vine-roots and tightly closed the scales. The shards hadn't done much damage to her—an amber liquid had flowed from a dozen superficial wounds—but overall, it was unharmed. The emaciated altered, knocked down, stayed on the ground, barely moving their limbs - they were alive and will soon come to their senses.
Grabbing my bone club from the floor, I immediately cracked open the skull of the creature closest to me.
You eliminated level 4 Altered, gained 0 experience (penalty).
Fucking penalties! The second still not recovered creature was awaiting the same fate - a crushing blow to the skull.
You eliminated level 2 Altered, gained 0 experience (penalty).
There were still five barely moving creatures. Easy prey... would be for the healthy me. But my left shoulder and leg were bleeding heavily, and I had to crawl on the ground. My new weapon was just perfect, and after one or two hits a new notification appeared.
You eliminated level 3 Altered, gained 6 experience (penalty).
You eliminated level 4 Altered, gained 12 experience (penalty).
You eliminated level 3 Altered, gained 9 experience (penalty).
The only ones left were two monsters: the 4th level of the blue faction and the 3rd level of the black faction. The belly of the blue one glowed with a bright orange light, and a jet of fire shot out from its mouth. The flames engulfed the black faction creature and over half of the room. My mind was filled with someone else's fear - the fire for a tree cone was a mortal threat.
And the creature kept spewing and spewing fiery streams from itself; apparently, it didn’t really manage to control this ability. Having suddenly closed its mouth, the monster only harmed itself - its jaw quickly turned black, and charred.
“I should attack him right now and save the precious mast… NO! GO AWAY! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
The fear of losing myself made me get up and, ignoring the pain in my leg, jump out of the broken window. Away, away! Should just pick up a book and protect... AAAHH! Run, you moron!
I rushed almost without looking back from the burning pavilion and allowed myself to stop only at the basement grocery store. Almost losing consciousness from the loss of blood, I went downstairs, or rather fell head over heels. For a short moment, I lost my connection with the surrounding reality and woke up already on a pile of empty packages and cans.
“What the fuck was that?” My head was terribly splitting, as if I had been celebrating the New Year holidays for ten days straight.