May 23, 1256 of the Second Era
"Bleep! An unknown spell affecting you is being cast from another plane!"
As soon as the warning ended, a shadow that came out of nowhere swiftly passed through Emhe. She couldn't make out its full form, but she could make out two reddish points. Frightened, she watched as all her items disappeared, as well as a large part of her Energy. Tiredness and hunger increased drastically.
“Bleep! [Tense] has been deactivated!
Danger! Low Energy!
Energy 117977/130000
Stamina 350/350”
"What the hell?!"
"Bleep! A new weapon has been equipped in your left hand!"
"What are you talking about? There’s nothing...!"
In the blink of an eye, a spear appeared in place of the torch. It was so large, it almost reached from the floor to the ceiling. It was visibly heavy and sturdy, and appeared to be of good workmanship. The blade was also impressive, discernible even in the dark.
Emhe was speechless. "I can't believe it! Either this spear is too heavy, or I'm too weak!"
"Bleep! [See Beyond] has been activated!"
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[Rookie heavy military spear, Serghath]
Good quality magic item
Hybrid weapon (Half [Spear] – Half [Heavy Staff])
Weight: 4.9 kg
Length: 1.68 meters
Maximum Thrust Damage (MTD): ??? (Knowledge of this weapon is needed)
Maximum Slash Damage (MSD): ??? (Knowledge of this weapon is needed)
Maximum Blunt Damage (MBD): ??? (Knowledge of this weapon is needed)
Extras: While equipped, this weapon grants 250 points to [Spear Mastery] and [Heavy Staff Mastery], as well as 300 mastery points to the Sergharth weapon. In addition, it allows to use the following skills at level 10 even without knowing them:
[Stab]: Thrust attack with the sharp tip. Causes bleeding. Very effective against living enemies without heavy armor. Critical = MTDx3.
[Bash]: Blunt damage with the metallic reinforcement on the bottom edge. Can stun if the head is struck. Very effective against undead or armored enemies. Critical = MBDx2.
[Rapid Assault]: Quick repetition of [Stab]. Drastically reduces damage in favor of landing the maximum number of hits. Ideal when it is almost impossible to miss.
[Charge Attack]: You chain the [Sprint] and [Stab] skills to leap towards the enemy by adding your weight and momentum to the base damage of the attack skill. Causes bleeding. Critical = MTDx4.
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Reading in disbelief. "Undead?!" A shiver ran through her body as the hair on the back of her neck stood up again. More so, when noises from the end of the tunnel sounded closer and closer.
With the torchlight just gone, Emhe couldn't make out a thing. So, as soon as she felt something looming at the end of the tunnel, she took a step back. Another, as soon as she saw two small bright spots advancing towards her. And a third step, when she realized it was a rather large vermin. "Shit, I can't make out anything in this darkness! I can barely make out the glow of its eyes and teeth!"
As the little vermin approached, it began to emit an irritating and threatening squeak.
"Bleep! [See Beyond] has been activated!"
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[Young Giant rat] (Level 3)
Blessings:???
Power: ??
Dexterit: 12 +2 =14 +6 = 20
Intelligence: ??
Willpower: ??
HP ??/(21)
Energy ????/1100
Stamina ??/(33)
Weight (Kg) 6
[Weakness I]
[Hunger]
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*[Weakness I]: Condition. You only have 90% of your Energy:
-10% to Power. You feel weak and tired.
+10% to Intelligence. Your mind begins to sharpen to search for food.
*[Hunger]: Buff. Your Dexterity increases as soon as you see something edible:
Starts to take effect the moment you have only 90% of your Energy left and you see something edible.
Increase your Dexterity by 3% for every 1% of Energy you lack until 100%.
The Dexterity increase will never exceed 100%.
Emhe was stunned. "Gods! 6 Kg?! Is that really a rat? If it's bigger than a cat!"
Emhe clenched her jaws tightly as she prepared to defend herself. "Shit! I don't know where it is anymore! How can it run so fast? I won't be able to hit it like this!"
Doubt sapped her confidence so much that she felt as if the spear was getting heavier and heavier. In contrast, the rat didn’t hesitate at all. It seemed to be used to facing beings 30 times its size.
When the rat found itself within 6 meters, it jumped towards her as if it had done it a thousand times. Startled, Emhe took two more steps back and, with amazing luck, intercepted the rat midair. The sharp point of the spear sliced lightly into the vermin's neck and side.
"Wow! Did I hit it? Shit! I still don't know where it is! Stop moving, you fucking shit!"
Although the wounds weren't too deep, the vermin writhed wildly on the ground as it shrieked madly, splattering the ground and her legs with blood. Filled with rage, the wounded vermin brushed aside the pain and lunged at what was closest. The feet of the gorgeous girl.
Very nervous, Emhe raised her foot to avoid a possible bite as she prepared to attack with the spear. However, an unexpected impact of the spear against the wall caused Emhe to lose her balance.
"Fuck! I almost fell! Gods! How narrow is this!"
“Bleep! You are suffering [Stress III]!”
*[Stress III]: Debuff. State of fear that causes:
-4% to Power and Dexterity.
-20% to Perception.
-40% to Intelligence and Willpower.
Between her nerves and the lack of light, she was unable to follow the vermin's movements. She kicked insistently, but finally, the filthy rat found what it was looking for. Her right foot. When the rat bit it, it squeezed with all its might and began to shake it trying to hurt her as much as possible. "GODS! Damn motherf...!"
The rat seemed used to dealing with disoriented beings like Emhe. With the darkness and its speed as its allies, it felt invincible. Surely, it had scared all of its victims by insistently hurting them wherever it bit them. However, Emhe overcame that fear driven by her pain. It was in that instant that she realized that she knew exactly where her foot was.
With barely contained fury. "You're mine now!"
"Bleep! You have countered [Stress III], but you are still suffering [Stress II]!”
Emhe stabbed the rabid rat, but even that didn't end its life. Nor did she care. Listening to its suffering gave her a certain satisfaction.
"Bleep! You have received [Rat Bite]! You suffer an 8 point wound. Decreasing bleeding will occur until all points are removed. Blood loss 0.008% per second. In addition, your blood is suffering from an infection because your body has no resistance to counter it."
Stupefied after realizing how serious the wound was. "Motherfucker! I hope you suffer! Damn! It hurts like hell!"
"Bleep! [Passive Healing] has been activated! The wound will completely close in 80 minutes, but before that, you will lose about 19% of your blood."
"That's a lot of blood! If I lose more than 20% of my blood I could pass out! Wait a minute! How the hell do I know that?"
"Bleep! You are suffering [Stress III]!"
Emhe felt the sole of her foot soak with blood as the rat squeaked in agony. Without removing the spear from the vermin's entrails, and emanating more hatred than necessary, the redhead enjoyed watching it suffer. "I hope you writhe for hours! I didn't come for you! I didn't mean to hurt you, but you…!"
More shrieks interrupted her soliloquy. Something else was coming. At least two rats were frantically approaching, blind with rage. "Shit! Are they coming to its aid? If one did this to me, what would several do?! If I had the torch, I'd chase them away!" Growing more and more nervous, she realized that the flame wouldn’t last forever. "No! All I would have done is postpone the inevitable!"
"Bleep! Danger! You are suffering [Stress IV]!"
You are now suffering [Confusion I], [Apathy I] and [Daze I]!”
*[Stress IV]: Debuff. State of terror that causes:
-6% to Power and Dexterity.
-40% to Perception.
-60% to Intelligence and Willpower.
*[Confusion I]: Debuff. When you possess only 50% of your Intelligence.
Can provoke obstinacy, irrationality, misunderstanding.
-50% efficiency when learning skills, concepts and techniques.
*[Apathy I]: Debuff. When you possess only 50% of your Willpower.
Lack of enthusiasm and interest in any action.
-20% to all your Masteries.
-10% effectiveness to Weapon and Technique Skills.
*[Daze I]: Debuff. When you possess only 50% of your Intelligence and Willpower.
Slowness and incoordination in combat.
-5% to Dexterity.
-5% to Weapon Mastery.
-5% to Weapon Skill Efficiency.
-2% to Technique Skill Efficiency
Removing the spear from the rat's dying body, Emhe felt as if it now weighed a ton. A slight feeling of dizziness haunted her for at least a few seconds, but this time, she didn't succumb. She didn't allow fear to take over her for a moment longer. She tensed her body with all her might and prepared to kill whatever came for her. Even bigger rats. One of them, nearly twice the size of the one still writhing at her feet. The other, almost as big as a dog.
"Bleep! [Tense] has been activated!
Error! [Tense] cannot be forced to Level 2. You need more level!
You have countered [Stress IV], but you are still suffering from [Stress III]!
You have countered [Apathy I] and [Dazed I]!”
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Shaking. "Come on! Calm down, calm down! I can't let them jump on me or they'll corner me!"
"Bleep! [Sprint] has been activated!"
Limping painfully on her blood-soaked foot, she rounded the corner and waited out of sight of the rats.
"Bleep! [Sprint] has been deactivated!
[Stealth] has been activated!”
Concentrating on the sounds of the rats. "I think the bigger one is slower, that's why it has been left behind! Well, as soon as it shows up...!"
"Bleep! [Mentalized] has been activated!
[Tense] has been deactivated!
You have countered [Stress III], but you are still suffering from [Stress II]!
You have countered [Confusion I]!”
Sharpening her senses, she tried to calculate when the rat would appear around the corner. However, her impatience and inexperience worked against her, causing the hasty attack to fail. Although everything seemed to be working against her, she was very lucky. In its advance, the animal collided with the edge of the spear, cutting one of its eyes.
Not allowing the rat to recover, but unable to aim accurately due to the darkness, she focused on the two bright spots that were its eyes. Furious, she attacked with [Rapid Assault] over and over again. The animal, shocked by the pain, couldn't react in time to dodge so many attacks. Although the attacks lacked precision and force, the weapon's edge didn't need them. Badly wounded in the right side and head, it ran away squeaking. Emhe didn't chase it. She knew the biggest rat was coming, she heard it squeaking like crazy.
"I can't rush this time. If I mess up, that thing is going to break my legs apart. I didn't get a good look, but I noticed that it's really huge! It must weigh about 20 kilos. If it attacks as fast as the little ones, I'm screwed!"
Emhe lurked patiently, waiting for the right moment to strike, but the rat never reached the corner. Sounds of a new enemy running drew their attention. Emhe waited still, but the rat didn't hesitate. Despite the narrow corridor and its enormous size, the rat turned around without difficulty.
A strong, hoarse voice shouted in a primitive guttural language, unafraid of attracting attention. "What the hell is that? Is it human?" More and more doubtful. "With that horrible voice? Impossible! That can't be human! Oh shit! This just keeps getting worse!"
A succession of thuds against metal, screams and squeaks kept Emhe in suspense for a few seconds. "If I go out and attack the rat from behind, I'll kill it for sure, but... What about the other creature? I don't think it's friendly if it lives here!"
"Bleep! [Mentalized] has been deactivated!
[Tense] has been activated!”
Very worried, she looked at the bottom of the cavern. "Stop kidding yourself, Emhe! There's no way out!" Frowning and clenching her jaws tightly as she looked at the wound on her leg. "It came in the dark. Lives in these tunnels! I'm sure it wants to hurt me too!" Without letting fear take over her. “Let them try! I'll kill them if I have to! I'm not going to die crying and begging for my life! That's pathetic!"
With a throbbing and growing pain, Emhe came out of hiding, stealthy despite her limp. Angry and eager to finish off the rats. "You will pay for this!”
The huge rat was fighting with its back to her, only ten paces away. "Gods! That thing is huge! How many years has it lived here?"
In front of the rat, a short humanoid form. Maybe 1.50 meters. He carried a shield too big for him, a round shield well over half a meter long that he held with both hands. Emhe didn't realize it, but it was a shoddy shield made of wood and reinforced with a thin sheet of bronze.
Although she hadn't had much time to readjust to the darkness, she could make out some of the shapes, but only part of their outlines. She barely noticed that he was bald and had very small ears. He was breathing heavily, as if he were a beast.
"Gods! He’s super short!"
Actually, any being was smaller than she was. With 1.98 meters of height, she was half a span taller than any man. Thinking about that gave her a certain confidence.
"The creature is carrying a shield that is obviously not his own. It's so big that it covers him completely. He's just defending because he has no idea how to grab it. Good! If he keeps the shield up, he won't see me coming."
"Bleep! You have countered [Stress II], but you are still suffering [Stress I]!
[Stealth] has been deactivated!"
Only 3 meters away from the huge rat, Emhe suddenly lunged towards it, using [Charge Attack]. By the time the rat tried to turn around at her approach, it was already too late. The sharp point pierced through so easily, tearing its insides, that even she felt a shudder.
Slightly surprised to see the rat in pain, the creature gripped the shield tightly by the ends and struck the rat again and again in the head and neck. Using the edge of the shield as if it were a crude dull knife, he decapitated it. It was not fast, nor was it clean.
Completely disgusted to hear the unbearable suffering of that being, Emhe took at step back. Seeing herself reflected in the new tormentor, she looked sadly at the unnecessary suffering of the other two rats still writhing. The choked shrieks of the vermin finally appealed to her mercy. Looking at her blood-soaked foot as she tightened her grip on the spear, she understood that this was getting her nowhere. She finished them off using the back of the spear on their heads. The unpleasant cracking sound marked the end of their lives.
"Bleep! You have eliminated [Young Giant Rat] (Level 1)! You have gained 25 experience points and 10 essence points.
You have eliminated [Young Giant Rat] (Level 3)! You have gained 50 experience points and 30 essence points.
Jointly, you have eliminated [Giant Mother Rat] (Level 8)! You have gained 85 experience points and 80 essence points."
Gasping after such a grotesque spectacle, both stood facing each other. Emhe could barely make out his features, but it was obvious that he was not human at all. His eyes were sunken and the nose was deeply embedded in his face with two large separate nostrils. He couldn't close his mouth properly, his teeth were so big that they couldn't fit inside.
"From the way he's acting, I think that creature can see me perfectly fine!"
"Bleep! [See Beyond] has been activated!"
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[Young Gruk] (Level 4)
Blessings: ???
Power: ???
Dexterity: 84 +8 = 92 (+27) =119
Intelligence : ??
Willpower: ??
HP ??/(185)
Energy ????/86400
Stamina ??/(284)
Weight (Kg) 61
Height (m) 1,35
[Weakness I]
[Hunger]
[Protection]
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*[Protection] The closer you are to the presence that inspires you, the more your attributes increase.
It was at that moment that she heard footsteps. Many footsteps. The completely fascinated gruk didn't even turn around despite the fact that new creatures were very close. "They seem to be just like him. They are probably his congeners!”
Suddenly, a new voice echoed in her mind again. It was the sarcastic voice of a woman. "All that rat meat... What a waste! How many days could you have eaten...?"
Despite the shock, Emhe kept her composure. "Another voice!"
Again, the strange woman. "What a pity! You won't be able to eat it because those things are going to show you how much a pretty young girl like you can suffer at the hands of depraved creatures like them!"
Frightened, Emhe tried to discern the expressions of those beings in the darkness. She could barely see their faces, but she could tell that some of them were acting like degenerates. They sniffed the air, wiped their drool, or touched their crotches. "Gods!!"
"I'll offer you a deal, child! I'll trade you all the rat meat, the insignificant essence you've gained, 3500 points of your Energy and that deadly spear, for a chance for you. I'll be generous and I'll also heal your wound along with that nasty infection that is killing you! Think about it! You won't be able to defeat them all in this darkness! Here, you only see fifteen...!
Emhe didn't even realize that there were so many of them. Terrified and unable to contain herself, she muttered, trying to hold back a scream. "Fifteen?!"
"Bleep! You are suffering [Stress II]!"
Sensing her fear, some of the creatures stepped forward. Emhe made a great effort to avoid taking a single step backwards. Clenching her jaws tightly, she gripped the spear with all her might. "Shit, shit, shit! Do you expect me to prevail without the spear?!"
Continuing nonchalantly, as if that didn't concern her. "Shhh!... As I was saying. You can only see about fifteen of them here, but as soon as you start fighting for your life, they'll scream. They'll scream like the sick bastards they are. Dozens will come, and then, the rest. They've been occupying these caverns for decades. They know that those like you, come here to die."
Without understanding. "Those who are like me?"
Without giving Emhe time to ramble on. "I guess there are so many of those bastards that you can count them by hundreds. What do you say? We have a deal, right?"
Emhe was almost trembling. "Do you really expect me to prevail without the spear against them?! Are you kidding me?!"
The woman's voice tried to reassure her. "You're not listening to me...!"
"Bleep! [Tense] has been activated!
You're suffering [Stress III]!
You are suffering [Confusion I]!”
Almost hysterical, Emhe screamed at the top of her lungs. "THE HELL I'LL GIVE YOU THE SPEAR!!!! THERE'S NO FUCKING DEAL!!!"
Because of the darkness, Emhe couldn't see the shadow that sped past her. It left no trail of light in its path, only a draft that distracted the gruks. In its path, the corpses of the rats and 12000 Energy points from Emhe disappeared.
"Bleep! You are suffering [Weakness I]!
Energy 105861/130000
Stamina 337/(337)”
Emhe felt an exhaustion so strong, that she almost fainted. Gripping the spear tightly as if it weighed tons. "I SAID THERE WAS NO DEAL, YOU FUCKING BITC...!"
“Bleep! [Tense] has been deactivated!
You have countered [Confusion I]!”
Very annoyed and sarcastic, the woman known as Erum whispered. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to the fact that some of us don't negotiate when it comes to making deals! Huh, Dark God?"
Furious and shocked. "Dark God?!"
A voice that sounded like death itself echoed in her head. "If you're not going to hand over the spear, it means you're prepared to fight for your life, right?! Prove it then!"
"Bleep! An unknown spell that affects you is being cast from another plane!
Your synchronization has been forced to 2%!
You have acquired a new technique skill. [Berserk] (Level 1)!
You have unlocked the Violent class!
Seek out mentors with that technique so they can instruct you the way you want to fight!"
*[Berserk] (Level 1): Technique Skill. Your combat capabilities improve at the cost of a severe decline in your mental faculties.
+30% to Power and Willpower,
-50% to Intelligence.
+1 to Stamina Transition.
+200% to Stamina Consumption.
Costs 1 Stamina per second to maintain
“Bleep! You have countered [Stress III] and [Stress II], but you are still suffering [Stress I]!”
In the blink of an eye, she felt completely different. She felt satisfied. As if she had in her hands the key to a door that resisted her. A door that harbored unbridled violence.
"Bleep! [Berserk] has been activated!
You are suffering [Confusion I]!”