With the undead defeated at her feet and a sea of doubt overtaking her. "Hey, Supherm! Can you hear me? Why can't I see my character screen here?"
"Bleep! There is a new essence in your surroundings. Try to absorb it before the host rises once more!"
"What the hell? Are they really immortal?!"
The thought of the undead moving again was inexplicably creepy to Emhe. As if her being had strange memories about it. With the hairs on the nape of neck standing on end. "Don't even think about getting up, you filthy son of a bitch!"
“Bleep! You are suffering [Spectral Cold II]!”
*[Spectral Cold II] Debuff. Causes:
-5% to Intelligence and Willpower.
The sensation of pain intensifies.
Letting hysteria take over her, she unleashed all her fury on the skull of the undead. Stomping it over and over again. Without measure and without stopping until all the bones of the skull were reduced to splinters.
"Bleep! You have discovered a new weapon skill that allows you to perform a stomp at maximum force. Perfect for downed targets. Do you want to name your newfound skill?"
Trying to relax, Emhe nodded. "I like the sound of Curb Stomp! But, can we focus now on the part about it rising again?"
"Bleep! New weapon skill. [Curb Stomp] (Level 1)!
As new information can be assimilated from essence 1 found on plane 23, your Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery increased by 1! Your current value is 5!"
*[Curb Stomp] (Level 1): Weapon Skill. Strike to the head of a downed enemy with maximum force.
Maximum Blunt Damage (MBD): It’s value is the sum of:
(50% of Weight)
(Extra weight (On the leg))**
(40% of Power)
(20% of Dexterity)
(5% of of Intelligence)
(15% of of Willpower)
(Hand to Hand Combat Mastery)
(Kick Combat Mastery)
Critical Hit: MBDx2.
While executing the skill you acquire:
(1% to Power)
(2% to Willpower)
(3% to Dexterity)
Stamina Consumption per hit: 6% of Weight
Still tense and barely feeling happy about what had happened. "Okay, okay! It's super cool, but I'm in a bit of a hurry! What the hell do I have to do to assimilate the essence? I've already kicked that nasty thing countless times! I don't want it to rise again!"
Before she finished complaining, she had already guessed what she would have to do. "Wait a second! Will I have to touch it with my hands too? Oh, come on! That's fucking disgusting!"
As tense as she was disgusted, she approached the undead. She touched it with a finger, but nothing happened. "Oh, come on!" Reluctantly, she touched it with the palm of her hand, but nothing happened either. "Shit! Don't mess with me! Do I have to touch it with both hands!? Really?" Resigned, she did so.
"Bleep! Absorbing essence."
A warm tingle ran up her arms again. “Yuck! The feeling of that thing's essence merging with me is disgusting! Why isn't it like in the cavern? Just kill them!”
"Bleep! New essence gained! You have gained 10 essence points. Honoring your pact, you handed over 5 points to the entity called Supherm."
“Bleep! You have countered [Spectral Cold II], but you are still suffering [Spectral Cold I]!
Emhe was so outraged that she didn't know whether to keep kicking that thing or insult Supherm. "Did you say five points? I went through this for five miserable points?! I can't believe it!"
Staring at the trampled remains. "I guess it's because it was too easy! I even suspect it was Liph." She felt some sadness about that, but didn't let it wash over her. "Whatever it was, that wasn't him anymore!" Musing with her arms crossed. "Why did he appear right after I assimilated the essence? Does it have something to do with him appearing in it?"
Smiling slightly and acknowledging the fear and the rush of adrenaline. "When I kicked him, it was... mind-blowing! Nothing like what I felt in the cavern. Why?" Intoxicated by that sensation, she found herself wanting more.
Suddenly, she felt something that made her hair stand on end again. She had the feeling that she was being watched from the darkness of another room. Tense, she tried to use [See Beyond]. "Nothing appears!... Shit! I can't use the skill without a target."
After managing to see something in the distance that caught her attention. "Wait a minute! There's another one of those tiny lights. Could it be another essence? I have to go there to find out, but... I'm pretty sure there's something watching me."
Waiting for something to attack her. "You know perfectly well that I'm here! You've heard me fighting! But you won't catch me by surprise! Did you see what I did to your friend? Are you afraid? Come out, coward!" Emhe waited in silence for long seconds, but in vain.
Sick of waiting. "Ok! If you're not gonna come out, I'll go after you!" Approaching silently was impossible. The wooden floor was so rotten that even her weight was too much. Luckily, she was walking on the first floor with dirt under the wooden floorboard. Otherwise, the floor would have collapsed and she would have fallen long ago.
"What is Plane 23 supposed to be? How long has it been since September 24... What was the year? Ah yes, 1210 of the Second Era."
When she left the room, the wooden floor was left behind, and so were the creaks. Before her now lay a stone floor covered with beds of straw and charred corpses. There was no one in the room, only the charred bones remained, as well as the weapons, terribly rusty.
In one corner of the huge stone room, the other luminescent speck awaited, but this one was somewhat different. It flickered slightly in shades of green, blue and red. Wary but eager, Emhe approached the speck. Tense, she knelt down and slowly wrapped her hands around it.
"Bleep! Reading essence 2 on plane 23. October 13, 1210 of the Second Era."
In the blink of an eye, her perception of reality changed again. Screams, violence and the blood of mutilated bodies filled her mind.
“Bleep! You are suffering [Spectral Cold II]!”
Startled, she fell backwards as her heart nearly choked under a wave of fury. "Gods! What a sensation...! It was more intense than the one I experienced in the cavern! I felt like I was fighting for my life tooth and nail again! It was so sudden and unexpected that...!"
"Bleep! Contact with Essence 2 has been lost. Check that you are close enough to continue extracting information."
Emhe took a deep breath trying to calm herself. "Gods! It barely lasted a second, but...! There was fire and corpses everywhere! I think I saw Liph's body too!" Disgusted and distressed. "What the hell happened? It looked like a massacre, but...! Here? In a temple?" Looking around, she understood. "Something attacked them days later! Something came and took them by surprise!"
Emhe focused her attention back on the luminescent speck when she heard it whisper. "Come on! Just do it!" Hesitating while looking sideways at the charred remains again. "What if they all get up off the ground afterwards? There are many of them!"
For every inch she got closer to the speck, the more intense her heartbeat became. "Calm down! If they get up, you'll fight everyone, and that's it! Come on, stop overthinking!" With her hands so stiff they ached, she finally touched it.
"Bleep! Reading essence 2 on plane 23. October 13, 1210 of the Second Era."
In the blink of an eye, her perception of reality changed, becoming Dianna again. The piercing screams of pain, the clash of weapons, the smell of smoke and death filled the room saturating it.
Panting and undefeated. "Stand firm! Don't give ground! Don't get out of formation! Stay strong and don't let them open a flank!"
Only five rookie recruits, she and Master Instructor Richard remained against fifteen enemies. One of them much taller and bigger than the rest. Activating [See Beyond] on the attackers.
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[Goblin Warrior] (Level 24)
Blessings:
[Blessed by Thurust]: The God of the Repudiated protects you.
Advantages:
* [Robust XX]: Passive trait:
+20% to Power.
* [Intelligent X]: Passive trait:
+10% to Intelligence.
* [Low-light Vision]: Passive trait.
Disadvantages:
* [Fragile X]: Passive trait:
-10% to Power
* [Lazy X]: Passive trait:
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
-10% to Willpower
* [Photosensitivity]: Passive trait
* [Kleptomaniac]: Passive trait
Power: 122 -13 = 109
Dexterity: 209 +41 = 250
Intelligence: 93 +9 = 102
Willpower: 142 -15 = 127
HP: 163/179
Energy 75523/76300
Stamina 452/488
Weight (Kg) 52
Height (m) 1,25
[Protection]
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*[Photosensitivity]: Passive trait:
You will suffer skin irritation and sores when exposed to sunlight:
-95% to Sight in direct sunlight exposure.
In [Darkness] you receive +300 to Sight.
*[Kleptomaniac]: Passive trait. Devotion for shiny objects:
Strong impulse to take possession of your enemies' items. Even if they are worthless:
If the items you desire appear to be expensive, you receive 1% to your attributes per minute you are desiring it without having it. (Max 20%)
+10 to Willpower while in possession of the desired item.
Fourteen of them were dark-skinned beings of very small stature. Their faces were hidden by full-face helmets made of tree wood and wore animal skins. The mightiest of the invaders, on the other hand, was a quarter taller than any human there. It was armored in steel armor and wielded a massive greatsword, displaying a remarkable level of swordsmanship.
Dianna could barely hold off all those small creatures armed with very primitive wooden clubs. "They look weak, but they move pretty fast. We're lucky they don't have sharp weapons or we'd be dead by now!"
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[Goblin Warlord of the Iron Wolf Tribe] (Level 46)
Blessings:
[Blessed by Thurust]: The God of the Repudiated protects you. ???
Power: 324+194 = 518
Dexterity: ???
Intelligence: ???
Willpower: ??
HP: ???/618
Energy: ??????/518000
Stamina: ???/858
Weight (Kg): 116
Height (m):2,18
[Protection]
[Warlord]
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*[Warlord]: You have received a special blessing from your God that has allowed you to mutate:
Your base attributes are not those of your race.
You acquire a much larger size at the cost of losing your own Willpower.
You only serve the purposes of your God.
"It's impossible for us to beat that damn goblin! If we continue like this... Shit! Why do they have to show up right in the middle of my training?! Why right when I'm trying to learn how to use a heavy staff." Dianna had become a weapon fanatic. Such was her eagerness, that she intended to master all known and yet to be known combat masteries.
"Damn! If only we were closer to the armory! If I had a shield and a sharp weapon, I'd quickly take down all this scum and be able to help Richard. In this state I'm of little help. At least I'm not a burden like most of these bastards!"
Looking sideways at Richard. "He’s the only one who can withstand the warlord's attacks. Fortunately, he always wears the shield and that heavy armor he worked so hard to get in his life as an adventurer. However, that won't be enough."
"Shit! This crap of heavy staff barely allows me to block a few attacks! Let's not even talk about this pathetic training armor. The leather, the cloth and the worn chain mail may protect me from a sharp dagger, but I'm dead against that greatsword! If it catches me, it will cut me in half!"
With great effort and determination, Dianna managed to protect the small group of survivors for at least a minute. Attacking with all her might and screaming with every blow. However, the goblins were not intimidated.
Inspired by Dianna, the inexperienced recruits began to imitate her, attacking and screaming relentlessly. Encouraging each other. Morale seemed to be rising, until an unexpected scream among many others made them shudder.
Drenched in blood, Richard let out a piercing, desperate scream. "Now, dammit! Dianna, finish this bastard!"
When she turned around, she felt her heart break. Seeing the goblin warlord slice that monstrous greatsword through Richard's heavy armor was devastating. "This can't be happening! How could he have been defeated?!"
She couldn't believe that she was going to see die before her eyes the only person she had ever cared for in this harsh new world. Overflowing with rage and drowning in tears. "NOOO!"
She had never cried since she had arrived to this reality. Maybe because she had never cared for anyone except for that old Instructor who treated her like the son he had never been able to have.
All the rookies reacted to Dianna's cry. They all saw the battle-hardened Instructor clinging to his last minutes of life as he tried to take the goblin warlord with him. Putting their souls in each attack, they all attacked that armored beast with their meager forces while Richard held the arm and the sword buried in his guts. It was his last and defiant act of bravery.
"Bleep! Essence 2 has been successfully read on Plane 23. October 13, 1210 of the Second Era."
"Bleep! New essence gained! You have gained 622 essence points. Honoring your pact, you handed over 311 points to the entity called Supherm."
Her surroundings changed again, finding herself back in that room with the charred remains. Emhe clenched her fists tightly, feeling a terrible sadness tear through apart. In her mind, there were now images of Dianna accompanied by the Master Instructor. To that tough girl she had just met, Richard had become like the father she had never known. A tear slid down her cheek, falling on her right fist. She was still shaking with rage and overwhelmed with sadness when she felt it on her skin.
"Bleep! 4 new items have been added to your inventory."
Hastily wiping away the tears. "4 new items? That's why it only gave me 622 points?" Still wary of her surroundings, she opened the inventory. "Curious! I can open the inventory!" Focusing this time on the charred remains. "Are you all going to rise as soon as I equip a weapon? Is that what's going to happen?"
“Bleep! You are suffering [Spectral Cold III]!”
*[Spectral Cold III] Debuff. Causes:
-10% to Intelligence and Willpower.
The sensation of pain is greatly intensified.
You may suffer from hallucinations
In the inventory were a heavy staff, a simple spear, a very crude mace and a heavy shield. "All of those items were in the vision! Why are they in my inventory?"
Analyzing the new weapons while warily watching for any movement around her. "I suppose I can use the heavy staff as a spear against whatever rises up. The shield and mace don't seem too difficult to use, but they carry more risk. Fighting at close range implies exposing myself to danger."
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[Spear]
Common item
Weight: 1,9 Kg.
Length: 1.60 meters.
Maximum Thrust Damage (MTD): ??? (Knowledge of this weapon is needed)
Maximum Slash Damage (MSD): ??? (Knowledge of this weapon is needed)
Skills: You haven't discovered any skills with this weapon yet.
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When she looked at the last weapon, she felt dozens of images of Dianna fill her head. Images of pure survival in a forest as dangerous to strangers, as it was safe for her. She had spent almost three months living in them hunting and killing criminals.
"Bleep! You have successfully compiled Dianna's memory fragments belonging to the found fragment of essence. Based on your previous experiences, you have managed to unlock Polearm Mastery and Spear Mastery!"
"Bleep! Your Polearm Mastery has increased by 2! Your current value is 2!
You Spear Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 1 (13)!
Your Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery has increased by 2! Your current value is 7!
You Kick Combat Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 3 (15)!
Your Sneaking Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(30)!
Your Athletics Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(54)!
Your Acrobatics Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(47)!
Your Block Mastery has increased to 1! Your current value is 2(54)!
Your Mitigation Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(53)!
Your Deflect Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(56)!
Your Poise Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(145)!
Your Search Mastery has increased by 1! Your current value is 2(63)!”
"Thum, Thump! Your Dexterity attribute has increased by 2."
"Thum, Thump! Your Intelligence attribute has increased by 2."
"Thum, Thump! Your Willpower attribute has increased by 1."
"Bleep! You have successfully compiled information from the 2 essences found on Plane 23!
You have acquired new knowledge and unlocked new professions! Bonus can now be applied to professions!
You have unlocked the Tracker profession! Your current value is 1 (5)!
You have learned the profession skill [Tracking] (Level 1)!
You have unlocked the Survival profession! Your current value is 1 (5)!
You have learned the knowledge [Create Small Campfire]1 Your current value is 1 (5)!
You have learned the knowledge [Campfire Cooking]! Your current value is 1 (5)!
You have unlocked the Cooking profession! Your current value is 1 (5)!
You have learned the profession skill [Cooking] (Level 1)!”
*[Cooking] (Level 1): You have learned to take advantage of mixing and preparing cooking recipes:
+50 to Cleverness.
+50 to Perception.
-50 to Speed.
Costs 1 Stamina per minute to maintain.
*[Tracking] (Level 1): You have learned to follow tracks:
+100 to Cleverness.
+50 to Astuteness.
+100 to all Senses.
+100 to Search Mastery.
-200 to Speed.
Costs 10 Stamina per minute to maintain.
"Wow! All this thanks to Dianna? That girl is a rough diamond! Far more dangerous than any outlaw! Why was she living in the woods hunting people like that? Do members of the Adventurer's Guild hunt evil people?"
“Bleep! You have countered [Spectral Cold III], but you are still suffering [Spectral Cold II]!”
Emhe closed the inventory by equipping herself with the spear. Raising her head, she looked around for another glowing speck in the middle of that strange ruined temple. "I don't particularly like Dianna, but I'd like to know if she survived that day!"
"Bleep! A countdown has started. 5:30 minutes."
Supherm's sarcastic voice surprised her. "Child! I think a lot of these creatures are going to attack you soon! It will be something similar to what will happen in the Nexus trials. Although in general, they are much worse than this! If you last 5 minutes without giving up, you'll get something extra. And if you get over it, something even better. By the way! In a lot of the places you will go, I don't think we can help you. We can only help you near artifacts of power, like the one deep in the caverns!"
After a pause in which Supherm waited for questions that never came. "This will be like severe training. Do you accept? If the answer is no, I will open a portal for you! However, I would be pretty disappointed if you did!"
Emhe tightened her grip on the spear. "I just have to resist without giving up? What do you mean by severe training?"
Some dust devils began to move, gathering all the remains throughout the huge room. Charred bones, rusted weapons and armor began to form the undead once more. Quickly unequipping the spear, Emhe ran towards the room she had appeared in. "I accept!"
Focused on planning a strategy while dozens of ambush images saturated her. "Ok! I know I shouldn't corner myself, but I think I can take advantage of the door and block their path. That way, they won't be able to surround me and I can fight one at a time from behind the threshold. It will be like in the caverns, but that won't be enough!"
Without allowing herself the luxury of seeing the undead finish rising, nor even intending to count how many there were, she immediately approached the furniture and tried to move a very large cabinet. It was so rotten that it barely weighed, but it was also so weakened that it fell apart as she pushed it. With some effort, she managed to move enough pieces of furniture to get in the way of the doorway.
"Bleep! Countdown active. 5:00 minutes."
Equipping the spear, Emhe finally got into position. "Gods! There are so many! I count about 17!”
However, the worst was yet to come. At the back of the room, one of them was wearing almost full heavy armor, a large shield and a huge greatsword piercing his torso. When she understood who he was, her soul nearly broke. "No, no, no!" The memory of Richard drowned her in a terrible sadness. Sadness that gave way to anger.
“Bleep! You are suffering [Spectral Cold III]!”
"Supheeeeerm! You're a bastard! You knew this was going to happen, right?!"