What is the meaning of life?
Is there such a thing?
Perhaps there is.
Perhaps there isn’t.
Continually pondering life's ultimate purpose can create an unbearable mental strain. The lack of certainty can lead to existential dread.
The question can be so deeply troubling that it drives some to seek solace in the belief in a benevolent deity who cares for and guides the inferior lives in a comforting assurance that there is a higher purpose and order in existence.
Some prioritize action and tangible achievements over philosophical contemplation. The meaning of life can also be considered a metaphysical question that lies outside the realm of empirical science.
It is but a futile exercise for certain groups as it can lead to anxiety and despair.
It can also be as simple as enjoying one's own company for some.
People have debated over and over since the beginning of ages.
But such mundane questions were beneath Gigloth. She had no slack to wonder about such bullshit. There were more important matters at hand.
—Gigloth |D|—
Race: Maggoth
Pathway: Sin
Class: Guttler
Spirit |D|
Strength |D+|
Stamina |D+|
Agility |D|
Affinity |D|
Active: |Inflame |D-||
Passive: |Gigantification |D||
Eating. Shitting. Sleeping. Fucking.
This was her simple yet profound path to ascendance that had sustained her for the past twenty years or so.
She’d first fuck with her kids to have more kids.
Gigloth would then feed her children a unique and nourishing deluge.
What is a good farmer? The farmer patiently waits for the precious produce until it gets early and late rains.
She gazed at her growing and playful children.
The maggoths relished every drop as the juices revitalized their strength. Their maws opened and closed rhythmically. The tree root juices within the rain provided a rich source of sustenance far more potent than ordinary water.
The ceaseless downpour that absorbed and carried down through the layers of soil and rock was enriched with the juices of tree roots. They splattered onto their skins and into their open maws.
The previously dry and cracked ground now darkened and trembled under their weight from the nutrient-rich water.
A conflict erupted between two particularly aggressive gloths. They writhed and snapped at each other. The other worms slithered back to avoid getting caught in the fray.
Gigloth emerged with an imposing presence. Her slightly darker body was way more massive than the rest. But perhaps the biggest difference was that her eyes glowed with slight intelligence.
The two gloths shuddered. The mother's massive form overshadowed the two too engrossed in their struggle to notice her approach until it was too late.
Her maw opened wide. She swallowed the first gloth full with her powerful jaws to clamp down. There was no room for resistance. Sensing the danger too late rendered the second worm’s attempted retreat useless. Gigloth’s maw engulfed the second worm and silenced the struggle instantaneously.
She had killed two birds with a stone or perhaps, in this case, gloths by devouring the rebellious worms. Gigloth had eaten her fill and reestablished a clear hierarchy within the group. Her actions restored order among the remaining worms. The maggoths resumed their feast on the rain with subdued movements.
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Gigloth munched on the Crystals. She felt her body brim with newly gotten energy. Every keeper had a rune corresponding to their rank. But keepers below rank 1 like the two gloths were rankless. They had their essences imbued into Crystals in their hearts instead of runes. The Crystals would then develop into runes with the passage of time as the keepers advanced.
Of course, that was only if they survived long enough. They did not.
Nor did the sinner.
BPTUMMM
Sand and soil flew in all directions. The ground shuddered as a tiny crater formed where the archdemon struck.
The dust began to settle.
Monika lay in the center of the crater. Her legs were twisted and broken.
Blood trickled from her injuries and further stained the sand beneath her.
She forced herself to sit up.
The other maggoths turned their massive heads toward her to see their mother’s still-beating gigantic heart held aloft by the archdemon. The sand and dust clouds continued to settle to reveal more of her grievous injuries.
I immediately absorb the heart before the worms swarm toward me. It takes quite a while. Great.
What a harvest.
I feel a surge of vitality and strength as the injuries throb with pain.
What a fucked up feeling.
Degloth#4 lunges toward me with its maw gaping wide and filled with rows of gnashing teeth. The ground shakes as it moves with terrifying speed and intent on crushing the weakened woman. But do you have any idea whose woman you’re trying to lay your teeth on?
A bloodied spear cuts through the dust and pierces the worm's brain. That’s if he had any to begin with. I doubt it. Their bodies have to contain so much shit somewhere, after all.
Degloth#4 gets lifelessly pinned to the ground before my eyes.
My loyal descendants descend from above to form a protective circle around me. The mounded bats screech and flap their wings.
I close my eyes in reassured concentration to continue absorbing the Karma. I take my time. Why hurry? The succubi get praised for gathering hearts. They should try hard since that’s their only purpose in living—killing as much as they can. Our dear familiar with a hero complex will protect them anyway.
On the surface, I knit my brows as if I were on my period. Do archdemons have kids anyway? That would be a cheat. I highly doubt it, but if it is required, I’ll change my body into the man’s and have lots and lots of kids to abuse the system.
Speaking of kids, such interesting memories. This worm is the worst mother I’ve ever seen. I hope I don’t surpass her since Monika is such a crybaby. Depression is the last thing you’d want in an apocalyptic setting, Monika.
Luckily, the merge is almost over. These fuckers won’t stand a chance when we regain our reason. Gambling is fine, but you’ve been gambling like crazy. Fighting is fine, but you’ve been fighting like a maniac. Don’t forget the rule to make the others do the things for you.
You’re always too emotional. The familiar summoning could’ve killed us if I hadn’t intervened. You just never learn, do you? That jump was a ten out of ten, though. Good job.
Tears trace down my cheeks.
Such a cruel fate. These children were born to be abused by their gluttonous mother to the bitter end.
The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word ‘mother’ is ‘caring’. In spite of this, mothers’ protective instincts can manifest as controlling behavior. In the worst instances, their capacity to nurture might sometimes be affected by their own emotional or physical struggles.
This is the duality of life. This is the duality of nature.
Mothers might kill or consume weak or deformed offspring to prevent the spread of disease and ensure that their resources are not wasted. Worker bees will sometimes kill the queen's larvae if the larvae are perceived to be weak. The opposite is also true. Female bears may sometimes kill cubs to protect their territory or resources.
Some might eat their offspring to survive in times of extreme food scarcity. Older great egret chicks may push their younger siblings out of the nest with the mother’s passive acceptance or even encouragement to ensure enough food for the stronger chicks.
Mothers might kill their offspring to prevent them from falling into the hands of predators. Seabird mothers have been known to kill or abandon their chicks. Some rabbit mothers kill their young to increase their own survival chances.
Dominant mothers might kill their offspring to maintain their status. Even males will kill the offspring of rival males to bring the females back into estrus. A lion often kills the cubs sired by the previous males whenever he takes over a pride.
Karma |E-| |31/400|
Stop whining, Monika. I’ve finished absorbing the heart in your stead. Do you not have any other worries? You literally have a bone sticking out of your ass.
I’m so done listening to your crap. Do you not feel any remorse, Monika?
Hey, in our times, parents sent their children to war while fully knowing that they’d die. They even took pride in their deaths. Isn’t that more fucked up? Strong nationalistic or patriotic sentiments led them to view their children's participation in war as a necessary sacrifice for the preservation and glory of the nation.
No! You’re wrong, Monika! You Psychopathic lunatic! Fucking hypocrite!
For fuck’s sake, Monika. Everyone is a hypocrite. Stop throwing a tantrum. You tend to forget that you’re me. Do you even understand what hypocrite means? You know I feel emotions and pity for the fallen as well as you do. Your utilitarian world is nothing but a fantasy. Cry one more time and I’m giving your ass to a minotaur. Maybe you want to eat more shit instead? You know, gloths do have dicks, too. Maybe? I’m not so sure what those waggling things are. Wonder how that tastes. Perhaps delicious, don’t you think? Should we try? That’d be a funny and memorable experience.
Monika shuts up. She knows this is not merely a joke but a threat since she has no bottom line.
Monika opens her eyes.
Monika opens her eyes.
Monika opened her ey—
Stop fucking repeating after me!
|C+| You are the first candidate to attain Karma |E-|