I have experimented with different body parts as I was running through different corridors. One could ask, what kind of friend for fuck sake I am? Somewhere there Gisele is, maybe trapped, maybe wounded, and here I am – checking if it’s better to fight zombies as half snake-half insect or humanoid wolf-eagle…. The answer for 2nd question is – snake/insect, better mobility, heavier body and increased range… the answer for 1st – shitty. I am a shitty friend. But hey! It’s better to have one shitty fried that actually crawl his way to the higher levels of deadly dungeon than best chit-chat gossip friend that would waste two-three days to get back to the city and organize help!

* “You ssshall not walk any further…”

Another Reversed hissed baring his sword. Reversed, zombies of higher tier. With bigger part of their intelligence intact… ah,  why describing? I can show you!

Reversed Warrior [Undead]Level26TittlesUndead

Puppet

I used to be an adventurer like you, but then...

Hp[380/390]Lp[150/150]SpNaSkillsNo Pain [Passive]

Sword Usage - Regular [Passive] [Level 7]

Life Sensing [Passive]

Undead brought back to life via sinister magic of [Reanimators], made of corpses of skilled warriors,

This undead has been enchanted with Evil forces of Dungeon, which are treating its damages [Life force points - Lp] - damages dealt to this creature would heal over time.

They were rarely alone, mostly leading small groups of other monsters or formed some kind of party. Those parties, even as they were lacking rangers and magicians, were still quite challenging as diversity of enemies was pretty intimidating. I was facing one such party at the moment.

As I didn’t answer the threat and kept marching on, the undead in front of me turn his blade toward the floor and hit it three times. His comrades stepped out of shadows.

The one in front of me, some average warrior with rounded metal shield and mace, a templar in very heavy and very metal full plate armor armored in halberd and tower shield as big as him, some half-warrior half-rogue with double short swords and guy with an axe… tsh, there are few guyz I described with almost whole sentences and “the guy with an axe”… well, what do you want?! You have equipment that suits more some bandit from the forest! Your friends are almost paladin-looking bastard in helmet with wings, classic knight and exotic war-dancer! And her you are like hur-dur lumberjack! That team would be so fucking badass… if not you! Shame! Sha…

War dancer jumped at me slashing his swords from all directions in complex pattern. Dude! At least let me finish mocking your friend in my inner monologue, damn it!

He was fast, faster than me. If I wouldn’t have twice as much limbs designed for combat I would be already sliced into pieces. Some time ago I deactivated D’iabel to save as much mana as possible. I checked my magic pool to know what kind of tricks I can play to not run out of fuel to soon.

Mp[327/580]

I grinned. Accelerated mana regeneration is working just fine, ah, it’s so good to have same affinity as dungeon.

I let him to push me from my position, pretending to struggle with parrying his blow. Bit more… more… He kept unleashing thunder of blows mixing vertical slashes with horizontal, attack from left with attack from behind his head…His team tried following him, yet as their equipment was far heavier they were slowly separated from each another.

The distance I manage to get wasn’t very spectacular it could gave me few blows in best case scenario. Yet I couldn’t risk being pushed even a meter more, in the end I still could have been attacked by other party from behind… I decided to move.

Bolting forward I caught one of his arms with my hand, locking him in firm grasp, then I kept using one sickle to parry his 2nd blade, and the other one to turn him into a pulp.

Yet I was outsmarted. Instead of his attacking me with his spare hand, he used it to cut off his locked arm and ran away if few fast jumps. Irritated I followed him. Bloody undeads! He ducked under one of my slashes and avoided another one.

Yet still, I was sure that very next will hit him. With eyes of mind I saw as my sickle is heading his direction, I know that he had nowhere to run, yet instead of feeling soft flesh being ripped around my limbs I heard dull sound.

Templar somehow managed to get between us and protected his comrade. Using his whole body to support a blow he pushed me away with his shield. In very next moment I got myself surrounded. Knight moved to my left and Bandit took a position on my right side. And behind the templar I sensed as War Dancer was reattaching his limb to arm. After few seconds he managed to moved the fingers, yet huge part of his Life force was missing.

Well, I had two patterns of dealing with them. First one – I wanted to save my mana and gut them one by one… but as I got myself caught…

I focused on myself. I looked deep within my life till I found the core of my existence, my soul, and there I saw it. Small sparkle that flicked happily.

* “May the fire of soul burn within me,

As it would lit, you will be forced to see,

The struggle of life that leaves the mark,

And shatter thy mind embraced by dark,

I summon thee, that sleeps in the ash,

To raise once again so your glory may flash,

Fill my heart with desire of blood,

To make the rivers run with red flood…HASTE!”

For a split of second I thought that I heard a word, like it came from place far away. Yet, unfortunately, as I didn’t have much time to ponder about voices that maybe I heard and maybe not, I was forced to focus back on my enemies.

You are under effect of [Haste][Haste] is a spell that makes its target pick decisions faster. Those, whose blood are boiling, rarely think twice about possible options and do as their hearts say.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

This spell will lower the intelligence and wisdom of targets, to make them focus more on the voice of their hearts. It may also force them into desire of fulfilling what they really want to do.

Ps.: Forger of Souls takes no responsibility for possible poor choices of targets, as those were made via inner desires,

If you have any complaints, please visit your nearest Fire Elemental or Higher Guiding Spirit of Fire responsible for Customer Service. 

RFX+30DEX+30INT-10WIS-10Status effectsEnraged [Possible]

Hot Blooded [Possible]

Time Remaining00h29m57s

F…FIFTY MANA?! Are you nuts?! Not worth it! Also my 100 mana points were locked! Part of Mana bar turned grey… I didn’t feel that much dumber, yet…

Once again, my inner monologue was rudely disturbed by axe that came my way.

I dodged with ease, actually I saw that coming for quite some time, on my eyes… hehe, not intended… in my perception everything was bit slower. Nothing strange, my Reflex was almost doubled. What a fearsome tool… combined with nature body boosts and curses… Tsh, the only curse I know now is [Exhaustion], which makes enemies tire faster – useless against undeads.

Four limbs, four enemies. Perfect.

Templar rushed at me, still hiding behind his shield thrusting with his halberd. It was flying in my direction, yet if I had eyes, I would have enough time to easily count every crackle and every scratch on the rusty weapon.

I grabbed it without any problems. In that moment war dancer used bended position of templar to run on his shoulder and jump at me, using his friend as takeoff. Warriors on both sides moved too.

Normally I would be in really bad position. Yet all I was lacking now was somebody playing classic music in background.

I used the palm that was now grabbing the weapon of templar to push it off from its trajectory and then one of sickles to hold him in place, then using both humanoid hands I casted mana shock wave to the sides, blasting two warriors on the sides. War dancer that flew my direction get dangerously close. I used his momentum to let him impale himself on my spare sickle, and then toss him aside making him fall in direction of column.

All my limbs were free. I shifted my focus on Templar on front of me. I grabbed his shield with both hands and one sickle then I shoved another sickle in his body. I proceed to push his body while pulling shield. Yet shield was attached to his arm. It looked more as if his hand was actually trapped in strips. Poor bastard probably attached it too hard, maybe in fear of losing it, now because of that he was helpless as his limb was being torn from him.

It turned into one sided slaughter. I cut off his legs, his armor was as durable as rusty and in the end I needed more than just few cuts to turn a templar into two mini-templars. Even if he would start reattaching himself, he needed a few goddamned hours to do so, losing my interest I proceed to eliminating rest of the team. I zigzagged quickly to Knight wanting to destroy him before he would get up. Yet as I took my sweet time playing with his friend a moment ago he managed to take a battle stance again.

Still, one on one in his situation was a sentence of death after death. Ramming my body into his I made him stumble just enough to catch him in form grip of my lover body. Axeman ran at me from afar as it regained his footing. He was closer to the blast and apparently I cracked some of his bones slowing him down. I pointed my palm in his direction and began quietly chanting.

Before he even get close to me, Mr. Hipster exploded into pieces. War Dancer didn’t look good after hugging pillar. The force of my throw was too big and now all his joints were twisted in strange manner. Yet he wasted no time, as he kept grabbing one limb after another to pop it back in right place and order.

I took my time slowly tightening grip. It was a slow process – could be easier if my opponent would be a living being, the trick of strangler snake is that they have a chance to tighten their grip each time they prey exhale. That asshole was not breathing at all! This is why it took so fucking long! Even more! The cause of death would be suffocating! And here I was squishing him into a pulp!

… Stupid [Haste]. I told myself a second ago that I have time, yet here I am rushing things…. No wait. I don’t have time! Gisele! For fuck sake!

Calm down, bro! Ya will make a mistake rushing things!

TELL THAT GISELE! SHE MAY BE HURT! OR WOUNDED! WAITING FOR US! STOP SLACKING AND DO YOUR FUCKING JOB! AND YOU! DIE FASTER!

Mate! Calm dow..

SPIERRRRRDALAJ!

… that’s a language I haven’t heard in some time… easy inner me! Here! I am killing? See? Nice and dead… Ending stuff here and moving forward

GOOD!

Once again. Stupid [Haste]…

I left twisted corpse and once again moved toward last enemy standing – for he managed to rise. He was limping, holding his swords in weird manners. Paying it barely any attention I made him shorter. By head. I proceed down the hall ignoring notifications.

Gisele’s POV

I woke up in some kind of tent. It was pretty dark here. My whole body was screaming in pain. Tsh. I overdid it again.

Papa Jeriocho told me that multiple times. People, no matter of race, are never using their muscles full potential. If they would, they could damage it. Yet I was one of Berserks. If I lost to my anger I could obtain powers that normal people could never gain. Backlash? For next day or two I could barely move – even breathing was painful. Someone changed my bandage.

I tried reacting grabbing that person, yet all I did was to shake my body to the sides which made my body yell in agony.

* “Easy there…” It was a voice of female “… you are in really bad shape. Rest now. They won’t do anything for you till you rest… a…and I can always tell them your condition is worse than it really is… I could get you additional day or two that way so…”

Finally my eyes get used to the dark. Woman of Minotaur tribe. Pregnant, atop of that. Unlike males, they are very easy to frighten, bah! Even shy! Getting ferocious only if their offspring would be in danger.

* “I heard that you have killed over four dozens of warriors… You must be so strong… I envy your strength… But it only makes me shiver on mere thought of what they are going to do with you.”

* “And what they are going to do to me? Beat me? I am used to pain. Kill me? I accepted the fact that I will die young when I became an adventurer. Very few of us live long enough to make their hairs grow grey.”

* “… A…according to our culture, you have to repay for your crimes. If you kill a man, you will be killed in same way. If you killed two… your death would be as painful as death of two men. But… of you are a woman… For taking a life… you have to give a life…”

My mind was still half blank, yet after hearing her words I wake up completely.

* “You don’t want to say…”

* “Over fifty warriors… You… you will be forced to give life to…”

* “STOP JOKING!”

* “Y..y…y…you will get better in three day or so! A…and I will tell them that I will take five s…so… Y…you will have time to run… m..maybe…”

Why do I yell on her?! She is not guilty to anything! But… fuck… FUCK! I have no problem in dying in battle as proud dragon, but if they would even dream on laying their hands on me… I will FUCKING BITE THEIR THROATS OFF!

… FUCK!...fuck…

* “Is there nothing that can be done? Don’t you have… I don’t know… anything that could be used against it? Some law or custom?”

* “I… I am afraid not…”

* “If I would win a battle against chief?”

* “No. One: a…as woman… we are… um… not is position to challenge anyone… Only fighter can challenge another fighter…”

* “I have FUCKING kill dozens!”

* “S…still… the chieftain would have to call you a warrior by himself…. M…maybe you could trick him to make him address you as warrior… But… even then… You will not win… He is… big… and strong… And if he would win against you… your situation may get far worse…”

* “Worse?! Then being raped!?”

* “Y..Yes… if you would be sentenced according to the law, only family members could touch you… for taking son you will give a son… if father is either sick, old or dead, the rule of punish giver will fall on his oldest son, if not on cousin and so on… but if you would lose… he… he may make you…”

* “What?”

* “A tribe wife.”

* “Who?!”

* “It’s… when woman’s behavior would be found improper… and husband would like to punish her… he may… make her a tribe wife… which means that everyone can… can…”

* “Can what?!”

And then it hit me…

* “May I know your name?”

* “It’s Balkia… I am the wife of youngest chieftan’s son… I.. I know a little about healing, so my life is much better than other women…”

* “Balkia, my weapon and armor… where are those?”

* “In armory. Weapon probably will be given to winner of some tournament or as gift from graduation ceremony… Armor may be melted for other purposes, as it fits nobody else… I…it won’t happen any time soon!”

* “Balkia… I have just one more favor to ask… tell me EVERYTHING about your culture. About your hierarchy and challenging system. So I can challenge… challenge…”

I fainted.

I REALLY wanted to finish it in this chap… but…. But… come on! 2.7k words 11 pm, and tomorrow back on university…. If I would like to describe it, it would be twice as long! But I phromishe! I will end arc in next chap!