Jean woke up abruptly, still protected by the darkness of the narrow crevice. She raised her wrists in search of the chains, but only with her enhanced vision did she find them. Their weight was non-existent, and they seemed completely ethereal even though she could see them perfectly. Somehow, she knew that no one else would see them, but surely some notification would confirm it.
In fact, the chains were not the only surprise. An armor extended from them, adapting to her body like a glove. A substance of a different color, texture and properties depending on where it covered her. It was predominantly black with a few mahogany lines that originated from a gem of the same color on her chest. They coursed through her body as if the armor were alive.
The areas where it was more dense were arms and shoulders. Both protected with reinforcements topped with spikes as hard as metal. It had no seams, straps or anything that would allow her to remove it, probably because she could control certain parts at will.
[Your new class is Cursed Guardian! The curse has already begun to improve your entire being. First you body will leave its humanity behind in pursuit of liberation from its limits.]
[Now you can see the manifestation of your curse in the form of chains. For the moment, they bind you to this place, but they also help you.]
[You have learned Cursed Search — Level 2. Unique Skill. Combines the effects of:
◦ Guide.
◦ Identify.
◦ Eye of Virtue.
◦ Search aspect of Heightened Senses.
Neither enemies nor objects, nothing can hide from you.]
[You have learned Cursed Perception— Level 5. Unique Skill. Combines the effects of:
◦ Guardian Whisper.
◦ Low-Light Vision.
◦ Senses aspect of Heightened Senses.
Traces, smells, attack trajectories... Nothing can escape your perception.]
[You have learned Cursed Punish — Level 6. Unique Skill. Combines the effects of:
◦ Sacred Touch.
◦ Ki.
◦ Deep Thrust.
◦ Heavy Strike.
Pain has your name. Impact damage is tripled.]
[Evil Coexistence has evolved into Cursed Manage— Level 9.]
[Cursed Manage — Level 9. Unique Skill.
Fighting the evil that enters your body will no longer be necessary, just control it. You can do it with poisons, diseases, curses and corruptions, but there is a limit. Afterwards, you can decide whether to nourish yourself from it with Hunger for Evil or share it with Cursed Binding.]
[You have learned Cursed Healing — Level 7. Unique Skill. Combines the effects of:
◦ Healing Hands.
◦ Master Healer.
Now, if there is evil in your body, it will be twice as effective.]
“How does it work? Can I use these new skills with the sum of all their effects?”
"[Not exactly. The succession of them separately is more powerful than the combined one, but in exchange, they gain new effects.]"
"For example? Some explanations are a bit vague."
"[We would hate to deprive you of the pleasure of discovering it.]"
“Got it!”
[You have learned Cursed Armor — Level 3. Unique Skill.
Your human toughness was insufficient and insignificant for the arduous path ahead. +1 to Toughness per level, per level of this skill and per point in Vitality. Improves with weapons and armor. Current Toughness value: 63.]
"And how much is 63 supposed to be?"
“[The normal toughness of a human's body is 1 point for every 10 points in Vitality. If you don't take into account the possible passive skills of some classes, it's a big difference.]”
“Yeah! It’s a lot! Even with Rikkom’s borrowed armor... Wait! Where are my things?!”
“[While you were sleeping, the chains took control and fed on them to improve your armor skill.]”
“Without my permission?”
“[Their intention was to prevent any creature from following your trail by chance.]”
She appreciated the concern, but that didn't take away the sinisterness.
[You have learned Soul Collector — Level 1. Unique Skill.
You can enter in communion with the plane of souls and store the souls you extract from there in a special space.]
[New Mission: »Find Nuehm Relic«.]
"Nuehm? Is it related to Soul Collector?"
“[Your fervent desire to bring your companions to life has awakened this cursed skill before others. However, the relic is needed in order to complete the process.]”
Jean stood up determined to go where the new arrow on the map pointed, but a wall made her understand that the arrow only pointed the direction. The dungeon was a labyrinth; it wasn't going to be that easy to get. However, when she was about to give up, a path appeared on the map. One of the new features.
She stepped out of her hiding place, but to her surprise, there was light. A visual spectacle composed of thousands of minute luminescent glitter-like particles.
“They're everywhere! What are they?”
“[They are fragments of souls. You can see them because you have instinctively activated the Soul Collector skill.]”
"Souls are still here in this world? For a moment I thought that..."
“[This is only the superficial level of the plane of souls. To delve into it, you will need to enter in contact with a soul. The problem is that the deeper you go, new rules appear.]”
“Rules?”
“[Each world and plane has its own. And also its own information. Some of it very valuable!]”
“What kind of information?”
“[Mainly skills, some unique from that world. But also experiences from the past.]”
“What do you mean by experiences?”
“[Look carefully! Do you see those lying right where you defeat the undeads?]”
Jean looked around until she finally spotted one. It was no bigger than the head of a pin, but its glow was quite intense, though not to the point of blinding her. It floated motionless an inch off the ground and its murmuring was so alluring...
“[Don't get any closer! Making contact with a soul implies entering the memories of that aspirant.]
"What's wrong about that?"
"[Would you leave them behind knowing that they suffer?]"
"And what's the problem with trying to alleviate their pain?"
“[That the Soul Collector skill space is very limited. You can only carry one soul per skill level and it is quite hard to level it up.]”
That felt like a slap in the face. She wanted to be a savior, but not selectively. The thought of all the suffering surrounding her also weighed on her. If she could only save one person out of all the dozens of souls that littered the ground, her first thought was one of her companions. But which one?
"[Think carefully! The soul you bring back to life with the help of that relic, will be bound to a Cursed one! It must be someone you would trust with your life and who accepts your curse. If it shares your vengeance, all the better]."
Jean closed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly. That wasn't what she had wished for. She wouldn't save anyone. She would simply condemn them with her. No one would accept that burden.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Her group returned to her thoughts. Even with the vague memory of shared adventures, they felt like a group of strangers. They seemed like good people; Jean just hoped they wouldn't reject her now.
She ran back to where she had met Dih, thinking of Ned and vaguely of Rikkom. She hadn't felt such a strong connection with them, so they would have to wait for the time being.
"If it levels up so slowly, how am I going to level it up with only one soul?”
“[The only way to find out is to interact with Dih’s soul!]”
Jean quickened her pace.
“[A word of caution! She probably won't recognize you to the point of attacking you. They wander through their memories in constant restlessness. Don't blame her.]”
As soon as she arrived, she recognized her soul immediately. It glowed with an intensity far superior to the others. She knelt down and brought her hands close. “Any more clues about what I will find there?”
"[You'll have to break her out of the madness that surrounds her and convince her to come with you. Don't introduce yourself. Since you're alive, she won't be able to recognize you. You'll be a complete stranger!]"
“That's it?”
"[No. We won't be able to accompany you, those are the rules. In return, we will protect your body for the duration.]"
“Why? What happens to my body?”
“[You will be defenseless while your mana is drained to open the way to the plane of souls. With your actual mana pool you will be able to stay there for a long time, but if something hurts you, the journey will end abruptly.]”
Her hands quivered. “If it's the only way...”
“[Actually, it's not the only way, but...]”
“But...?”
“[I don't recommend it! The problem is not what you would be stealing, but from whom.]”
“Who?”
“[It's best if you don't find out.]”
««◊◊◊« »◊◊◊»»
It had been raining for hours in the countryside, but that did not stop the preparations. There was no time to lose, night was falling.
"Is everything set?," asked a burly, bearded man. A veteran of the Guild leading a group of rookies on their first assignments.
None of those present answered. "I asked if everything is ready, DAMMIT!"
"All tents set up! Everyone ready and awaiting orders, sir!"
The veteran placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's better! You'll go far boy."
Dih looked at the veteran in confusion. She had the firm conviction that she had already heard that; she had already experienced it firsthand. The uneasiness that everything was going to go wrong grew stronger and stronger.
What was originally an assignment to investigate sightings of multiple underground creatures changed dramatically. Several farms had been razed and the peace of a large cemetery had been disturbed.
"The attacks have occurred several kilometers to the west. We are more than safe here, but we will stand guard anyway. You and you, the first two hours. You two, the next two. You and you..."
Dih clenched her fists and looked at Rikkom, they were again the lucky ones for the first turn.
Rikkom spat on the ground. "What do you expect us to do? With this rain anyone could ambush us without us even realizing it! We don't have night vision, you know!"
"Don't give me bullshit excuses, rookie! If you want the pay, earn it! Sharpen your senses and next time invest a little in Perception."
"Yes, sir! We'll do our best, sir!," Dih interceded after elbowing Rikkom.
She waited for the veteran to leave and whispered. "You want to get us kicked out?! I didn't sign up for this shit to lose my pay because of some asshole! Stand guard and shut up! No one expects you to be a fucking dark elf!"
Rikom avoided her gaze and muttered something under his breath. Both moved to their respective positions at each end of the tent.
Not even a month had passed and she already hated this world more than Earth. It was tremendously harsh on rookies. Not even 10% survived the first month, but it was either that or be a farmer, and she'd already experienced that in her previous life.
The group of about 20 rookies settled down to rest, some even fell asleep. For Dih, they were either stupid or had nerves of steel; she couldn't even eat the portion of jerky that was her dinner. The crushing feeling of misfortune creeping around them didn’t let her. Death followed close behind; she even felt its breath at her back.
The sound of the rain against the tent canvas only added to her distress. As night approached, it got even worse. Even with the torches, she could not see more than five paces ahead.
When her watch was over, she was able to relax a little, but that didn't last either. Within five minutes, something impossible happened. Something she didn't remember experiencing there. Half of the campament's floor collapsed several meters underground. Rocks and earth engulfed the tents.
Dih and Rikkon fell near the edge of the collapse, avoiding greater harm after falling on some of their companions. Many were already dead. Those who slept like a baby never woke up again.
Dozens of imps appeared from a cavity to their right. Despite their small size and lack of wings, they advanced at an alarming speed. Their demonic red color and their high level, the lowest being level 12, frightened all the rookie adventurers.
Their sharp teeth and nails tore the throats of the wounded while the vast majority trembled helplessly. Between the collapse, the shock and the deadly rampage of the imps, half of the group fell within a minute.
Dih punched everything that approached, desperately trying not to join the pile of dead adventurers. Luckily, the veteran was alive and charged at the lesser demons unleashing a tornado of death. A fearless berserk.
“You filthy scum! You don't even deserve to die by the edge of my ax!"
For a moment, Dih doubted whether he was referring to the imps or to them. His bloodshot eyes opened that possibility.
“What the hell have they taught you in the Guild, you piece of shit? You'd rather die crying than fight for your pathetic lives!”
Unexpectedly, that boosted the rookies' morale more than a beer in hand. Everyone shouted as one. Beams of arcane energy, fireballs and poisoned arrows slowed the huge wave of imps to a virtual standstill. The lesser demons began to retreat after the numerous losses, opening a ray of hope. Victory seemed within reach, but it was only a mirage.
A huge demon goat emerged from the darkness. Black fur and about 2 and a half meters tall, he swung his two-handed ax, cutting in half several adventurers in his path. An ax almost bigger than he was.
Panic was the first option, but the veteran gave them hope. However, that quickly changed after his death. Four attacks from the creature were enough to cut him into pieces.
Dih gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her whole body tensed, cursing that senseless madness. That wasn't supposed to be happening either. Not that day. Not on that assignment. It happened a month later, on her fourth assignment. What was that thing doing there?
The demon goat advanced with a diabolical smile. Not all adventurers had died, but they had been severely decimated. None had any hope of defeating the demon. They ran with all their might to hide in one of the nearby tunnels. However, the imps inside didn't make it easy for them. Would they make it before he reached them?
"Damn it! Don’t think about that now! Fight!"
The adventurers gradually fell. No matter how many imps they defeated, their numbers didn't decrease, only more appeared. However, the table turned in their favor when a group of adventurers appeared out of nowhere. Dih’s level began to skyrocket after each defeated imp too. That was impossible. No one could improve so fast.
Suddenly, Ary shouted from behind her, "One of the rookies stayed behind to fight alone! Unbelievable! She had managed to withstand all the demon's attacks unscathed.”
Dih ignored that Ary should not be there and focused on helping the rookie. If she was standing alone against that demon, with everyone's help they could surely defeat him.
“Let's go back! Don’t let any imp touch her! If she falls, we’ll be doomed!”
All the adventurers run in the direction of the rookie, encouraged by the hope of victory, but also spurred on by the fear of an atrocious death. Dih, however, was motivated by something else entirely. She couldn't wait to find out who this rookie was and see her in action. If she was going to die, it would be fighting side by side with someone she admired.
The young mahogany-haired woman was tall and strong, or at least her punches were. Each blow shattered the imps who approached to ambush her, causing a bang similar to that of a powder gun.
Despite being unarmed and fighting like a monk, she was not. How could she strike that hard? What class was that? One of prestige? Dih wanted that too. She needed to be that strong to overcome the fear she'd been harboring since she'd left Earth.
Suddenly, she noticed a chain around her waist; it was attached to one of the young woman's wrists. Her reflex was to try to pull it off, but when she touched it, she felt an immense power emanating. What madness was that? Who was the mahogany-haired rookie?
Dih began to beat her way through. She had so many questions that she didn't notice the demon goat leaping toward her. A single attack nearly split her in two.
She tried to cover the deep wounds on her face and torso, but she was bleeding buckets. When the ax rose above her head, she closed her eyes. At that instant, the chain tightened and pulled her to safety by the skin of her teeth.
The mahogany-haired rookie shouted hysterically. "Don't even think about it, you hear me! You told me that with me by your side, you felt unstoppable! ... GET UP! I'VE COME FOR YOU!"
Another attack followed, but Dih evaded it by rolling away. Her wounds were almost closed. "Impossible!"
Each attack felt easier to dodge than the last. Not only did she feel faster, but also stronger. The chains had something to do with it. That would explain her quicker recovery.
A powerful impact hit the demon goat from behind. His knees hit the ground before he fell flat on his face, revealing a burn mark etched on the impact area. The rookie didn't stop there, she continued to punish him.
Dih couldn't take her eyes from her. “Holy shit! She’s awesome!”
Dih noticed another chain going from the rookie's other wrist to the demon's chest. Her blows became stronger and stronger while the demon could hardly stand up. Their power difference reached such a point that one of the last kicks almost sent him flying several meters.
Finally, she turned to Dih. Her face was blurred, leaving only her red hair as a defining feature. She couldn't remember why, but its mahogany tone seemed awfully familiar.
"Who are you? Have we met before?"
The rookie said nothing, only extended her hand toward Dih as an echo sounded with her own voice. "You want to win? I will teach you!"
Dih stepped back, dumbfounded. How could she speak with her voice? How did she know her big brother's words of support? It didn't matter now. Dih stepped forward to shake her hand, but before she could reach it, a guy appeared from behind the rookie.
He came out of nowhere, tearing through reality with two extremely sharp swords and an unpleasantly familiar face. Someone she hated.
A name came out of her mouth as her blood boiled with hatred. “GABRIEL!!”