The world became shades of grey and the temperature seemed to have dropped a few degrees to match.
“Run.” I whispered, grabbing Etienne’s hand.
I picked the hallway opposite the creature, knowing full well that it did not lead up to the surface. But what else were we to do? Fight the dungeon itself? That was exactly what Huang and his team had done in the book after the dungeon possessed Huang. But so far nothing indicated that this being could do that to, making it immortal as far as I was aware. And lords be my witness, I knew I wouldn’t outsmart a being like that, but Etienne might.
Out footsteps quietly echoed through damp and dark hallways, mimicked by two other sets, following not far behind. The rock under our feet seamlessly became wood, and doors started appearing on either side of the passage. A tingly sensation in my eye encouraged me to dive through the closest on the left, just as a giant hand lept out of the opposing door, almost grabbing me.
“Eeee,” I slammed the door behind me, finally catching my breath.
Seconds later, Etienne had gotten his torch to work, and the work shifted from a monochrome grey to a rotting brown. I couldn’t tell if the walls of the small reception room had been covered in carpets that had weathered with time, or with patchy brown mould.
“Right. We can outrun it, and it doesn’t attack directly,” Etienne thought out loud. “It drained all my MP, but only thought back in self-defence.”
“It’s feeding on fear.” I explained. “It will continue to create conditions to push us to our limits.”
Etienne nodded. “I think it’s too weak to attack us directly.”
i̴͎̒ ̴̱͘a̵̘̅m̵̞͒ ̸̝̀n̵͙̂ô̵̘ ̴̼̋s̴̠͐u̸̲̽c̵͋͜h̵̯͋ ̷̤̂t̴͍͠h̶̞̅į̴͆n̵̨̍g̵͚͂
My voice came from the ceiling.
I tried to unsheathe Namura on instinct, but my MP had been drained too. It was so stupid. I only needed 2 of it to gain the upper hand. Well, to at least be able to fight it. But all I could do was hide behind Etienne’s extended arm, pistol ready, and heart racing.
I̷ ̴s̶i̷m̷p̷l̴y̵ ̸p̵r̴e̵f̷e̵r̵ ̴m̴y̸ ̴f̶o̵o̵d̵ ̶a̸ ̶t̵a̸d̴ ̴m̸o̵r̴e̵ ̴t̶e̶n̵d̷e̷r̵
A shape, vaguely humanoid, and made of dark dirty and cloudy liquid dripped from the ceiling, extending a clawed arm towards us.
Etienne wacked it with his crossbow, and we both took a step back. From the way he moved his wrist, it seemed he too had expected to use some skill, out of habit like me earlier.
C̴o̶m̸e̸ ̴o̵n̷.̸ ̷R̷u̷n̴ ̴a̷g̷a̶i̴n̵.̴
The thing smirked, its mouth extending further and further; the fine lines that defined its corners almost reaching the ceiling.
“What do you want?” Etienne tried to make small talk as it hovered towards us, pushing us to the croner of the room.
It didn’t reply, unsurprisingly.
In that moment, when my back hit the moist and textured wall, something pushed me to check my stats.
Laura Emilie Geneviève Dubois de la Sablonnière
S
Courier
Social stealth adept
Luck
95/100
MP
0/100
Strength
13
Dexterity
17
Constitution
10
Intelligence
14
Wisdom
10
Charisma
11
A Mind Stop [Pa]
S+ Planar Shift [Ac] (upon death)
S Short voyage [Pa] (0 MP)
S- Long voyage [Ac] (upon death; min radius 5 km)
A Backtrack [Pa]
A Dark Vision [Pa]
A Environmental Awareness [Pa]
A- Black Trail [Pa]
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
B Dragon eye [Pa]
B+ Mirror [Pa]
B+ Starlight [Ac]
B+ Walk [Pa]
B Faintness [Pa]
B Fitness [Pa]
B Speech Comprehension[Pa]
B- Memoire [Ac]
B- Run [Pa]
C+ Second breath [Pa]
C Mocking bird [Ac]
C Restoration [Pa]
D+ Traitor’s Lament [Pa]
D+ Black Square White Square [Ac]
D+ Data Analysis [Pa]
D+ Holding Void [Ac]
D+ [Microsoft Office Suite] [Pa]
D Outsider [Ac]
D+ R [Pa]
D Straight Blades [Pa]
D Metamorph [Ac]
E+ Warm Heart [Pa]
E Bones of Ice [Pa]
E Marksmith [Pa]
E Platinum Skin [Pa]
E- Blackout [Ac]
E- Runes of Jericho [Ac]
++ more skills to display ++
My luck hadn’t fully gone down since the encounter with the wasp the other day. And Cain’s words came back to me.
Use it. Use your luck. Take the damage.
I took a small step to the side, finding a cupboard. I prayed to both the god of my old world and the Lords of this one for this to work. It wasn’t in immortal immortality, and it didn’t fully make sense, but a warm feeling inside me was drowning out the fear and telling me the drawer would not be empty.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” The creature suddenly spoke with a voice that was no longer mine. “I will let one of you out of here. I promise.” Its features shifted into those of a young woman.
She was short and dark-skinned, with long blond braids, and bright green eyes. Etienne, who was ready to shoot mere seconds prior lowered his shaking crossbow.
“You can let her go, and we’ll be here forever.” The woman smiled. Warmly. As if she meant it.
At the same time, I pulled the drawer open, and with my eyes still glued on the thing, fished two vials out of it.
Luck - 90
I coughed, falling to my knees, sudden pain in my chest. Black dots danced around the room, and I felt as if my heart was beating out of sync with the blood pumping through it.
“That solved the problem too.” The woman shrugged, taking Etienne’s hand, making him drop the crossbow. “Come on,”
My vision was starting to get blurry, to the point where I struggled to bring one of the vials to my lips.
MP + 30
Next thing I knew, my blade was planted in the woman’s chest, and Etienne was calling my name. I threw him the other vial, and stabbed her – or rather the thing, and it had lost its humanoid shape – again.
y̸̢̡̤̖̹̖͉͚̟̘̟̽̆͂̋͑͝ö̶̮̜͎̲̹͓̼͓́͛̒͑̅̐̅̏̎ͅu̴̮̠̯̦̯̥͚͖̽̑̆͋͋͆͝͠ ̵̨̧̨͔̣̫̖̤̈́͛ç̴̡̖̦̞̺͐͐̅̏̈̋̍͜͝͝ͅͅa̸͖̒̌̏͐̚͠n̶̞͆̎̊̄͛͐̀͘͝'̷̘̣̬͌̑͒̂̅ţ̵̥̗̝̯̟̜͖̱̙͋͛͐͗͒̐̽̕͘ ̶̦̜͌̊̓̈́͑͒b̵͕͕̮͍̈́̔̉̆̇̄́͒̓͝͠e̴̞̮͋͊̀͛̉̓̑͑̌̄͠ ̴̡̺͖̜̻͉̦̱͓̳̲̐̊͋̆̓͌s̵̨̧̮̪̃e̶̡̼̱̿r̴̨̦̱̖̈̊̋͒͋̈́͒͛̽͜i̴̡̫͕̮̠̺̽̿̊̔̇͂͌͂̀ö̸̥̼́̋̋͑̅̌̍̒ù̵̧͈̪̃̈́̀̿̕s̶̨͈̞͇̙͚̘̬̞̮͌́͜.̸̤̙͈̠̥̳̠͌̀̊̇͆̾̀͋̊͌ ̸̡̮̭̹̲̼̫͇̣̯̐̏̀̄̆̽̕͠ͅW̵̧̧̼͙̞͚̻̊͊͗͑͐̿̋̉̿h̵̛͈̝̀̂̄͋̽͜o̷͔͑͌̀̾̃͊́̍͘ ̸͖̅i̶̧̛͖̘̼̳̹͍͚͎̇͌̏̀͗̊͜s̸̠͠ ̸̬̤͓̲̲̗̲͍͑͋̚̚t̸̡̺̣͈̂͛̂͋ḫ̵̽̏̊̈̑̊̓̓̚͝ã̵͍͎͙̺̺͙̻̫̫̰̈́t̷̨̯̜̕?̵̈̇͋̄͋́̓͘͘ͅ
The thing lept up, biting down my arm.
Luck - 5
I yelped in pain as red blood dribbled down the blade. Thankfully a strike of lightning hit it, stunning it just long enough to pull my arm out.
Ì̸̢̤̻̞̉̀͐̅͐̔̄ ̶̨̳̺̻̱͖́͊̐̚d̸̬͈̄̄̄̚ō̸͔̘̔͑͊̾̉̍͘n̶̢͈̝͚̣̪̣̘̦̿'̸̺͑̎́̍͊̋̐̀̿̑͘t̶̟̪̥͎̩̙̪͗͊͝ ̵̨̅w̵̙̘͈̽̐͜á̸̛͙̲̬̠̊̚͠͝ň̸̩͚̠̈́̿̊̂̇͐͋͠t̵̛̳͎͔̝̍͒ ̸̧̛̺̃̋̊͌ţ̴̰̙͗̑͝ǫ̷͚̭͔̝̭͉̮̓̏̒̌̓̏̓̕ ̶̛̞͔̙̭͖̊̇̄͝ḏ̶̢̰̬̼̣͎̬̺̠̻̓́ǫ̸̦̗̩̝̙͛͌̉̆̑̕͝͝ ̷̨̘̠̩̱͚̯̤̩̈̑̃̃̀̋͘͝ţ̶̛̻̹̱̤͐̍̓̉̃̃͜h̸̯̏̽͒͗͆̓i̴̲̯̯͈͌͒̿̉̾͐͐̒͊̓̚͜ͅs̵̹̺̍̄͑͗̇͑ ̶̗͉̜͔̱͔̻̗͛w̷̹̥̃̀̈̌į̶̢͎̬̥̪͆̐̈́̋̈͘͜͝t̶̩̹̦͋̄̓̒͘ḩ̷̹͍̼̇͜ ̴̼̀̃̇̒͛͑͂͛͒͘y̵̡̫͍͙͔̮̼̫̓̈́̑̈́́̋̓͒͂̕͝ͅo̶̡̖̻̳̖̝͗̈̂̌͗͑̃̆̿̕̚ų̶̢̢̛̟̣͚̟̬͐̿͛̋̀̍͜͝.̸̨̢̢̩̳̯͖̮̳̠̩̐͌͆̒ ̷̮̬̯͉̘̎͊ͅY̵̛̳̩͉͔̽o̸̞͉̒̕ͅư̴̡̬̗̥̜̖̽̈́̈̄́̿ ̷̨̧͂͘͝c̴̗͛̚a̶̺̹̱͑̽̓̈́̉͘n̸̳̮͙͖͖̤̟̫͙͓͑̕͜ ̸̡̛̭̣̠͓̓̎̎́̏k̴͎̪̘̦͓̹̼̦̒̽̓̿ë̵̛̝̮̣͓̙͈̦́̈̈́̇́̐̎̎͘̕ȇ̸̘͆̌̅̋̒͑p̵̡̭̝͓̻̱͕̥̭͈͙̉͗̆͝ ̸̨̢͇͎̦͉̞̩͇̟̹̀̊͒ţ̴̛̤̤͇͚̲̻̘͈̃̽̏͛͐̈́̉͠h̶͍̪̣̦̒́͗́̌̽͊̽͘̚̕e̶̳̖̟̣͔͗͝ ̴̠͖͔̘̓́̽͜͜h̷̦̤̲̗̙̱̰̮͉͋̈̒͛͆̀̏̌͝ͅů̸̥̙́́͌m̸̡̧̘͙̦̻͍̺̣̮̞̓̃̄͌̍͌͑̀̾͘͝a̸̧̭̘̥̳̺͍̾̌͊̒͋̋̽̚ñ̷̢̨̻̙͉͓s̶̨̮̼̝̫̱͖͙̼͈̀̆̈́̓̎̇͠.̸̼̦͈͉͙̪̂̈́͗͠ ̵͕̝̠̫͚̩̙̋͜
It muttered, crawling back, as its viscous body became one with the mouldy walls.
o̵̭̙͚̗̍͊̾̌͂̕r̸̻͂͐̊͊̀͠ ̶̡̡̛̫͋͛̓͑̆t̷̛̼͙͇̻̑̏͑̍̉͘͘ͅh̵̡͎̼̖̖̦͔̜̪͉͗̇͆̕͝͝ͅe̸̥̥͚̭̬͙̻̠̬̐̓̈̄͂ ̸̘̓̔͂́̂͘ḩ̸͉̓͊̕ŭ̸̢̺͈̞̖̙̦͔̣͎̼͐͐̀̾̏m̷̛̩̺̹͈̿̈́͗̑̍a̷͉̼̲̦̲͒̐n̷̤̣̼͙͗̉.̵̢̦̮̫͓͖̘̮̳́̈̏͛̽̏́̾͂̉̚ ̶̳͙͚́ͅơ̸̭̦̈́͗͠n̴̙̗̗͙̼̭͕͊̈́ͅȇ̷̺̰̙̫̅͛̀̃̀͐͋̔̒̇ͅ ̶͕̲͒̀͆͑̅͜f̷̤̦̙̤̯̜̯̬̏̀͛ô̷͕̖͕͔̒͆͊͒̑̐͌͋ͅr̴̨̢̞͕̹̺̬̹̖͓̈̿̓́͐̚ ̸̢̲̗͈̳̥̌̂͑̈́̅̀́͜ͅm̷̳̮̻̖̂͑̄̐͘͝ẽ̵͈̔̿̈́̅̑̓͝,̵̛̥̭̮̲̜̪̹̦̝̽̍̃̾ ̴̝͑͆̿̌̽̇̽̿͋ͅo̵̤̮͑̌͆̀̚n̴̤͓̺̟͎̑̈ȩ̸̨͓̗̿͋͌̈́͒͜͝ͅ ̴̯̹̰̺̤̗̘̻͙͔̼͛̂͆͆̅͝f̶̧̢̤̯̪͈͎̤̖̦́͋̅͒͋̿͜o̷̫̜̠̩̲̙̖̲̼̿̽̌̀͜͠r̷̳̯̜̫̮̀ ̵̱̖̰̥̟̦̮̲̬͈̲̈́͠y̵̧̲̼̞͐̒̐̎̈́͜o̵̹̲̠͔̔͒͒̑̀̃̆͘u̶̢̡̦̐.̸͇͈͈̥̖̤̟͔̤͖̦̉͆̄ ̸͔̪̃̋W̸̛̜͈͇͇̳̪͖̞̬̭̆͆͑͋̚͝ͅh̴͍͉̰̏̀̎̿͠ä̷̡̢̨͖̮͖͇̰̗̫̃̈̂́̂́̈́̀̈́͝ͅẗ̸͚́̊̽͐ ̶̯̖͉̭̿͆͜ͅd̴̛̰̮̪̥̲̝͍̂͂̑̾̎͐̉̀͘o̷̢̤̖̻̰̩͂̀̈̽̚͜ͅ ̷͎̪̫̳̤̖̟̠̆y̵̟̺̅ȍ̶̞͉̬̥̤͔̪͇͚͈͌̅͆͘͜u̴̢̡̝̤̰̭̩̹̲͋̕ͅ ̴̞̥̳̻̞͉͈̞͎̬̬͐̄͂̃̈̈s̸̩̼̈́̑͂͜à̶̠̯͉̄̑̂̉ỵ̴̖̗̰̻̓̐̃̊?̸͎̌́̀̂̔̈́
“I say fuck you,” I sliced through its mouth that had yet to extend to its unnatural limits.
A crossbow bolt landed in its eye, and it shrieked, as if hit by acid.
“That was my best skill, now run,” Etienne grabbed my arm.
The two of us burst through the door. I pushed him aside as that monster arm emerged from the same spot as before. I slashed it in passing, catching up to Etienne and his flashlight. The ground below us rumbled, and a second arm burst through the wooden planks atop us. Etienne blocked it with an arc of electricity formed between his hands. Once I was past, I shot it, distracting it for long enough for him to move as well.
We ran, nearly avoiding several more of those hands, all made of that not quite fleshy and mouldy viscous thing that mad up the body of the creature.
I could hear it shriek behind us, forcing us to keep up pace. Before we knew it, we found ourselves back at the intersection where the chase had started.
“Which way?” Etienne asked.
He was less out of breath than me, not needed to rest against one of the walls, but he almost let his crossbow slip out of his grasp, unconsciously showing that he too could not go on for much longer.
I glanced around, but much like before, ‘Backtrack’ wasn’t leading me anywhere.
“There,” I lied, pointing to a random hallway.
He nodded, but before he could move, the ground opened up below him.
The dungeon was trying to isolate us again. I lept after him, just barley managing to catch his arm.
We landed in a dark cavernous room that quickly got illuminated with small orbs of electricity. We stood in a few centimetres of dirty water, which soon started to gather up to form a huge wolf-like creature.
“Your gun.” Etienne firmly ordered.
I hastily handed it to him, before raising Namura in a defensive stance.
The wolf paced around us. Then, it lept onto me.
I just about managed to keep its claws off my face, but I felt more pain in my right arm. I heard gunashots, and I moved in sync with them, using the brief pauses in between bullets to stab the thing. First through its throat, then atop his spine, then diving under it, through its heart.
I lept to the side, and it fell into the water, its murky brown blood mixing with the murky water. I caught my breath, as I glanced at the six gunshot wounds on its head.
“What now?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Etienne simply replied.
It was strange how much calmer than I he was. But perhaps that was for the best.
I glanced up, following the trail of his orbs of electricity as the illuminated the cavern with small flashes. The hole we’d come through had closed up, but even if it hadn’t, a good 15 meters separated us from the ceiling.
Etienne sighed, and wiped something off his forehead. Hopefully it was sweat, but I couldn’t get a good look from where I was standing.
“That rock looks cozy,” I broke the uncomfortable silence that was beginning to set, as I pointed towards a large rock whose only virtue was being out of the water, ignoring the pain in my left arm.
“I knew I should have brought a spare pair of socks,” Etienne attempted a joke in reply.