Chapter 27
The moment I walked through the giant bead another notification soon appeared in front of me.
The light that was coming from the exterior of the bead disappeared as it closed down, then it instantly dissipated as I found myself within a strange place.
Congratulations!
You have completed the third circle, Circle of carnage.
Accessing the fourth circle
Circle of blasphemy.
Looking around I saw that I was in some sort of a giant cave.
The ceiling was so far that I would have easily mistook it for a night sky.
There was a giant green stone that served as light to this place.
Looking around I saw that far from where I stood was a black forest, and deep within this forest was some sort of temple.
Where I stood was but a barren land, devoided of life. The dirt was black, and only boulders and stones would be seen, yet I was not alone, few lost souls were here. They all had chains around their wrists and linked to their cross, I still feel lucky to have not suffered like them, I feel lucky to have been unchained, they must have died as much as I did, but none was given what I got. They are all damned and cursed too…
I inspected a few of them, thinking and was surprised to see a variation of levels, however, rare were those that even passed the level two hundred. With the exception of few that looked like beasts and humans at once…probably some sort of Beastmen as they had ears and tails but still they were chained…
They all looked like wanderers, pilgrims seeking refuge, all heading towards the temple…
While they were few in numbers you could see, few that occasionally spawned from thin air.
I wonder how they did that. Was there another way into this level that didn’t need to fight against the two guardians? Or are they here for another reason?
I then got closer to one of wandering men, trying to ask them a question I saw that they had no eyes.
I touched the thing, but it did not react to me, I even began to shake them, yet nothing, shouting didn’t help…it seem that they lost their senses. Yet somehow they are able to seek the central temple.
I gave up on them after seeing that another one had the same state.
Inspecting them gave me some answers, though.
Blasphemer
One that defied the ruling of the divine, damned to walk the circle of blasphemy forever, senseless and mindless, forever to be eaten and rebirthed.
So it seems that these are all heathens, or have done something that defied the gods…it seems that they are being punished for it…strange, though, why wasn’t I sent to this circle in the first place? Is it possible that my sin has nothing to do with me becoming a blasphemer?
My actions clearly have proven otherwise, but it seems that I would need to meet some “requirements” to get sent here…
However what worried me most was the last part of the description…
‘Forever to be eaten and rebirthed’
This sounds really fishy and disturbing…
I had nowhere to go, so I decided to follow these guys. It took some time and noticed that the lost ones began to gather, they became more and more, increasing ever so slowly, until it became a crowd, none was speaking though, they all just silently walked forward.
We got close to the black forest perimeters, before I heard the first sound of troubles.
The people that were walking upfront were somehow regaining their senses. Yet the moment they did so, they instantly began to scream and run as fast as they could towards the center of the forest.
Cursed one, run, for that you are being hunted.
The Rakshasas have marked you for the feast.
It seems that this Rakshasa is the reason for this thing. I don’t think that going like a crazy mad man running like this is going to help or anything so I will just slowly get closer to the temple and if I ever encounter this thing I will make sure to know what to do with it.
After walking between the crazed men, I noticed that their numbers began to decrease, bit by bit.
Looking around for the source of this event, a black root from a nearby tree locked onto my chest and slowly pulled me in.
The tree opened a set of jaws from the middle and tried to eat me.
Yet before it could even do anything, I summoned my chains and wrapped them around it, fully forcing it to close its mouth while the chains sat the tree on fire.
The black tree screamed from being charred to death.
Before it turned to cinder, it began to crack and sacs like things fell from its branches. I looked at the bags that were near the now dead tree, there was something inside them, so I used my right arm to tear the sac away, and surprisingly it came off easily, revealing a humanoid creature inside the bag.
It looked like one of the ones that were running like mad right now, as it had no eyes and was twitching and fidgeting, it seems that it was still alive within the sac.
Yet surprisingly the man stood from within the sac. His eyes regenerated, and he began to scream, he then ran in the direction of the temple, tripping and stumbling around, until another tree used its branches to lock onto him and eat him…this same tree, then soon grew another sac on its branches…
Looking around I saw many of these trees around me, they looked immobile but it would only take them a split second to catch and eat a wandering idiot.
Looking at one of the trees I inspected it to see what it was
Ya-Te-Veo
Level 200
An immobile creature that highly resembles trees.
To these creatures, anything that moves within their perimeter is food.
It seems that these trees are the reason for why the men disappear so fast, steering away from them will be a good idea…
I then remembered something, I took the crown of bones and placed it on my head on top of my veil.
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You can only wear one head ornament at a time!
Hmm… I seems that I will be needing to remove the veil if I was to use the crown.
I then took the veil out to try on the crown but I was surprised by a notification that appeared soon afterwards.
Soul overloaded!
4200%
Find a way to remove the soul overload or your very own soul will be lost within the torrent of souls!
My body became heavy, while green veins began to pulsate through my body, I felt my very existence being shredded as every fiber of my being began to burn.
I dropped to my knees from the heaviness of my weight, while my body was immobile my eyes and mouth shone of a green light, as a torrent of souls began to be released from my mouth and eyes.
Projection of enormous souls, ones of creatures I have slain; a soul eater, horse-head and even the consumed spider like creature, while many other souls began to spin like a tornado while I was in the middle.
“Release us! Free us! We need not be damned with you cursed one!”
They all pleaded and begged while some cried and screamed, my body began to slowly shatter, starting from my right hand, which slowly began to disintegrate.
I then gathered all the strength within me to reequip the veil I had removed.
The moment I placed it, all the souls were reintegrated within mine.
Soul balance
100%
You have subdued the torrent of souls within you.
Fucking hell…I think that I should not remove the veil anymore…
However, it seems that losing control had consequences, two of them actually, the first being, that I have sat a huge portion of the forest on fire…as it seems that the outburst ruined the trees around me, the second was that I brought to me the attention of some strange creatures…
Rakshasa
**
Level 550
Diabolical, insidious, and never satiated, the Rakshasa, creatures borne from the breath of Ramma while he was asleep, yet they were exiled for trying to eat their creator.
Currently bound to the Rakshasa king, Ravana.
+25% additional states for being a monster of a legendary dungeon
There were hundreds of them…
They looked like humanoid tigers… they had the face of a tiger and the horns of a demon. They had Saberthooth like fangs, while their fur was black like the night with white spots on it.
They were standing like normal men, wearing nothing on them while their claws looked menacing and dangerous. They were all looking at each other. Waiting for something to happen.
A moment later, from within the still enflamed trees few people emerged, they took a look at the Rakshasa, and they all turned tail and began running the other way around. Fear and despair clearly showing on their faces.
It seems that that was what the tiger like men were waiting for, as many of them began chasing the ones that were running, moving like if they were a blur they appeared behind one of the unfortunate victims, two Rakshasas pierced his back with their clawed hands and to each after pulling a bit, was a piece of the dying man.
They feasted, eat and wanted more, yet the victim’s corps disappeared before they could finish, leaving them wanting for more, the curse of the undying forcing the ones that are dying to feel the last moments of their existence, while the devourer will feel utterly betrayed and unaccomplished once his prey and food is so suddenly taken away from him.
The other Rakshasas then began chasing the rest, and within but a moment they had already killed most of them.
One of these beasts appeared in front of me opening its mouth wider than a normal skull its size should allow, while its extended hands were aiming to rip my head off.
Using a shadow step, my body turned to black smoke while I appeared behind the creature. Wrapping my chains around it and setting it on fire.
The creature began to burn while its hp slowly dropped.
Rakshasa
**
550
-11200Hp
Soul damage -2140 Hp
Fire damage -2140
84520 Hp/ 100 000Hp
Damn it, it has a lot of Hp, and its fast, and they are too numerous.
Another Rakshasa soon appeared, this one however I was expecting as I used another shadow step and crushed its head into the ground landing a critical hit and stunning him, due to a concussion.
Looking back at the numbers chasing me I understood that there was no way I will be able to fight against those numbers.
So I released the one I had within my chains, while throwing it at the ones coming my way and began shadow stepping towards the temple.
While I was able to cover great distance using the shadow step, the Rakshasa were doing the same and at a faster rate just running chasing me.
A few of the beasts got closer so I smacked them down with my chains, others soon took their place, while I looked at my status screen I noticed that I was running short on mana as shadow step although cost but 100 mana right now, it is still too consuming due to the stagnation of my level and the fact that my stats are stuck without me unable to level up…
Hang on, if I remember correctly my mana pool was much lower than what I have used right now…I should have already emptied my reserves by now, yet I am still able to use spells…I should check my status screen after this, it’s been a long time since I last took a good look at that.
While I was thinking about that, a damned tree grew a root and grabbed my foot.
I panicked and used shadow step once again to be released from the tree only to have the perception passive activate.
Looking around me, while the time was slowed down I saw that one of the beasts had already predicted where I was going to appear and was preparing to stab me in the back with its claws, however using another shadow step, to appear behind it, I rolled the chain around its neck and incinerated it, while I pulled with as hard as I could get.
The head of the creature then soon fell off
Rakshasa
**
Level 550
Critical!
-22500 Damage
Fatal damage
-77500
Rakshasa has died
It seems that ripping its head off is enough for it to receive the fatale damage notification, instantly killing it.
So I then turned around to prepare for what is coming, I was afraid of worst but now seeing that I have the ability to take them out I was more than ready to teach them a lesson.
Another one of the Rakshasa then appeared, I used the chain to roll it around him while grabbing another one that appeared behind me from the leg.
I then threw the one I was holding by the leg up high while the one with the chains I smacked to the ground, and instantly went for a neck breaker, using the strength of both my now free arms to snap his neck.
It dropped dead instantly, while the one that was coming down from the sky looked to be dazed once it hit the ground.
As I approached to deliver the finishing blow, too many of the Rakshasa appeared, the first attacking itself to my right foot while another one grabbing me by the shoulder, trying to munch away at my neck. Another one soon emerged from underground while a group of Rakshasa jumped in, all on top of each other, I tried to move or budge, use a spell or even shadow step, but seemingly latched onto me using their claws and fangs, holding on to dear life, I was unable to dissipate like smoke.
Then another strange thing happened, while my Hp was rapidly decreasing and reaching the 0 mark, some of the Rakshasa opened their very chests like if they were mouths, and ripped a piece of my right arm. The others began to do the same, while monsters would eat with their mouth these ones would eat with their whole body.
My Hp dropped to 0
You died!
I died a stupid man’s death, I should have kept running, why did I even decide to fight back? I will be needing to make better plans and judgments in the future…
Hang on, why am I not rising back?
Why is it taking long this time? I usually go back after one second…they ate my whole body while I was able to feel my flesh being torn, yet thankfully due to the ass whooping from Abigor the pain they caused me was not that much…
Yet this is beginning to frighten me, will I remain dead this time? It seems that only my consciousness is still awake while my body has already been eradicated…
It took a few grueling hours while I was suspended within my own sub-consciousness, drifting in and out of it, lost in thoughts and random events within my own head, I finally receive a notification
The hunt has ended.
The mark of the Rakshasa has disappeared
None had survived the hunt…
Rise if you would, for that is your curse.
Finally!
I rose back, however where I stood was not where I died, as I see it again, I stood where many had done so before, I stood outside the forest…where it all began…
I then took a look at the spawning souls…they were walking once again towards the forest, unfeeling uncaring and non-responding…
They were doing this, for how many times now? They would rise, and mindlessly go towards the temple, entering the forest perimeter gives them back their sanity, to only force them to run towards safety, safety which do not exist in this place…
Yet, I walk, even if I was to die again, I will keep walking, they stood and fought and lost, they died and died again, yet with each death they lost a piece of themselves, turning into nothing, however, I, will never stoop to their level, for each death I receive, is not a punishment, it is a gift, for that each time I die, I will learn something new. For that each time I fall, I will rise back, stronger, and more determine.
For that each death is a lesson…and I need to learn a lot.