I wake up feeling like shit.
Silent Howl:
Sleep outside.
Fuck you. I’m lying on my stomach, lifting my head to look around, and feeling flu-y.
Silent Howl:
Bedroll. Build yourself a house. Shack up in a mausoleum.
Don’t care.
Sleep outside.
This bish --. He continues before I can tell him where he can shove it.
Silent Howl:
Your default rest state is a soul freeing meditation.
You’re literally taking damage in your sleep.
Sleep in the graveyard.
Me am hearing an order and not a suggestion... I narrow my eyes as I try to figure out if I’m going to go out of my way to sleep where there are no spirits.
-Shit!- I go cross-eyed with how quickly I try to dive inside myself.
“We’re fine,” old aunty says, flicking her wrist at me. She’s sitting at a small table and enjoying a small cup of medicinal tea right outside the me temple.
-Oh, thank gods,- I flop onto my back in my bed in my void.
Wait. I sit up, cross my legs and arms, and try to puzzle out a mental itch.
So... I can do Last Rites when I’m just calm and breathing deeply. I get up and walk to the front porch. I pass through the main room, decide it really is just a social sitting room, and set up on the porch. I need to decorate the sitting room better. I am death gate? And I don’t force all spirits through? I bring out dumplings. Steamed, fried, vegetable, meat and vegetable, soup and veg, soup and meat, and steamed buns. I thought it was an auto thing. Do I have to focus on my target or anyone who’s willing goes through? An assortment of sauces and glazed eel instead of just the grilled eel. And it costs health? Is that how the monk died? Sushi... The seaweed eel is ribboned seaweed and fish. Literally muscles and flesh made of seaweed or fish flesh.
-Not bad,- I admit begrudgingly. -Very fresh.-
Where was I?
“Gods, you’re tedious,” Fuck Face mutters and I look up to see them with their head bowed, eyes closed, taking a deep breath.
“The dead!” I exclaim, pointing at him and remembering that I was on about figuring out Last Rites. “Thank you! Okay, so... They don’t have to be willing...”
They don’t have to be willing to be sent on their way as long as I focus on them. I gain Karma instead of losing it, and I gain positive Resentment, which farms better than negative Resentment, but I don’t know what the value for both is or why they’re separate. I gain and lose Karma, not have positive and negative Karma, unless I just haven’t joined a group that lets me recognize two types.
“That’s it,” Fuck Face says, storming up to me on the porch. I look at them in confusion, wondering why they’re here, and he throws a breathing manual down on my meal. “Have fun,” he snaps, turning his back and walking away.
What was that about. I keep eating, moving the manual out of the way as I refill whatever I lost from a whole sleep session of Last Rites. Was he waiting on me?
-He could have said something,- I mumble, continuing with my breakfast. I don’t know if it’s night or morning, and I always have the sun up, so I don’t really care. -How was I supposed to know he wanted something? He wanders around wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Why should I think he wants to talk to me?-
Nothing’s stopped him from talking to me before. I take another bite, grabbing up the manual in one hand while holding my food in my offhand, and try to figure out how to manipulate the manual without putting my bowl down. I set the manual down, take another bite, and then start reading.
More pictures for poses I don’t need to do, more writing about what they do, none of which pertains to me... I can just take a deep breath without having to orient my Qi, Essence, or not-balls in any specific direction. Energy circling for some reason to do something, then concentrating it into an angry face on their hands?
-Just concentrate Resentment or get angry...?- I huff, dropping the manual. -Maybe I should read it...- I grumble around another mouthful.
I hear a ragged cry, just going on and on, and check my Logs to find out what the fack. Fuck Face is screaming in annoyed rage at how stupid I am. I look a bit further back then realize he’s still screaming and ranting internally. He thought I was reading this whole time.
-Pfffft. What for? There’s pictures and diagrams. Whoever wrote that shit was trying to make everything a poem.- I go back to my meal. -Trying to be mysterious? I don’t have time for that nonsense.
-I learned the breathing technique to make a Ghost Pot, didn’t I? Didn’t have to read that. I learned how to gather Resentment, didn’t I? Pretty sure I didn’t read that.-
The screams stop, Aunty apparently telling Fuck Face to shut the fuck up, and I finish my breakfast.
So I beat up a ghost servant, got Fuck Face, and learned how to keep him. The monk taught me how to put spirits to rest, which I can apparently do while gathering Resentment and spirits, so that’s cool. And I’m only getting manuals from beating up spirit guardians? Well, technically... I suppose I’m not really beating them.
Does releasing their spirits count as perma-banning them during the fight? Would explain why I’m not getting loot if they technically stop existing... But I get--. No, I get credit from removing the threat, probably. Hmm...
-Ooh!- I perk up and climb to my feet as I realize that I can’t beat guards but I can beat servants, so I need to find different fighters I can beat! -Soldiers? Or maybe better servants?-
“Fuck you!”
Tch! I wasn’t shit-talking him. I meant ghost servants that are more intact than the mess I beat to get him. Which might have been him. Ah.
Well, he did look like shit, and he was called a broken servant, and even he admitted that he was being punished, so I’m not being rude, I’m being observant. I faintly hear coughing before I leave my void and wonder if I surprised him or if he breathed in spit when he went to take a breath to yell at me.
Out in the graveyard, -- still gloom and desolation, why can’t they have a green graveyard? -- I jog while looking around for distracted corpses that don’t move too smoothly. I need someone who might be advanced enough to have advanced shit, but not so advanced I can’t fight them.
-A map would help,- I grumble, hands on my hips as I pause to look around. -How big is this place?-
I remember that we’d been running for a while to find the monk, -- guess he was a pretty strong guy to have dropped pulses way the fack out to us, and to survive against so many undead at once. And the corpse manipulator. I don’t think I could last. I don’t fight. I collect. I’m a collector. I can collect souls, essence, karma, probably whatever I can, so I should focus on collecting loot, right? Will that work?
I look up from my wondering wandering to see a mausoleum off in the distance, just a small stone structure. I’m kinda impressed that worked. I shrug and move towards my new target.
There’s a few corpses, but a wide range in the motions of the wandering corpses around the mausoleum. No one looks as rough as Fuck Face, but some seem barely sentient, but there also seems to be someone who moves with his current casualness. He’s able to move around, but he doesn’t have that cultivator’s grace and quiet assuredness. He’s just a pretty chill dude.
-Come on, me,- I bounce on the balls of my feet, trying to get myself into a reactive mindset. If I can reflex, I can dodge and run. -Let’s get shit.-
More loot. More loot. More loot.
I’m feeling pretty amped at getting more stuff to eat, err, play with. ... Learn?
Stolen story; please report.
I circle around one slowly shambling, distracted looking, zombie with rotten skin loosely sloughing off of its face, trying to see if they’re actually distracted or just weak. Hoping for weak. I charge them, then back away, trying to gauge their reaction. My charge got their attention. My retreat kept their interest.
They tunnel vision, hyper focused on me, which reminds me to pay attention to make sure I’m not just skipping backwards into someone’s fist. I’m trying to lure them away from the other zombies just in case attacking them gets the others to swarm, and to ensure that I don’t just back into someone’s fist. Seriously, how many times have I run into someone’s fist? A lot. Do better, me.
-This is the part where I collect your ass,- I take a deep breath and charge in, stopping out of range in case the zombie tries to get me to run into their fist. They do swing, but I think we would have connected at the same time if I wasn’t circling around to punch them as they stumble past me. -Okay, so this might work.-
I let the zombie attack, hitting it when it swings, -- it’s like it’s surprised it didn’t get me. Every time. Whoo? -- and then we reset.
[Enemy Defeated]
[Wandering Corpse]
[Karma +20 Gained]
[3 -Resentment Gained]
[Ghost Pot +1 (+100/-1)]
[Resentment: +470060/-143806]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,831,237/24,246,049]
[Current Qi: 1,905,520/957,945,100]
[Current Karma: 96,984,197/107,275,977]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10680St]
Three hits total, its body stays so yoink, and it’s on to the next. This one looks more like super rotted Fuck Face, the skin split or missing in pieces. This one actually tries to wrangle me, stalking forward with both arms out, but it doesn’t try to grapple me when I get close. I swear it thinks it’s going to hit me if I just let it get close enough.
I won’t.
I know I have skills, I could probably go more me and have a set of stabbers what for Piercing, but why waste Qi if I can just slap it around for a little bit. Plus, we’re getting to know each other. We’re networking. Dancing.
- ♪ Ooh~! ♪ - I singsong at the idea of our newbie dance of death as a prom dance. -Wow, we suck.-
[Enemy Defeated]
[Wandering Corpse]
[Karma +20 Gained]
[Ghost Pot +1 (+100/-2)]
[3 -Resentment Gained]
[Resentment: +470060/-143806]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,831,237/24,246,049]
[Current Qi: 1,905,520/957,945,100]
[Current Karma: 96,984,197/107,275,977]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10680St]
This one takes five hits. I’m not sure if some of them didn’t connect or if it was just more intact, and I yoink it the second its eye flames die out.
[New Skill Learned]
[Ghost Flame Technique]
[-200 Karma]
[50 -Resentment Gained]
[Ghost Pot (+100/-2)]
[Resentment: +470060/-143859]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,831,239/24,246,004]
[Current Qi: 1,905,520/957,945,100]
[Current Karma: 9,698,4017/107,275,977]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10680St]
Ooh! Finally! Kinda surprised I didn’t have to beat up a soldier, but I’m not complaining.A quick check of my logs and I notice my Pot has two unwilling ghosts in it, but before I can take a deep breath it feels like I did a backflip, -- I didn’t, -- and I’m stuck staring at a white mask from 2 feet away.
-Do not try to kiss me,- I lean away, not wanting a repeat of that bastard who shot me over the gummy bears.
“Congratulations on defeating at least 10 lesser corpses,” someone not Widow’s Sigh rasps, hunchbacked and standing with his hands behind his back. “I’d like to officially welcome you to the Vengeful Ghost Sect. Did you happen to learn any Vengeful Ghost Techniques during your trial?”
“Um...” I blank as I wonder if this is a trap or not. I only had to kill 10 corpses? Thought I had to learn the Ghost Flame Technique. Weird how the timing worked out. Wait. I just learned Ghost Flame. Aren’t I supposed to learn “Vengeful” Ghost Flame.
“I understand that you’re tired, but do try your best to endure for just a little while longer,” the old man says, and I feel my scales starting to prickle even as my robes slowly smoke.
[Ghost Flame Summoned]
[-5 -Resentment]
[-20 Karma]
[Ghost Pot (+100/-2)]
[Resentment: +470060/-143854]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,831,238/24,245,999]
[Current Qi: 1,905,520/957,945,100]
[Current Karma: 96,983,997/107,275,977]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10680St]
“Ghost Pot, I got a servant, and I learned Ghost Flame!” I answer as quickly as I can, holding up a flame of blue on white on my fist, because fuck poetic language, channel the -Resentment or angry flame.
“You learned how to gather Resentment and channel it into Ghost Flame already?” Masked Man says, and I don’t know if he sounds impressed or not, I’m still trying not to metaphorically shit myself. He was going to use the frickin’ Ghost Flame on me! “You’ve more than earned your rest. Languid Wine will guide you to your bunk. You can fight for placement in the morning.
“Welcome, newest Disciple of the Vengeful Ghost Flame Sect,” the old man says before turning and walking into thin air.
“Wha~...?” I dismiss the Flame and try to figure out if I’m safe or not as someone painted white with red circles on their cheeks and a red dot on her lips shuffles up to me.
“The Void Walk is an advanced technique practiced by masters of the sect,” she whisper talks and I snort because I’ve been able to do that shit. “There are many skills restricted to higher ranks. Please. Come with me.”
She does a little dip, turns, and proceeds to slow~ly shuffle down a stone tunnel.
“These are the sects holding cells,” she says, and I feel things inside me clench with unhappiness. “Potential members are brought here and either guided to the Sect grounds or disposed of. We have many uses for corpses. Fresh or otherwise,” she whisper talks, grinning like a fucking loon over her shoulder and showing me concerningly yellow teeth before she collects herself, head lowering and the shuffle never slowing.
“I --,” I begin, wanting to ask her if the doors where we’re going have locks.
“Last more than a month, and I might bother to learn your name,” she interrupts and I stare at the back of her head with a flat glare, my lips pressed together.
I wasn’t gonna offer my name, but now I need to know if she can fight or not, ‘cause we might be about to fight... I use corpses too, bish.
She leads me out of the tunnel and into what appears to be a mountain pass, turning to bow to me before moving towards a little stack of stones. She gestures to it with a slow sweep of her hands and another bow.
“As you progress you may find markers such as this one. Those of us with Void Walk like to use these markers to traverse between paths,” she whispers and I’m wondering why she lied about elders being the users of void walk or wondering if she’s an elder.
When I get the chance, -- after I find out whether or not she can fight, of course, -- I’m calling her old. First chance I get.
She folds her sleeve back with one hand, the other hand reaching forward with a small flame cupped in her palm. She pours the flame onto the little marker and then we’re standing in a square that reeks of rot and blood and the weird corpse powder.
“Welcome to my Vengeful Ghost Flame Sect,” she smirks, this time keeping her yellow corn hidden away. “You’ll be sharing a room with the lower disciples until you earn a better posting.”
I hold back on asking questions as she leads me along a sweeping, smooth stone path lined with stone lanterns shaped like larger markers. We eventually get to a literal open cave mouth in what appears to be the greater cavern we’re hiding in, and there’s just straw piles strewn around the room, some occupied with people giving off strong angry Woodcock vibes.
I turn to ask how to progress and Languid Wine is already reaching towards one of the markers, yellow corn on full display as she grins at me before disappearing.
Bish!
I sigh, walk towards a dark corner before realizing it’s being used as a toilet, then walk off to stand between two unoccupied beds. I transfer to my void and Fuck Face is staring at me with eyes wide, jaw clenched, and throat looking veiny.
“I apologize,” he stammers, blinking rapidly. “I didn’t give you enough credit. It’s smart that you didn’t tell them about the monk or the Funeral Rites--.”
“Bish, they were gonna kill me! Why would I risk telling them such useless information?” I scoff, wandering back inside my house.
“You--!” he points at my back, but I keep walking. I need a nap. “No way is it that stupid...”