Chapter 5: Worth of Self
[ Entering | Room I: Trial of Worthiness | ]
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[ Objective: Defeat your Opponent(s) ]
(Description: Will you be worthy?)
Rewards:
Guaranteed Level-up
Random Reward ( ? )
Failure:
Automatic Fail on the Quest | Path Finding | and any Sub-Quests relating to it.
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The door behind me closed as I wholly focused on the situation at hand.
Looking forward, I saw eggs. And in between me and the eggs, there was a large gate— separating the two parts of the room.
After a quick minute, the eggs seemed to shake and crack as I saw more of my species. However, instead of being inside, I was watching them massacre each other— with gruesomeness not comparable to what I witnessed back then— and I just sat at the other side of the gate.
As time went on, there was only one that remained from the bloodbath. It looked very similar to me, it was like looking at a mirror— only having its dead eyes be the only difference between the two of us— it was creepy...
The gate shook as it slowly pulled up into the ceiling.
I look at what is now my opponent, an opponent that has a similar experience and story to mine so far, except running away.
We both assessed each other as we readied ourselves— my opponent looking at me with a blank stare.
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[ You have encountered an Opponent with a similar path, a special choice will be given after you defeat this Opponent. ]
[ You have encountered an Imitating Opponent, defeating this opponent will grant you an Extra Reward. ]
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We dashed at the same time, heading towards each other. I exerted myself to be faster and while I did this, I saw my opponent do a little hop and curled himself.
*Thunk*
I headbutted the curled-up opponent, suffering some head damage from that encounter and making the opponent uncurl seemingly taking minimal damage as he screeched back at me.
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I tried to charge at him once again, but he screeched as he curled up again— I managed to quickly swerve to the side before I suffered any more head damage.
I turn around looking at my opponent in the eyes, taking a quick breather as I slowly circle my opponent.
My opponent anticipated what my next moves were, looking at me circling him as he was readjusting himself again and again.
After a minute or so, my opponent screeched as he was the one that charged at me this time. And this time, I rolled myself into a ball.
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[ Currently in ⟨Curl⟩ State ]
[ Your Vitality has increased by 5% ]
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It was dark inside the curl. I didn't hear anything except vibrations, I felt the impact on my side and it didn't hurt that much. Then I felt another impact, but this time I got flipped on my side.
I got flustered by this and I uncurled immediately.
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[ Undoing ⟨Curl⟩ State ]
[ Stamina was reduced from any damage taken. ]
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As I uncurl myself, I see my opponent dashing at me with his mandibles open— I deduced that I was getting hurt by this no matter what— I moved myself.
Bug juice spilled out as I got pierced by the mandibles of my opponent on the underside of my body. Thankfully it wasn't near any of my vital parts as I managed to flip myself back upright and skitter away albeit slowly.
I was able to distance myself away from him and I was sweating internally from the close encounter with death, my underside leaking some bodily juices onto the floor.
*Skriek!*
The opponent let out an early shriek of victory and dashed straight to me. He had his mandibles open wide, ready to clamp and rip off more of my body parts.
I mustered up the courage to pick myself up and charged at my opponent again.
Right as I was getting close to my opponent, I lowered my mandibles to the ground. Scooping my opponent up— feeling the weight of my opponent— before shakily throwing him to a corner.
Before he got back up, I used my mandibles to pierce him in the soft underside and ravage his innards until I thought that he was thoroughly dead.
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[ You have killed an Imitation Xeno, You have been awarded with Experience. ]
[ Your level has Increased! ]
[ You have leveled up! (Lvl 3) -> (Lvl 4) ]
[ You have gained 3 Stat Points and 1 Skill Point! ]
[ Your Path has detected a Path with a similar essence, although it may include side-effects, will you still assimilate it? ]
( Yes )
( No )
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It took me a minute to stabilize my thoughts, my body getting heavier and heavier from fatigue.
It felt like I was getting closer to another stage of my life. Bit by bit, I was gonna reach it.
"Skrek..."
But before that.
I plopped myself on the ground, dust getting blown back by my sudden movement... I was feeling the effects of an open wound, seeing my pierced wound still leaking out bodily fluids as I sensed a creeping feeling of sleepiness taking over. I see my body enlarging as a new layer breaks out of the old carapace, it feels different than before. My eyes closed as I only heard a muffled bell noise.
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[ Additional Rewards have been processed, A trait will be acquired for Defeating the Imitation Xeno. ]
[ Defeating a new species besides your kin has granted you additional Skill Experience. ]
[ ⟨Molting⟩ has reached a certain threshold! ]
[ ⟨Molting⟩ has advanced to Tier 2! ]
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[ Random Reward is being processed! ]
[ Random Reward will be given after the Trial. ]
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> Meanwhile...
In a cavern rather close to the trial rooms lies a man in his humble abode, sitting on his self-made chair and desk.
What seemed like furniture weaved from magical thread and vine furnished the inside of the room. There was Coil, fiddling with something using his fingers. He used his right hand to pull out a string from his left knuckles, seemingly weaving an object from thin air.
Beads of sweat trickled on his forehead as he focused on his new garment. Finally swiping it off as he tossed the new fingerless gloves onto the desk.
"A little gift wouldn't hurt right?"
Coil chuckled as he looked at his piece of work.
The glove had markings of plants on it naturally weaved around it as it glows with a mysterious spark.
"It's been a while since I made something like this, I hope this can hold my blessing."
He hummed as he took the glove off the desk and stepped out of his abode.
Taking in a breath of fresh air, he started to walk across and into the first tunnel that had the critter engravings. Taking a right and opening up the hidden tunnel once more.
He took a look around first making sure no one was looking, then he stepped in with assurance and gloves still clasped in hand.
He reached out to the air as light manifested and weaved into the shape of a box. It solidified bearing a wood-like texture with an empty slot at the top, Coil pulled out a clear oval gem and placed it on top and the box absorbed the gem.
"This should be enough."
He opened up the box and carefully positioned the gloves inside. Then he left the box on the ground in front of the tunnel.
The tunnel that was surrounded by white lights.