//Killed lvl 9 Human – 45 exp gained!
The notification comes for the shield wielding human a short while after Joel escaped. Sitting on her boulder, Bug scowls angrily and looks over her remaining zombies. She had ordered most of them to chase after the fleeing human, but she had held back some from running off so that she wouldn’t be alone. All that is left of her ragged horde is that mean girl zombie that keeps getting kicked around, four other human zombies – two which are missing their heads -and Bob and Billy, the goblins, and a couple of mob zombies.
The yet to be named axe zombie is among those that went running off and Bug is finding herself regretting that she sent him out as well.
Maybe I should have gone with them? Hmm… No. I don’t want to sweat right after I just got out of the bath. And it wouldn’t be a good idea to go running through the halls when I have a bounty on my head. It would be bad if he led me into a bigger group of humans... Wait... I completely forgot to use Inflict Pain!
... I'm going to pretend that didn't happen. I let him get away. Yes, that's right...
Bug shrugs. “Well, doesn’t matter. Right now, I just want to hurry up and get to the next floor. Raise Undead.”
With three casts of the spell, Bug raises the new corpses in the room and looks them over.
‘Lvl 8 Human Zombie. Control = Complete.’
‘Lvl 9 Human Zombie. Control = Complete.’
‘Lvl 9 Human Shield Zombie. Control = Complete.’
“Oh? The guy with the shield has a class? Nice! Hey, reequip your shield. Your job is to stay in the front of the group and defend, ok?”
“Blah…”
“Good!” Hopping off from the bolder, Bug waves for everyone to follow. “Let’s get out of here while the others chase that guy down. I want to get out of here quickly."
Leaving the room with her minions in tow, Bug heads down the hall and then picks a direction at random. Thankfully, because of her mini-map, it is impossible to get lost. But until Bug finds the stairs leading down, her only real option is to just aimlessly wander.
As she is walking, she comes to a thought. “Shit, I should have asked him which way leads to the stairs… Well, that is my mistake… Hmm?”
//Killed lvl 5 Goblin – 14 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 6 Goblin – 16 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Human – 20 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Human – 25 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Human – 25 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 6 Goblin – 16 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Goblin – 14 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Human – 20 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Goblin – 14 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 7 Human – 35 exp gained!
//Congratulations! You have reached lvl 11! – Your stats have been increased!
//You have earned 4 Free Stat points!
//You have earned 2 Skill point
…
Huh… They must have run into some people. Let’s see here… Yup, I lost a couple more zombies. I wonder if that guy was one of the kills? Hmm… no, he was Level 10. Must still be running. He got hit by one of the poison arrows though, so it is just a matter of time at this point.
Throwing her free points into Endurance, Strength, and intelligence, Bug tries to stretch her arms as the pain from stat growth hits her. But she doesn’t stop walking and simply checks over her stats.
----------------------------------------
Stats
Name – Bug
Age – 0
Race – Gremlin
Class – Little Bodily Horror
Level – 11
EXP – 181/400
Free Stat Points - 0
Heath – 114/114
Stamina – 45/45
Mana – 161/186 [Total = 210] [-24 From Control Upkeep]
Vitality – 19 [+1 From Equipment]
Endurance – 15
Strength - 15
Dexterity - 23
Magic - 21
Intelligence - 20
*Luck – N/A
*Note: Luck is a work in progress stat. Points cannot be put into this stat at this time.
----------------------------------------
Continuing to work her way towards the stairs, Bug sends a command to the other zombies that were chasing the guy, and orders them to come back. Regretfully, the Raise Undead spell doesn’t come with a way of tracking your Undead – that comes with another spell later on – and so Bug just has to hope that they will be able to find their way back to her before she finds the stairs.
With that taken care of, Bug keeps on her way as she navigates the winding halls of the Dungeon.
Hmm, I get two Skill points per Level-up now… Should I spend them on something, or save my points?
Thinking it over, Bug moves to walk behind her new shield zombie and then opens up her Skill Store to look at Spells costing two points.
‘Make Bone Weapon. Arms, legs, spines? If you can hold it, you can make it a weapon! Swords, clubs, and whips, this spell will make anything into a proper killing tool. As long as you got corpses, you’ve got weapons! 2 Skill Points’
‘Chilly Breath. Blow ice cold air towards your enemy and leave them with a deathly chill. The more power you put in, the colder it gets. Leave your enemies shaking in their boots! 2 Skill Points’
‘Spooky Shadow Armor. [Passive Spell] Cover yourself in spooky shadows that are bound to make you look scary. Warning, Spooky Shadow Armor is not actually armor and provides no defensive benefits. 2 Skill Points’
‘Grow Horns and Spikes. [Discounted] Be it for aesthetics or because you want to poke someone’s eyes out. Horns and spikes can be a pretty cool addition. Go for those extra style points and grow something worth showing off! [2] 1 Skill Point’
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
‘Sharpen Teeth. [Discounted] Turn your teeth into some real chompers! For those who really want to be able to sink their teeth into somebody, but find that their current pearly whites just aren’t cutting it. Can also be used to regrow lost/damaged teeth, heal cavities, and straighten crooked teeth! No more going to the dentist for you! [2] 1 Skill Point’
‘Grow Tentacles. [Discounted] Tentacles. Quite the useful appendage, and they can be used in so many ways. So many ways. How is up to you. [3] 2 Skill Points’
‘Grow Death Fungous. Compel the earth -or corpses- to grow mushrooms that are just oozing full of deadly poison. 2 Skill Points
Warning: Death Fungus is quick to propagate, and the spores can be deadly to breath in. Highly flammable and explosive.
Advisory: Do not use without having at minimum, Deadly Poison Resistance Lvl 1.’
‘See Death. Curse your enemy to see visions of their own death over and over again. Any time that they spend with their eyes unopened, shall be spent in torment. 2 Skill Points’
“Well, still nothing too amazing. The only good ones are Sharpen Teeth, because it can heal my teeth, and Grow Death Fungous, because that sounds like fun… The others all sound pretty useless honestly, besides Grow Tentacles, but… Something feels really off about that one, like I’ll be doing something dirty if I pick it… ”
Bone weapons would only be useful if Bug ran out of normal weapons to use first, and even then, a bone sword would not be any better than a steel one. Not unless she gets her hands on some really good bones.
Growing some spikes and horns could be useful. Bug could probably headbutt someone if she had horns… And besides, it is discounted because of her class, so it is only one point right now.
Chilly Breath is just meh as an attack spell. It just makes people cold and slows them down while making it feel like death is touching you. Not something Bug needs right now.
Spooky Shadow Armor is just the next level of Scary Shadow, the one-point passive spell that makes your shadow look scary… It is purely just for aesthetics.
And finally, See Death is just for torturing people whenever they close their eyes or try to sleep. It is a low-level curse and serves little purpose other than to just be a dick to people you don’t like. And while the curse can technically last forever, just going to a church and praying is enough to remove it.
Mulling over her options between the two spells, Bug looks past the shield zombie and smiles.
“Yes! I found the stairs! Ok, we are setting up here and waiting for the others to catch up. Let’s give them… fifteen minutes. Then we are setting off. Ok zombies?”
“Blar~”
“Bleh…”
“Rrr-“
“Good! Glad that all of you agree! Ok, set up around there and there and then play dead.”
Maneuvering the braindead Yes-Men to their posts, Bug heads to the stairs and takes a seat on one of the steps to wait.
…
//Killed lvl 6 Goblin – 16 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Goblin – 14 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Human – 25 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 3 Goblin – 10 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 10 Human – 50 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 5 Goblin – 14 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 6 Human – 30 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 3 Goblin – 10 exp gained!
//Killed lvl 4 Goblin – 12 exp gained!
//Congratulations! You have reached lvl 12! – Your stats have been increased!
//You have earned 4 Free Stat points!
//You have earned 2 Skill point
…
Sitting on the stairs, Bug watches as her notifications click by over the course of the fifteen minutes. A number of kills come ticking in as her zombies presumable run into people on their way to reach her.
“That Level 10 was probably the guy that ran off… I wonder how far he made it before he died? Well, thanks for the experience. Fifty for just one guy is pretty great.”
Distributing her free points, Bug purchases Sharpen Teeth, Grow Horns and Spikes, and then Grow Death Fungous. Bug could have gotten a three- or four-point spell instead, but decided to just get these three first. The levels are still coming in fast enough, so saving points isn’t a worry yet.
And Grow Tentacles is going to remain unpurchased for now…
As Bug deals with the pains of stat growth and a headache from learning new spells, Bug sees a couple of figures shambling their way towards the stairs. Looking at them, Bug finds that it is the Axe Zombie and a couple of mob zombies that had managed to stick with him.
Looking at her current mana drain, Bug counts everyone out and finds that everyone left is now accounted for. Out of all of the zombies that she had sent to chase that guy, it looks like only four made it back. And three of them were surprisingly mobs…
“Welcome back. Hmm, for managing so well so far, I shall name you… Zax the Axe! Welcome back Zax!”
“Uhggg~”
“Yes, good job, good job! Now, come along everyone! I want to make some distance between us and the humans. As tempting as their experience is, I don’t want to risk running into too many people coming for my bounty. Get to the stairs, let’s go, let’s go! Ah, not you three though. I have a job for you.”
Stopping three of the mob zombies, Bug walks up to them and casts Grow Death Fungous. The deadly mushrooms immediately begin to sprout and cover the walking corpses until they are absolutely dressed in layers of hanging colorful fungus.
The mushrooms themselves, are morbidly beautiful things that look like a rainbow in an oil spill, with drooping layers like a dress sown in all the colors of the rainbow. Interestingly, despite most certainly looking deadly and poisonous, the mushrooms themselves smell sweet and even the poisonous oils that drip off of them leave a scent of apples and cinnamon in their wake. Not that Bug knows what those smells are yet of course, but they certainly smell really nice.
Nodding approvingly at her new creation, Bug orders her new walking Death Mushrooms. “You, head that way, you go that way, and you get the last path. Keep walking until you find a Goblin, a human, or anything else that is alive, and then attack it. Go! Go my explosive and highly poisonous minions!”
The walking mushroom immediately turn and go shambling along to follow their orders.
With that done, Bug returns to the stairs where her zombies are waiting and then kneels down to the ground.
“Grow Death Fungous!”
Pouring as much mana as she can into the ground and the walls, mushrooms begin to sprout everywhere they can as they fill the ground, the walls, and even start to grow hanging from the ceiling. Bug doesn’t stop until her mana is almost empty and by the time she stops, the intersection leading into the stairs has turned into a veritable forest of massive deadly mushrooms. Many of the colorful specimens are taller than she is - about as tall as a full-grown man- and just from a look, most of them are already filled to bursting with spores just waiting to be spread.
Taking out her mask, Bug secures it to her face and then quickly retreats further down the stairs.
“You, go up there and start kicking the mushrooms. Don’t break them, just shake them around.”
Following the order, one of her last few mob zombies heads back upstairs as Bug watches and disappears into the forest of mushrooms. A few moments later, the air upstairs is getting filled with colorful spores of all the colors of the rainbow. From far away, where it is safe, Bug has to admit that it is honestly a beautiful sight. Though she knows that she would be dead in a couple of hours if she breathed in any of that stuff.
The spores would get into her lungs and start growing more mushrooms. Surprisingly, when that happens, the poison actually becomes a nonthreat to the host. It is just from the mushrooms clogging your lungs that kills you. The mushrooms actually make their host immune to the poison in order to try and keep them alive as long as possible. Which is horrifying…
“Alright, with this, no more humans should be able to make their way down through here for a while. I shouldn’t have to worry about any of them following me further down. Now I just have to worry about the ones that are already in the lower levels…”
Also, I am NOT using this spell again until I have the necessary resistances and ways to keep the spores from growing on or in my body. For now, it will be reserved for emergencies only!
----------------------------------------
“Just more of the same, huh… I wonder if the Dungeon changes any after the first boss? I really hope it does. I’m getting tired of just looking at cave walls and dirt…”
Wandering through the Dungeon’s third floor, Bug lets her mind wander as her zombies tear apart another pack of Goblins. The ones down here are a bit stronger than the second floor Goblins, but only by a level or two.
Instead of focusing on the fight, Bug instead watches as more notifications continue to trinkle in from the couple of zombies that she had left up on the second floor. From the look of it, they had managed to run into some Goblins of their own and successfully detonated.
The mushroom zombies were always intended to be suicide bombers, and now three of the four that she had left up there are already dead, but the kill notifications keep coming in. The fourth is probably the guy that she ordered to kick mushrooms…
If it worked like she hoped it did, then the zombies should have blown up the mushrooms right in the middle of a group of Goblins. The Goblins then either got poisoned and die, or got infected by the mushroom. Those that die will naturally be raised as more mushroom covered zombies, and those that lived and got infected will probably end up running away to go find other goblins, or even humans, before eventually dying and spreading even more of the mushrooms.
Regretfully, the new zombies that are raised by the Undeath Curse won’t give Bug any experience when they kill stuff. They aren’t her zombies, even if they were raised as a result of getting killed by her zombies. But the mushrooms? At least for a few days, even the newly grown ones will remain as hers and the System will continue to accredit their kills to Bug. Thankfully, the Basic System Knowledge Bug learned had taught her this bit of information, but it is weird that this was included while other bits of System related information were not.
Devs really need to fix this stuff. Shouldn’t be giving out half-baked Knowledge to new users…
As her zombies finish up the fight with the Goblins, Bug gets a big hit of experience as some more kills come in from upstairs.
“Oh crap! Just got some humans, hahaha, nice! Wish that it would tell me what just happened: I just got five of them at once. What did they even do? Did they try to burn the mushrooms or something? Did some mushroom zombies attack them and explode? No way that they would be stupid enough to eat them, right? I hope not, that would just be disappointing…”
As Bug thinks over the chaos that is probably unfolding on the second floor, she spends her free points and rides out the pain from Leveling-up yet again. It has hardly been two hours since entering the third floor, and she is already Leveling-up again.
This is nice, I don’t even have to lift a finger and I am getting stronger. And my muscles are looking so much more defined... I almost feel bad for the people that have to actually work out to get stronger. Hahaha.
The pains from leveling-up finally fading, Bug raises the freshly killed Goblins and orders them to join the horde at the front with the others.
Ten human zombies, three with classes. Six mob zombies surprisingly still remaining. And now eighteen Goblin zombies. If I keep pushing the numbers up, I should be able to kill just about anything with pure numbers. And as long as I keep increasing my Magic stat, I shouldn’t have to worry about losing it all to the control upkeep.
“Well, let’s keep going. Forward my minions! Kill anything that tries to stop us!”
----------------------------------------
Stats
Name – Bug
Age – 0
Race – Gremlin
Class – Little Bodily Horror
Level – 13
EXP –32/600
Free Stat Points - 0
Heath – 138/138
Stamina – 49/49
Mana – 198/216 [Total = 250] [-34 From Control Upkeep]
Vitality – 23 [+1 From Equipment]
Endurance – 17
Strength - 19
Dexterity - 25
Magic - 25
Intelligence - 24
*Luck – N/A
*Note: Luck is a work in progress stat. Points cannot be put into this stat at this time.
----------------------------------------