Day 10

Sighing, I knew I shouldn’t be surprised, but still…

When I awoke, cat man was gone, but the area he was laying was covered in a drying pool of blood. When I looked at Dead Snake, he burped and averted his eyes. Annoyed, I created 6 more Skeleton Drudges for Dead Snake and sent him away.

In the morning, I found a leaf that other me began training with, using lesser air affinity to keep aloft. Apparently it was harder than it looked, especially while restricting mana usage, and there were many times that I was forced to stop my training and pick the leaf back up.

For my part, I just practiced swinging the short sword and the cudgel. Although it was monotonous, repeated motions would build muscle memory, improving the speed of my attacks without any change to the stats. Plus, I had a hunch that this sort of repeated action was the only way to level up the weapons mastery skill.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make much progress. I suppose it was just a single morning’s worth of effort, but still… maybe I had been spoiled by the easily earned early levels.

Jen appeared around noon, with a 100 gallon steel drum, filled with the larva. Her green tentacles hefted the thing off of the trolley without a hint of strain. She chatted with me for a while, rambling about some of the other guardians, her parents, her knitting hobbies…

I idly lifted one end of the drum, after eating half of the larva. In the aftermath, I was panting with exertion. Just how strong was she?!?!

Oh, that reminds me, I should tell Dead Snake to capture-

“Wait, what did you say?” I abruptly focused back on Jen. Her slime body twisted from side to side, her tentacles undulating in waves.

“I said do-do you d-d-date?” She began to speak really fast. “I was just wondering, because you know, you are spending all your money on food, if you met someone and you wanted to date or something how could you afford it? So I was just wondering what you would do in that situation and maybe you should think about saving a bit.”

Other me stopped playing with the leaf, chuckling. 

-I think she likes you.

-Do I like her?

Other me considered.

-Can we even procreate with a slime?

Both of us thought about our racelessness

-….I suppose the better question is whether we can procreate at all.

-Best not to think about it.

I abruptly realized that while me and other me were discussing, Jen was just jellying there. “Oh, uh, not right now… but I think it’s fine....”

She nodded her head in that affirmative way and disappeared without a word.

Scratching my head, I resumed training, picking up the leaf for other me and giving a shot at dual wielding weapons without other me to manage one of the arms. It was surprisingly difficult. It probably looked like awkward flailing, more than anything else. But my motions quickly smoothed over, my high stat of Processing Power isolating the inefficiencies and helping me to eliminate them. And about an hour after lunch…

Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to “Weapons Mastery Lvl 2”: Your skill and effectiveness in using weapons has improved. Damage increased by 5%. Effectiveness at becoming familiar with strange weapons increases.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed harder, twisted and slashing against imaginary frogs. I needed to push harder. I was getting stronger, but it was too slow. I didn’t want to find myself in a situation where I could be completely restrained like that ever again.

*****

***POV Change***

“Kettle, are you free?” Dekker’s secretary looked up at him, surprised that he addressed her so directly. She was a new hire, one of the many humans that were offered up to mid level management within the tower as cheap labor, selected for their skills relating to clerical work. And Dekker had to admit, he appreciated the… femininity of the human females.

“...Yes, what is it?” Kettle readjusted her glasses, carefully looking away from his head, her gaze settling on Dekker’s torso. He chuckled inwardly. From his investigations, apparently his upper body resembled something like the body of a crab combined with the head of an octopus. Apparently his face tentacles were off putting. But Kettle had thus far been very professional.

Dekker was a bit disappointed. He had quite enjoyed her predecessor’s fear, before he had eaten her.

“I told you how management can bet on challengers right? One of my favorite picks is challenging the first level today. Why don’t we watch together?”

Taking her silence for assent, Dekker stepped closer, using a mandible to brush a strand of her black hair to the side. “Actually, you could bet too, with part of your salary. Would you like me to arrange it for you?”

Kettle was very still. “No thank you.”

Chuckling, Dekker let his mandible drop and with a gesture caused a screen to descend, depicting his challenger. He had arranged it so the challenger would go up against a fresh guardian. He cracked open a bottle of liquor in early celebration.

*****

***POV Change***

Gerard surveyed the dusty path before him. He had been assured that everything had been arranged to ensure him an easy path, but it wouldn’t do to become complacent. Gerard clenched his fists.

‘Just you wait father… I will grow strong and make you rue the day you chose that thing over me...I will regain my honor…’

Movement on the edge of his vision made him focus, and he narrowed his eyes at a skeleton carrying a tree branch. The skeleton tilted his head to the side, then began banging the tree branch against his body, emitting a loud clattering.

‘Just skeleton guardians? Hmph, I am not afraid of your posturing, hellspawn. You will die.’ Gerard strode forward confidently. After all, his skill was several grades higher than anything he should encounter at the base of the tower. He was a direct heir of the Kiefhart bloodline. If the first level of the first floor of the tower could stop him, he would never have his revenge.

With fingers splayed outward towards the skeleton, Gerard shouted, “Shatter!”

Waves of force emanated from his fingers, slamming against the skeleton. Its body trembled, then with a poof it disintegrated into powder. Gerard chuckled, then frowned.

Two more skeletons had crawled up from the embankment from the side of the road, looking down at their fallen comrade. Then they picked up the bones of the previous skeleton’s still intact legs and began throwing them at Gerard.

Annoyed, Gerard easily ducked to the side. ‘How many skeletons are there? I don’t have enough mana to use the skill too often… damnit, I’ll just break through with brute force!’

Sprinting, Gerard quickly covered the distance to the skeletons. But a strange hissing emerged from off the embankment, and the skeletons jumped down, tumbling over the edge, out of his range. Gerard slowed, puzzled.

A rock struck him in the back of the head. He slowly turned, his eyes glazing over in a deep shade of red. His pride had been offended, and he would slaughter these ants. Behind him were standing two more skeletons, tossing fist sized stones at him.

“You worms! I am Gerard Kiefhart. YOU-”

Gerard began sprinting again. “WILL-”

This time one of the skeletons stood their ground while the other tumbled down the embankment. The remaining one tossed another rock, striking Gerard directly in the forehead, causing a small trickle of blood to drip down his face. Eyes blazing with fury, Gerard reached the skeleton and activated his skill. “DIEEEEEEEEEE.”

Poof. The skeleton disappeared, destroyed. Gerard felt a surge of satisfaction, then something else, something that instantly made him want to tear out his hair

It left like someone had just thrown something and hit him in the back with it. He turned around to find 3 skeletons, tossing rocks at him.

*****

Wheezing, Gerard stumbled up the hill towards a strange wooden hut, his head throbbing. After destroying 4 skeletons and basically depleting his mana, Gerard realized that the skeletons were endless, and controlled by someone. Only by pressing forward and destroying that person would he pass this trial. At the top of the hill, he slowed, finding an individual practicing with a sword.

Noticing him, the individual turned to him. Gerard sized him up. Perhaps a few inches taller than himself, and muscular enough, but he was a race he didn’t recognize. His skin was pale, and his hair wild and dark.

Abruptly, the impression that Gerard had of this individual plummeted, the very air around him filling with dread. Abruptly, he realized that he was sweating, panting, barely able to breath. He wiped the sweat off his brow with a sleeve, and forced himself to focus. But the fear in his heart just grew more irresistible. All he wanted to do is lay down and close his eyes.

Biting his lip, Gerard refused to give in. ‘No… I still have a trump card. And after I use it, I will know your weakness, and then I will crush you, monster… My second skill… “Absolute Identify”!’

Warning, you have used “Absolute Identify” on an individual without a race. No information is known.

Gerard blinked, his blood cooling and his heart seizing. ...No information is known… how could that…

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The fear hit him in a wave, smothering him. He couldn’t open his mouth, his heart was spasming, his mouth began to forth.

Gerard toppled over, dying from a heart attack brought on by shock and fear.

***POV Change***

I considered the person before me for a few seconds, and then the strange figure with webbed fingers and slimy looking green skin fell over. Apparently dead, because…

Congratulations! Due to your actions, you have reached Lvl 12. All Biomass has been consumed.

Well, I had gained a little over 100 Biomass from lunch today, so it couldn’t be TOO bad of a growth rate… But I knew I had to switch. Although the survivability and utility gained by the Lich’s growth rate was incredible, I wanted to increase my Str and Agi to match. Honestly, I would have preferred to go a straight physical build, but random growth rates being what they are....

Due to your special circumstances, you have the choice of retaining the previously earned Racial Growth Rate of “1000-Year Lich” or use the Biomass to receive another randomly assigned Growth Rate. Note, retaining a Growth Rate will allow you to learn Racial skills at the typical level they are learned. Note, if a Growth Rate is retained, the Biomass will instead be converted into random chances for improvement.Do you wish to retain your previous Growth Rate? Y/N

I clicked no.

Due to your special circumstances, you will receive the racial growth rates of a random race based on the amount of biomass consumed.Congratulations! You have received the racial growth rates of a “Radioactive Sewer Hog.”Vit +2End +2Str +1Agi +1Mana +15Since you have reached Lvl 12 as a “Radioactive Sewer Hog”, you have the chance to learn the Racial Skill “Bile Emission”. Would you like to learn it? Y/N

-...Seriously? This has to be a joke.

-I mean, you did ask for a more physically minded class.

-BUT I WANTED SOMETHING A BIT LESS INSULTING.

-Don’t be rude, me.

-SHUT UP OTHER ME, I’LL DO WHATEVER-

-Kukuku

-...Other me, did you just select yes to learn Bile Emission?

-Next time, don’t be so rude. Besides, what’s the harm?

Congratulations! You have learned the skill “Bile Emission”. Sewer Hogs are constantly eating, and always have a full stomach. However, once entering their body, the food is changed to be extremely dangerous to other living beings. At any point, you may expel all the food within your body. All Biomass will be consumed. Damage and effect increased based on the amount of Biomass consumed.

-So now I have a way to waste Biomass? Thanks other me.

-Well, it’s not all bad. With this, we have a way to reach 0 Biomass at will. Then we could queue up a level, and spend a lot of time gathering Biomass to get a good growth rate.

I had to admit that the idea of such a situation was attractive, but I doubted it would be very easy to arrange. Then, I snapped back to the present, looking at the cooling body before me.

“Well,” I muttered. “It got past Dead Snake and the skeletons, it can’t be that weak…” I revived him with my reanimate dead skill, earning myself another pleasant surprise.

Congratulations! Due to your actions, your skill has improved to “Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 2”: Mana costs have decreased slightly. You may now raise “Zombie Scavengers.”

Another notification made me slightly uneasy.

Due to your high Memory and Processing Power, and the freshness of the corpse, the reanimated dead will possess 80% of its previous strength and retain its personality. Its will has been bound to your own.

Even if the strange thing on the ground retained its personality, it should be fine as long as it is bound to my will, right…?

***POV Change***

Dekker crushed the liquor bottle in his mandibles. Furious. How could this happen?!?! That combination of two skills, as well as Gerard being Level 6, should have guaranteed that nothing could stop him on the first floor of the tower.

The phone rang, and Kettle answered it. After speaking into it quietly for a minute, she turned to him. “It’s Gillette. Would you like me to take a message?”

***POV Change***

Gerard looked up at his new undead overlord, torn between self hate and a strange relief. All his life, he had been told he had to be perfect, the best. He had to succeed at every trial. And then it was taken from him when his father named his adoptive sister the successor to the house of Kiefhart, for no known reason. He had immediately left, heading for the tower. If his father needed proof he deserved to be the successor, he would show that proof to him.

But he failed immediately, and suddenly Gerard felt more free than he had since he was a child. He had no responsibilities, yet, and his brittle emotions began to slowly heal Gerard looked to the side, examining his fellow minions.

Standing at the back were 5 skeletons, carrying the unshattered bones of their fallen compatriots. They were apparently trying to stuff them into their bodies. It was slightly comical. Standing even with Gerard was a strange serpent ghoul, glaring at him with obvious jealousy.

To his surprise, Gerard still could use his skills, and he immediately used Absolute Identify on it.

“Hunger Ghoul of the Lich”: This is a creature with a high amount of Vit, Agi, and Dex. It is a rare variant of the Hunger Ghoul that possesses a higher intelligence than usual and an aptitude for dark magic. It is extremely loyal to its master.

‘Interesting,’ Gerard thought. ‘It’s pretty rare to encounter a variant race.’ He turned his gaze to their undead master. ‘I wonder if there is something special about him… But if there was, why is he on the first level of Floor 1?’

“What is your name?” His master finally spoke to him, and his voice was low and gravelly, carrying with it a cold certainty. Gerard shivered, somewhere between fear and pleasure. Yes, this was a master worth serving.

“My name is Gerard Kiefhart.”

His master nodded. “Jerry is a good name. Welcome to the fold, Jerry.”

*****

***POV Change***

I barely resisted laughing at Jerry’s affronted expression, and then got to explaining how this would work. Dead Snake would lead the Skeleton Drudges, Jerry would command the Zombie Scavengers. They would alternate challengers. When I told them that it was against the rules to eat the dead bodies of challengers they didn’t defeat, Jerry’s face once more went pale.

Ah, he hadn’t been undead for long. Perhaps he was used to doing something else with dead bodies.

-Hey, you aren’t undead, and yet you don’t even mind it. Should we worry about ourself?

-I’m sure it’s fine, other me.

But Dead Snake snorted disdainfully, and Jerry’s expression firmed. I nodded wisely. Competition will do these two a world of good.

I stopped other me from training Air Affinity and gained some mana. Then I summoned 5 Zombie Scavengers for Jerry and sent them down the road.

Unfortunately I didn’t gain anymore skill levels as I trained. When the groups returned from dealing with challengers, there was only 1 skeleton remaining, but 4 zombies. Jerry was gloating. Dead Snake hissed in annoyance, claiming that zombies were better subordinates than skeletons, and it wasn’t his fault. I ignored them, laying in my usual spot. Before I fell asleep, I opened up my status screen, considering my plans moving forward.

Name:PredatorLevel:12Race:Biomass:0Health Regen:x2Mana:30/460Vit:35 (+2)End:22 (+2)Str:15 (+2)Agi:12 (+2)Dex:10 (+2)Memory:225 (+2)Processing Power:258 (+2)Parallel Computations:2Wis:63 (+2)Luck:33 (+2)Timeless Perception:17 (+2)TitlesA Creature Which Named Itself PredatorRacelessSkillsLesser Air AffinityEndless StomachWeapons Mastery Lvl 2Knife Throw Lvl 9Path of the DragonAura of Dread Lvl 3Summon Lesser Dead Lvl 2Bile Emission Lvl 1