The Mask of Volesprit - Chapter 3 - Go to Hell? Why not.
Volesprit looked in the four fools’ eyes and claimed while grinning:
“You gentlemen are so nice to propose yourselves to help me test my new skills. I assure you your sacrifice won’t be in vain. It will serve a good cause… mine. For now… please get up and let’s resume fighting.”
Volesprit waited for the men to push themselves up and to take fighting pose.
“Well, then… shall we go?”
Volesprit launched his magic to scatter the men and resumed his living play of chess. After a few seconds studying their movement, Volesprit sighed: the way they moved was basic, the attack patterns insufficient, the cooperation nonexistent… those men weren’t even training material. Handling them was a joke. They were… nothing but food for his new skills.
He let one of the men approach him enough for the fool to believe he had him and caught his arm as he was about to strike him.
“You fool … ‘Bite of the Ghoul’.”
Volesprit’s finger started to emit an an ill-green smoke-like aura and penetrated the man’s flesh, who began to howl hysterically.
“Let me go! Please let me go!”
The wound turned putrid and the infection started to spread slowly, but surely. Volesprit’s eyes widened when he saw the wound: it looked like a malady spreading skill. Even with all the information he had gathered, he had never heard of a skill of this kind. In this world, for a player to have this sort of skill… he had to be the first.
The man now gasped in pain as he tried to escaped Volesprit’s grasp. But his hold on him was firm, and the man was too blinded by pain to have any rational thought. All he could think of was his need to escape.
Volesprit continued to launch his ‘Soul Crusher’ magic with his left hand to disrupt the other men’s movements, while the one he held gradually lost all his strength and fell on the floor. Soon, even breathing became too hard for him. Volesprit smirked. It was way too easy. Only three more to go
System Notice: You have killed an innocent player.
Infamy +40
Killing Intent +1
Level Up
Volesprit who was still holding the dead man’s arm called:
“Soul Eating.”
System Notice: You just ate a soul
You recovered some mana
Infamy +100
“Disgusting. I read before that one’s worth affects his soul’s taste. I now understand how true it is. I never ate anything like this … after that, even my used socks will look like a tasty meal. You guys’ souls reek!”
Of course, Volesprit never heard anything like this as he was the one who created the spell. Furthermore, there was no such thing as a soul’s taste. ‘Soul Eating’ felt more like absorbing energy than proper eating. He felt heat climbing up his arm and going straight to his heart.
To summarize this … Volesprit was taunting them. He didn’t want the cowards - he had seen how they casted glances to their back - to run away. Because he had to avenge Cassandre. And because it could become annoying real fast if those guys called for reinforcements.
It worked far beyond his expectations. Those simpletons began to foam at the mouth and shout they were going to rip him apart. That the moment they would put their hand on his hide, they would make him pay tenfold.
Volesprit smirked. Those guys were funny. As if he would ever let them put their dirty hand on his new clothes.
“Stop dreaming and let’s resume the slaughtering, would you?”
Volesprit launched the three magic bolts turning around his left hand before cutting the loop of his spell. He then ran to the nearest of the three men while activating his ‘Mana Overcoat’ to speed up and caught him as he was knocked back, forced him into submission and activated his second skill:
“Touch of the Vampire.”
His hands emitted a red light and this time, message popped up noticing him that he was gaining a small quantity of life and endurance. His life was actually full, but still, that was quite a useful skill to have, as it looked like they were both drained from the man, who was white as a sheet.
His companions in the meantime, regained their footing, rushed to Volesprit and activated their strongest skill. Volesprit watched them coming with a blank face and at the last moment, used the man he held as a shield. His life dropped so low that the man turned grey a second later when Volesprit’s skill stole ten of his Health points.
System Notice: You have killed an innocent player.
Infamy +40
Level Up
“Soul Eating.”
System Notice: You just ate a soul
You recovered some mana
Infamy +100
Volesprit, not wasting an instant, called the skill, jumped on the two men who stood before him, threw two jabs followed by a right hook, all of them coated with mana at the nearest man who fell to the ground, stunned. The other one who stood there gaping before the unexpected action - after all, no one would expect a mage to box a warrior - finally shook himself and tried to stab him. Volesprit turned to face the threat and deflected the sword aside with his left hand - the ‘Overcoat Skill’ was more than useful in the hands of a gifted man - while punching him in the throat.
The man fell on the ground, trying to find his breath back. Volesprit used this moment, where there was a breach in both their defense and double-casted the ‘Dark Spear’ spell.
The man who had fallen first was the also the first to move, and would have dodged the attack if not for Volesprit’s vigilance. He used his ‘Blood Lust’ skill and sent his killing intent to the man who froze when he felt a chilling sensation. He watched the spear coming, unable to react.
System Notice: You have killed an innocent player.
Infamy +40
System Notice: You have killed an innocent player.
Infamy +40
Killing Intent +1
Level Up
Volesprit walked to the men with a blank face and once again used his favourite skill.
System Notice: You just ate a soul
You recovered some mana
Infamy +100
System Notice: You just ate a soul
You recovered some mana
Infamy +100
New Title: The Demon
This title is given to the first player whose infamy surpasses 1.000.
As soon as the windows disappeared, the earth began to shake and crack. A dark aura went out of those crevices and took the form of a curvy silhouette, evoking a young woman with long hair. A voice then resounded in Volesprit’s mind:
“Attracted by your darkness, I came to you. I am Hel, ruler of the realm of the dead, the one who rules over darkness.”
Volesprit watched her without blinking and asked curiously:
“Did you come to take back the soul I ate? Or mine, maybe?”
Hel giggled and said:
“Not at all, my dear. The few souls you will eat are nothing to me. In fact it would please me if you could eat much much more souls.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“And why would that please you?”
“Because I have an interest in the corpses.”
Volesprit reflected on the idea for a few seconds and then asked:
“Is it because you possess some souls in need of a body?”
“Exactly. I knew you had a good brain for you when I watched your fight from my realm.”
“Oh … you watched me? What did you think of it?”
“Well, yes of course. I’ve had my eyes on you since I sensed your ‘Soul Eating’ skill, you know? In this fight you were … magnificent. Such strategies. Such a mastery. And every actions were conducted with such elegance.”
She daydreamed for a few second, sighed a few times, and then shook herself and added:
“You know, I might not be able to ever watch again the birth of such a superb spell. Amidst the denizens of darkness, you are a jewel among jewels. That is why I just had to help you.”
Volesprit frowned and asked:
“Help me?”
“Yes. Had you stayed human, the souls you ate would have cursed you before disappearing. That is why I used the hold the taint had given me on you and changed you into... something else.”
“My race … Avatar of Darkness … it has nothing to do with my skill, has it?”
“Absolutely nothing. It is a gift of mine.”
“That’s really nice of you but I don’t understand how that stopped the soul from cursing me.”
“Oh … you did not look at your stats window yet, did you? Pray do, you will understand.”
“Hum … Stats Window.”
Stats Window
Avatar: Volesprit Type: Avatar of Darkness
Level: 7 Class: Soul Eater
Title: Genius Among Genius Infamy: 1160
Life: 960 Mana: 1200
Strength: 50 Dexterity: 50
Vitality: 50 Wisdom: 50+50
Intelligence: 90+50 Leadership: 0
Luck: 10 Charisma: 40
Elegance: 80 Killing Intent: 12+50
Offence: 0 Defense: 12+1
Resistance to magic:
Fire: 0% Water: 0%
Earth: 0% Wind: 0%
Darkness: 100% Light: - 150%
- Avatars of Darkness are the Champions of Hel. They are beings whose magical and physical capacities are vastly superior to that of normal humans, but whose mana has been tainted by darkness.
Avatar of Darkness race Specs:
* Can’t use or learn anything but darkness-based skills
* Light based effects are harmful
* Darkness based effects are beneficial
* Your skills are 20% weaker where the sun shines.
* Power of Darkness-Based Skills x1,5
* Darkness related monsters becomes neutral.
- You created a spell who transformed you in a being who eats souls to recover his mana.
Soul Eater class Specs:
* Intelligence, Wisdom and Killing Intent +50
* Can learn skills related to the class
* Power of Darkness-Based Skills x1,25
* Resistance to Light Magic -50%
* You are 50% more powerful at night or in dark places
* Because of your aura, NPC might attack you on sight
* Infamy gained is doubled
* Infamy won’t decrease
* Can’t gain fame any longer
Volesprit reflected on what he had just learned for a second and asked:
“Is it because of the fact that all curses are darkness based spell?”
Hel carefully nodded while Volesprit muttered:
“So… that means that cursing me is in fact buffing me and that a light-based buff will curse me… it will be really useful in battle. No one will understand why I will grow stronger when cursed and I doubt anyone will try buffing their enemy … as long as I hide the informations of course.”
Hel smiled, reassured and said :
“I am glad you see it my way … I feared you would resent me because of the race’s drawbacks…”
Volesprit smirked and claimed:
“Don’t you know the saying: there is no use in crying over spilt milk? What is done is done, Hel. I already decided to use darkness based spells and I think that I can adjust to the drawbacks this race has… and use it’s awesome benefits.”
“Well … now I know you are pragmatic. I also know that you are a cold murderous bastard, that you are intelligent, funny as Hel, elegant, have a sexy voice and a hot figure… don’t you have any flaw, my dear? Or is it… do you hide an ugly mug behind this mask?”
Hel took a step back while her voice showed horror. Volesprit curiously asked:
“What if I am?”
“I would be utterly disappointed. And shamed. I swore to my mother to never give a hand to an ugly man. So … are you? I’m both dying to know and afraid of the consequence of the knowledge… I would prefer my dream not to shatter and to think of you as a hot sexy man.”
Volesprit laughed and took off his mask before Hel could tell him to stop. The dark silhouette gasped at the sight of his face and claimed:
“I might hate Freya … but she did an excellent job with you. You are the hottest eye-candy I’ve ever seen Vovo.”
Volesprit frowned - Hel gulped when his eyebrow moved - when he heard the familiar nickname, but didn’t utter a world. She was a goddess after all. A goddess who was friendly for now.
“I don’t know about that… it looks like there are no women who agrees with you where I come from.”
Hel giggled and told him:
“Are all the women blind there? They must be if what you say is true. But let’s go back to a more interesting subject. Now that I had a good look at your face, and now that I know you are truly perfect, I want to ask you: won’t you go out with me?”
Volesprit watched the goddess in disbelief.
“Oh, sorry, that slipped. What I wanted to ask you was: won’t you pass a contract with me? Every god has the right to appoint themselves an avatar. I know from a reliable source that the Yggdrasil Tree passed a contract with a human a few days ago. I want you to become mine. It’s a good offer as you already pretty much made all of humanity your enemy.”
Volesprit answered while smiling sadly:
“I guess you’re right. I don’t have much of a choice. I pretty much busted all my chances to have a normal adventure when I attacked those bloody fools and used the Soul Eating spell. So I might as well go all the way and accept your offer.”
The silhouette formed of darkness approached Volesprit and touched his eyes. Volesprit felt a faint pain, blinked, and when he opened his eyes, watched the messages that popped up:
New Unique Skill: Brand of Darkness
Proof of your contract with Hel.
Your eyes now shines in an ominous but seductive light.
(Passive): Increase Charisma by 100%. Darkness related skills have a 5% chance of activating the buff,
(Active): Power of Darkness Based Skill x1,2, Darkness spell and skill mana cost -20%, last 2 hour .
(Special): When the buff is active, if asking for the Darkness's Blessing, Power of Darkness Based Skill x1,5 (mana cost 2500)
Soul Eater Class changed to Lord of Souls.
New Skill: Soul Manipulation
New Skill: Gate of Niflheim
Gain Item: The One Ring
“Now follow me … we have much to discuss.”
A dark gate rose from the ground where Hel had appeared. She walked to it, and before entering, turned to him and asked:
“And what about my first offer … won’t you consider it?”
Volesprit joined her, laughing his heart out.