Gin sat in the empty inn, thinking about his choices. Leaving was not a good idea, but he knew that if he stayed, this Lord would eventually find a way to screw him over.
“If you go beyond those gates by yourself, it’s suicide. I know plenty of people tougher than you who went out there and never came back. There is a reason why only a Caravan leaves. That’s because there is strength in numbers.”
Phyla stood seven feet tall with purple skin, long webbed ears, and a mouth full of shark teeth.
“No offense, but what are you exactly?”
Phyla’s face grew serious.
“You must be new to this tower. I was once human like you.”
She reached into her blouse and showed him a picture of a slightly overweight woman cleaning off a bar counter. She had tanned skin and blonde hair, smiling so hard her cheeks were pink. She looked happy.
“Most people didn’t have a choice to starve or climb the tower. Once you step into this tower, the Mana seeps into your body and awakens something inside your DNA. The galaxy has thousands of races, and humankind seems to have mixed ancestry.”
“Are you saying that the same thing will happen to me?”
“No, I’m just telling you what happened to me. The system calls me a Sinryr. Most people call us fishmen.”
“That’s pretty cool so that you can breathe underwater?”
Phyla smirked.
“Boy, we are faster, stronger, and tougher than most other races. You would be lucky to become as dangerous as I am. “
“So you don’t regret changing?”
Phyla grinned with her big, sharp teeth.
“My husband used to beat on me. I was young, sheltered, and stupid. He beat me until I had nothing left inside. So, one day, I ran away into this tower, stayed on the first floor, and got a job as a bartender. Seeing and talking to new people always relaxes me. Then, every day, I would get taller, my plumpness disappeared and became muscle, and my skin began to turn purple. My husband found me one day. He took one look at me and did know who I was until I spoke, and he pissed himself.”
Gin began to laugh, and Phyla laughed along with him. But Gin saw something else in her eyes. There was more to the story, something darker in her eyes. It was her reminiscent smile that never reached her eyes. When He used to train with his master, some of his old friends would come by to talk, and they had the same eyes. Dead eyes, the eyes of a killer.
“Now I can tell you are stubborn, so I’ll do my best to help you. I have some leftover food and jerky in the back. I hope that Lord was right about you being special because out there, you’ll need it.”
“You know where I can find decent armor, weapons, and maybe a few books.”
Phyla frowned in thought.
“There is Anvil Works a few blocks down the road. I warn you, though, that they sell primarily to miners. Tell Glade that I sent you he might have something in the back. His wife sells clothing, too. As for books, the library is closed until the librarian comes back with the Caravan. “
“What is the path back to the surface like?”
“On the way down for the first few weeks, it was fairly quiet. But halfway through, the lights drew monsters more than they did to keep them away, so we needed dark vision potions. There were plant creatures by the Lake, Rats, giant BullRats, and creatures called Trench lurkers. They were smart, and if you lingered at the edge of the camp carelessly, they would snatch you away. They don’t make noises or cry. Keep your backs to the walls and ears to the ground.”
She paused.
“You do know that you might die?”
Gin nodded and grabbed his things in his room with Ada skittering behind. Before he walked through the inn, he had to ask.
“What does the name of the inn mean?”
Phyla gave him a sly smile and then flexed her arms like a bodybuilder.
“Clippers are skinny folk, but I’m more of a Stomper, strong and steady.”
She winked. Gin chuckled at her antics and bowed.
“Thank you for everything.”
The knight tried to follow. Phyla grabbed him from behind and slammed his face into the ground. She stooped down and listened, and the guard groaned.
“Go, he won’t wake for a few hours. He won’t remember what happened.”
Gin nodded and found Anvil Works. Pick axes, hammers, swords, and knives of all different sizes but mostly mining materials. There was no one behind the counter, but there was a door at the side that said Reinforced Seams that led into a clothing shop. At the front, most clothing was for miners. Helmets, large axe gloves, and green jumpsuits
A Dwarven lady sat behind the counter. Gin heard her snoring before he saw. She made herself a little bed under the counter. From the looks of it, no one visited. He gently knocked on the counter, and the Lady jumped to her feet with her eyes closed.
“Coming, I’m coming. Hold your arse.”
She slowly put on thick glasses and stared up into Gin’s eyes.
“How may I help?”
Gin hesitated.
“I’m looking for clothing for comfortable clothing made for rough travel. Something I can move fast in.”
She nodded.
“You’re an adventurer. That’s all you need to say.”
She looked at his clothing and scowled.
“Your clothing won’t last long moving through rough terrain.”
She paused.
“Maybe the shorts but the shirt. I can burn it for you.”
The little Lady walks around the back.
“What color do you prefer?”
Gin’s preferred color was green, but he needed to look for style.
“Dark colors. I’ll switch to something more colorful while I’m on the surface. Is Glade here also looking for some armor and maybe a decent mace.”
“Your Mace looks well made. Is it the weight that’s bothering you?”
A large man stood by the door to the Blacksmith’s shop. The zipper to his bag was coming undone. The Mace slowly became a hazard and hung from his bag like a ragdoll.
“I can give you a sword belt to carry the weapon properly so you dont hurt someone with the thing. Where did you learn to use a weapon!”
Gin took the Mace out of the bag.
“Sorry, Um, Phyla sent me. She said you could help me. It’s made for someone smaller, so it’s lightweight. It feels like I’m wielding a stick, and my sword belt is tight.
Glade’s eyebrows rose.
“How heavy do you need it to be?”
Before Gin could answer, Glade went on.
“I had an idea for a new type of weapon. It’s not too heavy. It’s a mix between a mace and a sword. Wait right here.”
Gin turned around to the Dwarven lady holding a stack of clothing. Half of the clothing was grey, and the other half was black.
“These will fit you just fine. It is cold outside the city. I made these clothes to absorb bruises and scratches. They won’t rip easily unless you let one of those Rats chew on you. These are steel-toe lightweight boots.”
“Do you guys, by chance, have any holding bags?”
The Lady smiled in surprise.
“What’s your name again? Oh, my name is Eri Horngold, and that is Glade Horngold. How did you know I do enchantment?”
“I’m Gin. I can tell the boots are enchanted. They have a slight glow, right? Am I right?”
“Yes, I had to add lightweight enchantment on them because they were so heavy everything was complaining about them. Now everybody has one after I fixed the problem.”
“I’ll take them all. I need clothing, and if you have something that can hold a lot of water, that would be great.”
Eri brought a small bag from the back, at least half the size of his camping pack, and Gin grinned. He put his hand in his pocket for his iPhone, but his finger brushed against a key. He remembered that he got a key from one of his skills.
[key of hidden compartment]
He reached into his pocket and pulled out them that resembled a door, and unlike standard keys, there were only two teeth. Gin
focused on the key. He knew what to do with it. He pushed the key into the open air, opening a small door to a dark chamber. He couldn’t see what lay beyond, so he removed one of his articles of clothing and tossed it into the compartment.
He locked the door, turned away from the area, opened the compartment again, reached inside, and the shirt returned to his hand perfectly folded. He tossed the Mace inside and did it again. The Mace returned to his hand, and Gin took all his things except his gold and dropped them in his compartment.
Eri stared at Gin, surprised and bewildered. Then she said.
“I guess you won’t be needing that Bag.”
She stepped closer.
“May I?”
Gin looked around, then looked down at the little Lady. It wasn’t like if she decided to run, he wouldn’t be able to catch her.
“Sure.”
She held out her hand, and Gin dropped the key into her hand, but the key disappeared before touching her palm. Gin looked around.
“Shit, that was all my things.”
He got on the floor and started searching, crawling, pushing aside store furniture, and lifting tables.
Glade stomped back into the room and then frowned at Eri’s facial expression.
“Did something happen while I was away?”
Eri broke out of the stare.
“Oh, nothing. Gin was letting me know that he was never here. Isn’t that right, child?”
“Sorry about that.”
Gin slowly stood. Glade walked over to a table and placed a mace resembling a sword with four dull edges.
“This is a Bar mace. I came across a material I couldn’t melt, so I got creative, used a piece of Mythril, and fused it together. This baby can take a beating and dish it out just as well. It’s too light for most adventurers, but you’re just starting. If you plan on climbing, sure, there are higher-level Smiths that can melt it into something you need. Think of this as a dangerous ingot. Hahaha.”
Gin picked it up by the handle, and it wasn’t too heavy or too light, just enough to know that it would do damage if he swung it. Gin went back to looking for his key. He searched his pocket and found the key. Then he sighed.
“Damn, that was scary.”
Glade stared at him.
“Lost something?”
“I found it.”
Gin tried to place the key into Eri’s hand, and the key disappeared again. Gin searched his pocket and found the key. He realized that no one else could use the key. The look in his eyes said everything, and Eri waved it off.
“That will come in handy when you truly need it. Try not to let anyone else see you use it for now.”
Glade sold him a sword belt rugged enough to hold the Bar mace. Gin mentions the shield vambrace.
“That is Mythril. That baby will keep you tucked away behind your guard. You seem to like free movement. I have some leather armor that an adventurer left behind. My sweetness over here fixed it with [triple layer sewing].
Eri seemed to have replaced all the old straps with a black material just as thick.
“The colors may not match, but it will get the job done.”
“Great, how much do I owe you?”
“Ten gold.”
“What that’s.”
“This city spits out Ingots all day long. Which causes everything here to be cheap.”
“It’s like buying directly from the factory.”
Gin bowed.
“Any of you, by chance, know if an alchemist or healer is around here. Oh, and since I carry more, do you guys sell Barrels to hold lots of water?”
“There’s an alchemist that works at the end of this street here name is Valiah. She only gets a few customers. I make and repair Barrels once in a while.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The Blacksmith brought him behind the workshop, and a Barrel was big enough to fit through the door. The spatial compartment widened under the Barrel and engulfed the Barrel. Gin reached into the compartment, and the thought about the Barrel appeared.
Gin nodded. He walked right into the small shop. Gin froze when six eyes stared back into his. He slowly reaches for his Mace.
“Touch that weapon, and I won’t sell you anything.”
The eyes watched Gin as he relaxed.
“What are you?”
“I’m a spiderling. I don’t like adventurers. Always draw first, ask questions never, and spread rumors like sexually frustrated housewives.”
Gin chuckled. Most quests start with a rumor, and he should take offense as he is about to sign up to become an adventurer.
“I’m not an adventurer, but I plan to be.”
“Let me guess, you’re the stray they found wandering around here.”
“You got me.”
“You quite confident.”
“I think I’m more comfortable in strange situations. My name is Ginelle, but you can call me Gin.”
“Valiah, what are you looking for?”
A clicking filled the air, and Gin felt it in his Awareness and tried to ignore it.
“What is that?”
Valiah looked around and clicked again, and then she said nothing.
“I’m looking for a few healing potions, and I’d like to know if you had anything to make my skin tougher.”
In the fantasy Gins read, there were potions to make his skin harder, and he was hoping they had something close.
“What are you?”
“I’m me. It’s a passive skill called [skill- sense surrounding obtained]. It allows me to do more than just sense my surroundings. I actually walk around in the darkness like it’s Midday. I’m planning on getting out of here. Do you have any information you can share?”
Valiah placed six blue Vials and one white liquid on the counter.
“You mean to leave the city without waiting for the Caravan.”
Gin nodded.
“Hmm, I don’t give away information for free, but I must admit, this skill is truly remarkable. The tower inundates the body with magical energy for a human or any sentient being to acquire particular abilities. Subsequently, this energy is harnessed and directed to amplify or awaken the latent potential within all comers. The towers do not bestow anything upon you; they nurture your body with Mana, fostering your growth. Occasionally, the tower encounters difficulty in categorizing or labeling a skill accurately. While your skill may be associated with heightened senses, its capabilities extend well beyond that scope.”
“What do you mean it Nurses my body with Mana? Can I control it? What about the level?”
Valiah laughed a raspy hissing.
“Buy a book on meditation. Engage in deep meditation, envision the embodiment of your heartfelt aspirations, and firmly hold onto that mental image. It is impossible to control what evolution does, but one can aim at it. Skills and classes are milestones that your body has reached. Your class tends to be your path, like all paths. Sometimes, they change whether you want them to or not.”
“Were you once human?”
“No, I was smaller and weak. I came from a world less forgiving than this one.”
“Do you know what this awareness is?”
“It’s not fully awakened yet. If I told you, I would be lying, and it would hurt you in the long run. Just keep who you wish to become at the forefront of your mind.”
“Thank you so much for your advice. Uh, what is that?”
Gin pointed at the singular Vial of white liquid.
“This is the steel skin potion, but if you want my advice, only use the healing potions for nasty wounds. When your body naturally heals in this tower, it makes your skin tougher.”
“So I don’t need the steel skin potion?”
“Emergency only.”
“I learned a lot today. Why are you helping me?”
Valiah blew a raspberry.
“Humans are pricks. I’ve been here six months, and you’re the first customer who hasn’t tried to kill me. After you realized that I spoke, you began to relax, and instead of trying to make up some excuse to leave, you looked me in the eye and spoke to me like a person, so I would like to say thank you for treating me like I’m not a monster.”
“You’re not a monster.”
She chuckled.
“Some would beg to differ. I’m closing shop soon. I’m moving to the fourth floor. With the next Caravan.”
“One day, if I get the chance, I’ll visit you on the fourth floor. How much do I owe you?”
“The batch is free. Think of it as an investment in seeing you again. Can I call you a friend?”
“Oh yes, I would like that very much.”
Gin tried to bow.
“Try not to be so formal. Now get out of here. I have to finish packing.”
“See you around.”
The last place on his list was the adventuring guild. Still, he felt he should skip encountering The Bronze Boar adventurers and sign up on the surface because the Lord might pay adventurers to lock him up. Even though he signed the Contract, Gin turned and checked himself. All his weapons and everything else were in his spatial compartment. Tossed all his gold into his compartment. Except for a water skin, healing, and the steel skin potion. In a small pouch on his belt. Gin walked through the city gates and never looked back.
Lamplights and torches lit a path to the tunnels like witnesses holding candles at an execution. Butterflies danced in his stomach, and nervous breath caught in his throat. He found himself swallowing to wet his dry throat. He took a sip of the water and stopped. His senses pick up a group of three standing beyond the shadows at the entrance of the massive tunnel.
“Who’s there?”
Laughter filled the darkness as three men walked into the light. Gin was afraid it was the Bronze Boar team. A skinny man was wearing grey armor similar to the armor guards of Ekril, but afterward, they all made their way out of the shadows. All three had the same type of armor, which might be specialized guards.
“Bara made a bet that you would try to leave immediately.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Lord Windstrider wishes to speak to you.”
“Go back and tell him I’ll be there in a few hours.”
The guard looked at his partners and laughed.
“Hahaha, You’re funny. Come with us. I’ll let you know we can use force if needed.”
Gin laughed. It was an angry chuckle. It annoyed him so much.
“Two-on-one is a little overkill. Let’s make a deal.”
The guard folded his arms and smirked confidently. Another guard whispered no, but Sige waved him off. Gin named Sige because he reminded him of a minor, loud bouncer.
“Shut up. You’re just going to have some fun. Fist or swords?”
Gin grinned.
“Fists.”
Gin learned to fight people, not monsters. Fighting monsters was different than fighting a person. It involved wide Steps and a lot of lunging and dodging. Fighting a person was much more strategic, not based on instinct but on a steady mind, self-control, and perception. This is what Gin knew. For the first time since he got to the new world, he wondered how much stronger he had gotten. Now, he has a chance to see what he could do with his fist and his speed. Sige mock pouted, then smiled.
“Too bad I’m not a fighter, but he is.”
He pointed at the guard to his right. The guard wasn’t tall, but stock he wore metal spiked gloves. It was the same guard who objected to the whole thing. He frowned.
“I’m a level 15 [brawler]. It would be pointless. I would win, and you would end up getting hurt.”
“Shut up, Bara. You know that he’s the one who was found in the dungeon. He can live through a few punches in the face. Right?”
Sige gave him a bloodthirsty smirk. At that moment, Gin realized he just wanted to see him suffer. Gin wanted and needed to get stronger so that if he ever met the Lord again or anyone like that Lord, he could soundly make sure they rethink their position. Gin stretched while Bara removed his armor.
“What are you doing?”
Sige stared in confusion.
“You guys don’t stretch?”
Sige only stared back.
“Okay, that’s enough of that. It’s getting late. We need to get back. Bara, kick his ass, and we can get back home.”
Gin stood in a boxing stance and waited. Bara stepped forward with a broad, brawling punch. Gin quickly stepped forward, flowing into an uppercut. Bara stumbles but grabs his arm twisted except Bara’s feet dug into the ground. Bara grabbed him and tossed him across the path. Bara shook off the blow and stomped forward, and Gin stood in a ready stance.
The guard was cautious this time, but Gin waited for his next attack. He didn’t have to wait long as Bara charged in, but Gin laid his chest on Bara’s back with all his body weight and opened his legs wide to keep Bara from grabbing his legs, but his efforts were useless as the guard launched Gin off his back. Gin landed in a heap, coughing up dust. Gin stood once again.
Bara was stronger than an average human but couldn’t land a blow. Gin’s quick step allowed him to land blows and step out of range. Gin suspected that the guard’s second class allowed him to absorb blows, or maybe it was a skill. The guard punched, Gin spun to the right, dipping under Bara’s fist, and Cam up with a [Hammer punch.] Gin’s fist slammed into bone and teeth, and Bara fell bonelessly to the ground.
“Okay, sit down and drink a healing potion.”
Gin grinned.
“Better luck next time, boy.”
Bara has yet to respond. They lay there unmoving and silent. Sige whispered.
“Bara?”
Gin waited for Bara to breathe an intake of air with a twitch of a finger, but the large man never moved. Sige and Gin stared at each and Sige’s face grew into a rictus of pain and anger.
“Bara!”
Sige ran to him and began to shack him.
“Bara, drink this.”
He poured a healing potion into his mouth and held it closed, and the liquid drained out of the side of his mouth.
“Wake up, wake up.”
He gnashed his teeth.
“Wake up!”
Sige turned, his eyes red with tears. He pulled his Sabre.
“You killed my brother.”
Gin had no words.
“I didn’t mean.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
Sige skipped across the field in one motion.
“[three-step lunge]”
Gin dove out of the way the Sige turned, and his blade swiped down in an arc. Gin rolled as the blade dug a hole into the ground. He hopped to his feet, grabbed the Bar mace, and tried to block, but the blade seemed to have a life of its own as every block turned into a stab.
He stepped back into the darkness, and Sige’s blade flew right by him. Gin looked around and realized they were in the mouth of the tunnel in darkness, and Sige swiped at nothing, spinning and trying to find him. But Gin’s sense could pick up his movement just fine.
“I think you should go back and tell your master you lost me.”
“To hell, I will not. Not without your head. I’ll tell him you died fighting my brother.”
Gin walked out of the tunnel and picked up his armor. He waited for Sige to call his skills out Loud. The skill allowed Sige to cover lost ground fast; however, in Sige’s anger, he for that stuck a move would only work once on an opponent.
Gin blocked with his vambrace arm shield and swung the Bar mace into his face. The moment was frozen forever in his mind as brain matter painted the area in blood. Sige landed on his brother, eyes still open in shock.
Gin apologized over and over while he put on his armor. He took one last look at the city, which was actually a lonely factory.
He tied a piece of cloth over his eye so that he could focus on his Awareness. He couldn’t see as far as his eyes, but trying to squint at everything in the darkness didn’t make him see better. Gin travels for hours with Ada right behind him.
Once In a while, something small would brush against his senses. Sometimes, it was just a leg. Sometimes, it was a tail, but something was testing his senses.
The creature was aware that he had seen it. Suddenly, Gin didn’t feel so brave. He scolded himself for being an idiot. The creature was as tall as a
Doberman but twice as long. The further he traveled, the less it feared his Awareness.
Gin began to grow tired. It was time to rest. If he stressed himself out and tried to keep pushing, this would not end well. He’d instead the creature tried while it thought he wasn’t looking.
He had an idea, but it would take some focus. Gin opened the spatial compartment and began to set up his tent. The clothing he wore kept him warm. He wore a thick tunic and pants under his leather armor. Before his plan came to fruition, something changed.
The creature waited at the edge of his senses. Gin continued setting up his tent while paying close attention to The creature’s movement. It crawled into his Awareness like a lion sneaking up on its prey.
His heart tap danced in his chest like an African campfire celebration. Gin spun on his toe at a crouch. The creature lept, and Gin swung his Bar mace upward to meet The creature’s face.
The creature tried to rise again, but he never gave it the chance. Like a bomb going off, his [Dangersense] exploded, and more creatures flooded into his Awareness. Gin ran into his tent, and out the other side, the monster flooded in, and he ran.
He pulled out the short sword and turned the first monster to lunge for his neck. Sharp teeth and massive claws reached like a giant hungry Wolf. Gin raised the arm shield and braced for the impact that pushed him back, and the creature lunged again. Gin swung down the short sword, cutting into its back leg, and stabbed it in the neck.
He turned, ran between a stone pillar, and kept going. The most alarming factor was the fact that they never screamed. Something about that tidbit lingered in the back of his mind. He hid off the paths under a large crooked stone while he caught his breath. The monster paused at the edge of his Awareness, and Gin sighed, realizing they were tracking his ability. Was there a way to turn it off? But if he turned it off, he would no longer be able to see. He would be a sitting duck.
Slowly, they tried to circle his Awareness, but he noticed they knew there was no way in without him knowing. After a few hours, they disappeared into the darkness.
Gin only had one tent left. He climbed the giant rock and tried to take a power nap because he knew they would be back eventually. He awoke an hour later to find Ada snacking on his last kill.
“Ada, you need to contribute. Could you go and check on my tent? Maybe I can get it back.”
Gin felt a clack in his Awareness, and the Stone skipper disappeared. He breathed, stood up, and snapped his finger. He felt the vibration of everything in his Awareness. Something was sitting above him inside the wall. Gin hurried down the stone, and Ada waited for him.
“No?”
Ada clacked twice. Gin began to jog away from what might be an even more dangerous situation, following the path out of the caves—the well-worn path left behind bones of bloody battles.
Mushrooms the size of small cabins, more BullRats at first came in one or two, allowing Gin to practice fighting fast and agile monsters.
Through his Awareness, he captured every twitch of its muscle and where it would land if it jumped. Gin’s shorts sword stabbed the Bullrat’s left eye.
The monster screamed he’d dropped his Mace to block the last attack. Without hesitating, he grabbed the Bullrat by the throat and squeezed. Pull the knife from its eye and turn to see three more on their way. He braced himself and gritted his teeth. His arm shield blocked the first charge. Gin punched and popped the shield into its mouth. He punched the Rat in its throat. Turned and slammed the dead Rat into the second Bullrat [Hammer punch] the next one in its head.
His [dangersense] fired off, and hundreds of Rats filled his Awareness. He popped the Vial of white liquid and chugged it to half.
“[Hammer punch]”
He felt bone shatter under his fist as he grabbed and clawed through hundreds of BullRats. I need to be faster. I need to be stronger, he thought to himself.
He moved inside the giant Cavern behind pillars and giant stones he fought. His short sword dulled, and his Mace became lost in blood and guts.
Empty-handed with [Iron grip], everything he knew about fighting and [hammer punch], which didn’t work for every punch. He found himself grabbing Rats by their jaws, stabbing out eyes, and ripping flesh. His stomach turned at the smell. His [quick step] kept him from being surrounded. He screamed from the pain of claw racking against his flesh. By no means did steel skin mean painless.
Hours passed. Gin didn’t know when, but he felt when the iron skin wore away. Even with the potion work, the Rats still managed to scratch him. His arms and legs felt boneless. His clothing was a rag hanging off his body, and the cold underground Cavern numbed the pain.
He sat there and looked around at all the bodies. He was afraid of what he might become. He remembers Valiah’s advice to imagine what he wanted to become in his mind. He wanted harder skin. He focused on the feeling of skin being more rigid than steel, a fist that can bend anything. He even wished he could breathe fire. Gin opens his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m doing this wrong. “
He sighs.
Then he felt the testing of his Awareness—the slow entry of the pack of Trench lurkers. The name finally came to him. These monsters were called Trench Lurkers. he had faced off against them before. At the same time, he sat on the hill of Bullrat bodies. The monster looked around. Gin’s legs wouldn’t work. His arm didn’t want to listen either.
He slowly removed one of the healing potions and sipped to regain energy.
“What do you want?”
Trench lurkers closer to Demon Dog. The largest was the size of a baby horse. Long reptilian tails and horns, not to mention sharp teeth, they growled in challenge. Gin pushed himself to stand as the worse wounds slowly healed. Hoping they were intimidated enough to return later when he wasn’t around. Ada understood when he spoke. Maybe those monsters will, too.
“You can eat the bodies. If you leave me alone.”
The monster kept growling. Gin knew they would come after him if he backed down, so he steeled himself. He didn’t want to use the rest of the steel body potion so soon. He still had a few weeks of travel left. It’s only been three days that melded together in one long, bloody battle. Exhaustion poured from his veins as he fired himself up to teach this Trench Lurker to fear his Awareness.
He picked up a piece of leg and tossed it in front of the growling beast, but it never looked away. Gin raised his hand.
“Hey, there is enough for everybody. Not that I want any of it. Just relax.”
Gin slowly stepped back, and the Lurker lept. Gin dodged out of the way with [Quick step], and the monster turned in mid-air and galloped after him. Gin stepped to the right. The monster lept again. Gin spun to the left with a powerful [hammer punch] to its ribs. There was something strange happening. The rest of the pack watched. The monster landed and shook off the punch.
“That’s new.”
Gin got into his fighting stance, and the monster slowly circled. He did something the Trench lurker never expected. He charged. [Quick Step] allowed him to get close. He brought down a [hammer punch]. Which missed, and cold claws tore into his back. Gin screamed.
The monster tried to maul him. He grabbed its jaws, and it quickly pushed him across the ground, eager to taste his flesh. Gin struggled as its massive jaws pushed, and he began to squeeze as he hit the cavern walls.
The Trench Lurker realized that Gin’s grip crumbled the bone in its jaws. It tried to retreat, but it was too late. Gin pulled, and a loud crack resounded in the Cavern.
For the first time, Gin felt a scream of psychic energy pounded into his Awareness. His mind fogged, and his Awareness disappeared. His skull felt like it was about to crack, and the psychic wave disappeared as suddenly as it hit.
Gin awareness shrunk from up to ten twenty feet around him to six. Gin stumbled in the darkness. He climbed into a pile of Rat corpses, crawled into the center of everything, and finally fell asleep.
[Grappler level 15]
[Lesser strength obtained]
[Lesser endurance obtained]
[Lesser pain resistance obtained]
Conditions met
Ritual initiated
Congratulations, you have killed over a hundred Rats.
Title [Ratbane]
Rats are sixty percent more likely to fear you. On instinct, a den mother will feel obligated to see you dead.
Processing.
Processing.
Ritual incomplete.
Error.
With a raspy, hissing, accented voice, the sound of rolling, whispering gravel filled the silence in Gin’s waking dreams, the hair on the back of his neck coiled in distress.
“Rip and rend, slash and feast, dance, and bathe in the blood of my prey. Here, I lie in the darkest place. Where Hunters Hunt and the tongueless children speak. Here I covet all in my reach, give me claws, bone, and strength am the night a cloak of death hail his name. Hail the deep, for he is the leviathan’s chosen.”
Ritual
Two thousand miles below sea level, complete
Kill over two hundred opponents complete.
Ripping, tearing, and breaking bones of over two hundred opponents complete
Bathing in the blood of over two hundred opponents complete
Laying in the graveyard of ten thousand bodies and a thousand battles completely
Words of a lord of the deep, complete
Ritual complete
Conditions met
Congratulations
you have been blessed by the god of the unlit star
Blessing-[hands of Aecatas obtained]
[Solar absorption obtained]
[Flames of Aecatas Awakened]
“No!”
Gin’s eyes opened not after that creepy voice, he thought.
“No, no, no, no!”
His hands caught fire, lighting up the Cavern in a conflagration of red flames. Gin screamed.
“Ahhhhh. Mother fucker. Ahhhh. Ahhhh.”
He passed out from the pain and awoke again screaming until his throat went dry. He pushed his burning hand into the blood and guts to extinguish the flames. The flame burned like a miniature sun, and his skin bubbled and popped to a black, charred stump. He watched in white numbing pain as his fingers turned to ash, then dust. His hands were gone. A black stump remained, and the flame turned to smoke. His hands began to grow new flesh and bone. Gin passed out from exhaustion and the numbing pain.
Conditions met
Mutation found.
[Sense surrounding]-[Lesser Psychic field of awareness-passive obtained]
[Depth explorer level 20] [Hunter of the deep level 10]
[Skill- Sensory tracking-obtained]
[Skill-Edge walking obtained]
[Greater fire resistance obtained]