I wake up to the sound of snorting and eating. I immediately become aware of the Numbness that fills my body. The small bat is sitting on my leg and eating into it. I try to move my body but fail to do so.
I watch as the little cunt goes in and rips a part of my calf off and eats it. Please be a hallucination. Not knowing what to do, I pull up my status screen.
----------------------------------------
You have broken out of the hallucination.
You have been paralyzed.
Paralyzed debuff has been broken by ***
You have been paralyzed.
…
Paralyzed debuff has been broken by ***
…
----------------------------------------
The small bat goes in for another bite and I get another notification.
----------------------------------------
You have been paralyzed.
----------------------------------------
So every time he bites me, he’s also paralyzing me somehow. I wonder– I scan the beast and it turns around with a shriek. I see it glare into my eyes and when I don’t move, it turns back to eating.
----------------------------------------
Psyclaw Bat - Level 75
----------------------------------------
At least I’m alive. Somehow. I pull up my status window.
----------------------------------------
Status(Fake)
Age: 16
Name: Elijah Ashborne
Level: 39
Affinity: Water
Strength: 10
Agility: 15
Constitution: 20
Mind: 15
Mana: 19
Primary Artifact: Mana Amplifier
Secondary Artifact/s(4/4)):
* Glacial Torrent
* Water Construct
* Ring of Deception
* Inspection Ring
[Stat Points: 0]
Quests: None
Shop;
----------------------------------------
I look through my status to see if I can do anything. I press the quest button and a screen pops up.
----------------------------------------
Hello, VoidHerald.
The quest system is currently offline.
----------------------------------------
Voidherald… It’s still offline. Since I inherited the Voidherald’s power, does the system think I also inherited his name?
I ignore the screen for now and move on to the shop.
----------------------------------------
The shop system is currently offline.
The Sacrificial Trading system is online. Do you wish to access the Sacrificial Trading system, VoidHerald?
----------------------------------------
I mentally think yes, causing another screen to pop up. The screen depicted two alters with a line running between them.
----------------------------------------
Pick something to sacrifice and receive an item of equal or greater worth to help you in your situation.
Note: Items traded must be equal to or greater in worth than a C-grade artifact.
----------------------------------------
A list composed of my Pseudo-Core, Glacial Torrent, Ring of Deception, Basic Inspection Ring and Water Construct appears. The only thing I have above a B-grade is my Pseudo-Core. I hesitate but force myself to mentally click it along with Glacial Torrent and Water Construct. In for a penny, in for a pound.
I feel a sense of gut-wrenching loss as the Mana pathways I’ve grown familiar with get ripped from my body. That hurt. Ughhh. I see my two remaining artifacts appear on my fingers.
----------------------------------------
Generating Artifact…
----------------------------------------
The Psyclaw Bat looks at me confused and flies up. What the hell was that? It just left. I wait momentarily and then get the notification that the Paralysis debuff has been broken. The first thing that comes back is the pain. I let out a choking scream as all my nerves start shooting signals to my brain. I dry heave to the side and my eyes tear up again.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
----------------------------------------
Phantoms Heart has been generated.
Creating primary artifact for Phantoms Heart. A Void core has been detected. Creating separate statuses for void abilities and levelling. Linking levels and Stats.
Due to the placement of Phantom Heart, all void abilities have reset. Void’s reservoir has become empty. All pre-existing and future stat points from your Void Core levels will automatically be put into the Aether stat.
The process has finished Void Phantom. You may now view your status and allocate your points from Phantoms Heart.
----------------------------------------
My old bed appears beside me along with the Shirasaya. I ignore it as my pain grows and my body feels dramatically weaker. I pull my new status up and without bothering to look through it, I allocate half the the points into the constitution, a quarter into mind and split the rest between both strength and agility.
I hear cracking and suddenly my pain flares once more before a calm feeling of security and strength falls over me. My muscles feel stronger than ever and my body gains a sort of density. .My eyes clear but I don’t get up. The bat comes back slowly after sensing whatever just happened ended. Once it comes close, I jump up, grabbing it and throwing it against the floor before pummeling it.
I feel my mind slipping, but I ignore it and do my best to focus on hammering the beast. The bat’s head caves in and I hear the ding signalling the kill, but I don’t stop. I let out a rage-filled cry and continued to hit it. I collapse in tears and let out a heartfelt scream.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
I sit up, composing myself and wipe the tears off my face. I get up to lean against the wall and pull up my notifications.
----------------------------------------
You have killed Psyclaw Bat level 75.
You have levelled x1
You have cleared Psyclaw’s dungeon. You have received an E-grade chest.
Generating portal. The dungeon will close in two hours.
----------------------------------------
The chest and portal appear near me but I ignore it to mentally open my status causing 2 screens to pop up in front of me.
----------------------------------------
Status(Void)(Hidden)
Age: 16
Name: Elijah Ashborne
Level: 59
Affinity: Void
Strength: 16
Agility: 16
Constitution: 40
Mind: 28
Aether: 98
Bonuses added:
+100% Aether
Primary Artifact:
* Void’s Pact(Under Fusion With Cosmic Sense)(Unavailable)
Void Secondary Artifact/s(0/3):
[Stat Points: 0]
Quests: None
Shop;
----------------------------------------
The notification before talked about creating a new status. This must be my original one. Why has the number of secondary artifacts I’m able to bond with decreased by 1. Weird.
----------------------------------------
Status(Phantom Heart)(Displayed)
Age: 16
Name: Elijah Ashborne
Level: 59
Archtype: Phantom→ Force User
Strength: 16
Agility: 16
Constitution: 40
Mind: 28
Force: 0
Primary Artifact:
* The Spectral Orb of Phantam
Secondary Artifact/s(0/2):
[Stat Points: 0]
----------------------------------------
Isn’t force what warriors use. I’ve never heard of Phantom. At least my Primary Artifact sounds cool. I click it and look at what it does.
----------------------------------------
The Spectral Orb of Phantam
The Spectral Orb of Phantam is a smooth, crystalline sphere that glows with a ghostly light, shifting between shades of blue, purple, and silver. Faint, swirling mists and shadowy forms can be seen within.
Skills:
- Ghostly Telekinesis: Allows the user to move objects telekinetically with precise control and considerable strength. - Spirit Shield: Generates a protective barrier of ethereal energy that absorbs both physical and magical attacks.
----------------------------------------
The real question is how I’m going to explain this to everyone. I shake my head and sigh. That’s the future me problem. I bond to my inspection ring causing it to turn into a tattoo once more and leave my Ring of Deception unbonded. I doubt I’ll run into anyone for next two years, so no need to clutter a spot with it.
I get up and groan. Still not fully healed. Noted. I walk to the bed and the Shirasaya. I pick up the sword and attach it to my back after scanning it.
----------------------------------------
Shirasaya -?
----------------------------------------
What the hell does the question mark even mean? Y’know what, that’s also a problem for the future me. I turn to stare at the bed. I’m taking you with me no matter what.
I move to the bat next and cut it open. I find an E-grade essence stone along with a single glove.
----------------------------------------
Common Hallucination Glove - E rank - Mental Affinity
Skills:
- Hallucinate: Allows the user to cause minor hallucinations upon touching another being.
----------------------------------------
Well, all that fighting to get an artifact I can’t use. I put it on to make it easier to carry. I move to the chest and open it to find an amulet.
----------------------------------------
Amulet of Life Steal - E rank - Force user
Skills:
- Replenish: Grants the user the ability to drain the life force of enemies upon striking them in combat, replenishing their own health in the process.
----------------------------------------
Why does this artifact sound so ominous? I wear the amulet and bind to it without a hitch. Now to move this damn bed. I walk up to it and put it over my head. I walk to the portal and it expands to accommodate the bed.
So fricking creepy. I walk out and I feel the atmosphere change from the stuffy cave to the windy night of rainforest. The portal I came out of disappears and I walk in a random direction.
I grunt at each step and do my best to ignore the animal calls. Not soon after I spot a large cave entrance.