Post by RedDeadReaper7 3:44 AM April 5th, 20XX

So, I started playing the PPVS and became a member of this race of blueish aliens. They have three genders and a hive mind. It’s weird but so cool! I have just enough free will to go adventuring but enough of a hive mind to work perfectly in sync with my fellow party members. It’s wild. You gotta try it!

[https://www.tanyarochester.com/uploads/5/4/5/5/54553809/lore3_orig.png]

There were many ways I could exterminate these rats. I could use poison, but that was expensive and would take too long. I could run around while kiting them to slaughter them one by one. My skills were high enough that I could avoid them easily as long as I made no mistakes. Of course, I vetoed that option since I’d need the energy to get through the rest of the dungeon. No, instead I decided on my favorite thing. Music.

I found a hidden alcove and blended into my surroundings. With a flick of my wrist, I brought out my Lutzithen. It’s magic would force it to stay perfectly in tune so I merely rested my fingers against the strings and gently played, “The Lullaby.” I made the notes barely audible and drifted them over the rat-infested cavern.

The brief thought floated through my mind that I might accidentally catch Mia. My fingers almost tripped over the chords, but I persevered. I’d seen her stalk a rat down a side tunnel so this was a perfect time.

As the song went on, I could feel my listeners fall under its power. Time to push it. Slowly, gently, the sound grew louder. Beautiful notes appeared, like the rushing bubble of a river, the soft sound of snow falling and the crackle of a burning fire. These sounds turned into feelings. The warmth of steaming cinnamon milk. A fluffy blanket. Cloud mattresses. Bedtime cuddles from a loved one. Happy dreams.

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Now.

I stood from my spot and walked while playing, keeping time with each step. Each of the rats I encountered had fallen asleep. It was expected since I was levels above them all and had my Sound Manipulation skill in the advanced levels. After I checked every single rat to ensure their unconsciousness I sang the last lines.

“This somniferous sound lulls you to the bedded ground. Safe. So just close your eyes. And go to sleep. Go to sleep...”

I breathed out and sent my instrument back into its space. I bit my lip as I looked at them and equipped a cheap bow and quiver since there were too many for me to deal with quickly with magic. And I didn’t have a lot of time, considering they could wake up at any moment.

I knocked and arrow, pulled back and released. With a soft thunk it embedded into a nearby rat. But that was just the beginning.

I kept pulling and kept killing.

Boom!

A rat nearest to the tunnel Mia had traveled down twitched and turned its head. It was starting to wake up! I let loose several arrows to kill it before it fully rose.

Boom!

A muscle in my jaw ticked. I told her to go assassinate a rat and level her stealth skills. Just what was she doing causing explosions all over the place?

Several more rats started to wake up. I closed my eyes. If they woke up now I’d have to start kiting them and I really didn’t want to do that. I was almost done!

Then I had an idea and began to sing again, this time a song of sleeping during battle. Sleeping to the sounds of magic blasts and war drums. Sleeping to a chorus of whistling arrows and cries for help. Sleeping.

And as I sang, I killed. And as more soft noises echoed from Mia’s tunnel, I used that sound to weave a deeper web of sleep.

Congratulations! Due to your constant creative use of Sound Manipulation, your skill has leveled to 68!

I grinned. A new skill level!

Well, I guess wouldn’t be hard on her because of this after all.