Hundreds to thousands of cocoons zipped through space, each traveling in clusters through the uncharted cosmos. The prisoners lay motionless, eyes closed, encased in the transparent mana shells, oblivious to the asteroids and celestial bodies whizzing past them. Scott, however, remained conscious. Though trapped within the thick mana cocoon, he called out to his companions, but only silence answered him.
Even the monstrosities flying next to the prisoners lay still, mirroring the expressions of the champions from whom they had been formed.
This is the same thing that happened during the transfer from Nova Primus, Scott thought, gazing at his motionless companions, who lay as if sound asleep.
He surveyed his surroundings, his expression grave, noting the gigantic asteroids flashing past the cocoons and the distant stars in the background. The silence of space felt deafening.
Did they kick us out of the tower? Scott's visage darkened as his thoughts raced. He had considered many possibilities for where the mysterious Area D-15 might be, but the idea of being sent outside the tower had never crossed his mind.
"System, show me my stats," Scott asked mentally.
Instantly, his champion interface appeared before him, familiar yet altered with a few new details.
Champion Interface Basic Stats
Name: Scott Dorsey. Level: 50 Experience Points: 3000/5100 Void Limits: Infinite.
Race:
* Unknown!
Class: Voidweaver.
Party Members:
* Slim the Grim.
* Orion Audeus.
* Ember.
* Fi-Fi.
* Zara [Party Leader].
Title:
* Chaos Caller.
* Voidwaker.
* Calamity in charge of Area D-15.
* Minion 01.
Rank:
* 20.
Energy Sources:
* Nihilistic Zone.
* Abyssal Void.
Abnormal State: None. Blessings: Illusionary Mirror. Incarceration: Godsfall Island – Your sentence length is being investigated!
Achievements:
* You completed the 31,456th performance in the theater!
* Survivor of the Nihilistic Zone.
Sponsor: None!
Physical Stats Strength: 60 Agility: 61 Endurance: 60 Dexterity: 60 Toughness: 60
Skills Carpentry (Level 1). Running (Level 2). Survival (Level 6) Madness (Level ???) Hastur’s Gaze (Level 4) Hastur's Whisper (Level 2) Mental Manipulation (Level 5) Void Manipulation (Level ???) Party Communication (Level 2) Basic Eldritch casting (Level 2) Hammer Mastery (Level 3) Combat (Level 4) Fishing (Level 1). Void Bank (Level ???)
Hastur's Vessel
There’s a 55% chance your body will be possessed by Hastur the Unspeakable.
Temporary possession inactive!
Abilities [High-Tier]
* Void Manipulation: Control and traverse through nihilistic dimensions, creating portals and shadowy pathways.
* Eldritch Summoning: Call forth otherworldly creatures to fight alongside you, drawing power from ancient and chaotic energies.
* Energy Drain: Absorb the life force and energy from surroundings, weakening enemies and empowering yourself.
* Reality Warp: Manipulate reality to create illusions, distort space, and alter the battlefield to your advantage.
* Stealth Mastery: Utilize shadows and void energies to become nearly invisible, striking from hidden positions with devastating force.
* Void Infusion: Enhance your physical and magical attacks with dark, void-infused power, increasing their potency and adding debilitating effects.
* Imprint of Madness: All physical stats will rise by fifteen points. Odds of landing a critical strike increases by 32% when Imprint of Madness is activated. All physical stats will drop by 7 if mental state is overridden with madness. Limit: None!
* Mind Control: Odds of manipulating beings without mental resistance increases by 30%. Mind Control’s effectiveness increases by 30% when combined with Imprint of Madness.
* Mental Resistance: You’re immune to all mental attacks from beings below sainthood.
* Fusion: Empowered by a dragon’s mythical knowledge, you will be able to combine two or more synergistic abilities to create brand new abilities. Depending on the synergy between energy sources, it’s also possible to combine them. Warning! Fusion of energy sources could have unprecedented consequences.
* Tongue of All: You will understand every language, written and spoken, native or foreign to your world!
Quests
Main Quest: Stop all champions from accessing Area D-15 – Not Started! Side Quest: Announce yourself at the Point of no Return – Not Started!
Scott frowned, his gaze lingering on his new title. Calamity? I hope it’s not what I think it is. His frown deepened as a troubling thought emerged. He couldn’t shake off the feeling was sinking further and further into someone’s masterplan. After all, someone of his nature would never silently endure over a century in incarceration. The only question was, who was the elusive mastermind, and what did they hope to achieve?
Scott took a deep breath, emptying his mind of his wandering thoughts. Believing it was better to focus on what he could control. Although I can still see my interface, I’m not sure if we are still inside the tower or not, he mused, recalling that he could summon his interface back on Earth too.
Scott shook his head, dismissing the unproductive thoughts. He turned toward his companions, his gaze lingering on their status screens. Like him, they had sections detailing their incarceration. Slim, Zara, and Ember, however, had lost their Sponsors and shared the same Calamity title.
His eyes then shifted to the monstrosities, encased in even larger cocoons. As he watched, a new system notification appeared.
Status Screen Basic Stats
Level: 58-Temporary.
Class: Mimic.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Title:
* Calamity Incarnate.
Host-Mimic Synergy rate: 30%
Energy Sources:
* Host.
Physical Stats Strength: 70 Agility: 70 Endurance: 70 Dexterity: 70 Toughness: 70
Skills
Mimicry (Level 3) – Host dependent Skill.
Abilities [High-Tier]
Mimicry of Host’s Abilities: Abilities will be executed based on the hosts and mimics synergy rate. At 30% the host will only be able to exude at most 30% of their abilities via the mimic.
Quests
Main Quest: Attain complete synchronization with your host – Ongoing! Side Quest: Obey your host – Ongoing! Side Quest: Assimilate and replace your host once complete synchronization has been reached – Not Started. Side Quest: Stop champions from accessing Area D-20 – Not Started.
Scott’s brows shot up, his lips parting in surprise. He turned from one mimic to the next, scanning all of them in a single breath. His gaze finally settled on one mimic in particular, his astonishment evident. Unlike the others, which had similar or lower synergy rates to the first mimic, this one boasted a much higher rate. “Seventy-nine percent,” Scott muttered softly. “She’s not even going to know what hit her.”
He shook his head, relieved that none of them, except Orion, had recklessly explored the area. Even if they had formed mimics of their own, there was no telling how the gods or lesser gods would react if they found out they had attacked their mimics upon arrival. And there was also the possibility the mimics wouldn’t silently take a beating.
Scott turned away from the mimic, focusing instead on the surrounding emptiness. He wasn’t an astronomy student, and even if he were, he doubted he could discern which part of the ever-expanding universe they were traveling through. The occasional asteroid and distant stars provided little context.
The journey continued in silence; Scott lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, some of the cocoons diverted from the cluster, racing further into space before disappearing from Scott’s vision.
The voidweaver needed no explanation. He had already deduced that not all champions in the cluster were headed in the same direction. Despite having similar assignments, others were tasked with different areas and sectors.
Several days later, Scott noticed a massive orange sphere with scant patches of green, blue, and white in the distance. “What the hell is that?” he muttered, narrowing his gaze. It was the first celestial body he had seen in days.
More cocoons had departed from the cluster over the days, but a significant portion remained, each traveling toward the massive orange planet. The planet, shaped like Jupiter but without the rings, had darkish green and fluffy white clouds coating its atmosphere. Snowy lands dominated some sections while deserts spread across most of the surface.
The cocoons sped up, seemingly drawn by the planet’s gravitational field. Scott glanced at his companions, noticing they had begun to awaken, as had the rest of the prisoners. No one was fully conscious yet, but the signs of life were becoming more apparent.
The cocoons raced faster than ever, whizzing through space like asteroids determined to lay waste to all in their path. Fiery sparks illuminated the cocoons as they pierced the planet’s atmosphere. Inside, the prisoners began to stir, their faces creasing and twitching in discomfort. Cracks spread across the surface of the cocoons the further they descended.
Scott’s demeanor shifted, the voidweaver impatiently scanning his surroundings as they plummeted through the orange clouds. “Guys, can you hear me?” he called out via the party channel, but once again, silence answered him.
What are they thinking, sending people to another planet like this? Half of these bastards will be dead before they even know what hit them, Scott thought anxiously, his eyes fixed on the cracks spreading across the cocoon's surface.
In an unfamiliar planet with unknown laws, he couldn't predict how long they had before the cocoon struck land or sea. And then there was the question of what awaited them below. As Scott's thoughts raced, a distinct chime echoed within the cocoon. At that moment, all the prisoners, including their mimics, woke from their unconscious state. Before anyone could speak, the cocoons shattered.
“Holy shit!” Slim cursed, his form besieged by several clouds as he fell. “What the hell happened?” he roared, but the whistling wind swallowed his screams. The prisoners free-fell through the clouds, unable to activate any of their abilities, a restrictive force weighing down their bodies.
Welcome to Infernia! You will now be directed to your assigned area!
The restrictive force binding the prisoners separated them into different groups, forcing them to plunge faster toward the unknown, heads first.
“It’s too fast, I can’t see anything,” Zara said mentally, a swell of nausea bubbling in her stomach. “I think I’m going to puke,” she added as the wind crashed against her face. Blood rushed to her head, causing thick veins to bulge across her forehead.
Orion forced his eyes open, and they instantly exploded. The mage giggled, writhing in pain, but his eyes slowly regenerated, his delirious laughter intensifying. Ember, on the other hand, closed her eyes, trying to observe her surroundings with her other senses. Unfortunately, they traveled too fast for the dragonkin to notice anything.
“We’re getting close to the ground. Prepare for impact,” Scott declared mentally.
The restrictive force vanished abruptly, and at that same moment, a nihilistic zone appeared above and below the champions, instantly canceling their momentum. The blackened void disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the champions landed on the dusty ground with a resounding bang, raising a cloud of dust.
“Who the hell is in charge of that stupid thing?” Slim complained bitterly, waving his arm. The dust cloud instantly dispersed.
You have arrived at Area D-15! You are being watched by several gods and lesser gods!
Slim and his companions glanced at the system message, their gazes lingering on the forty-foot turquoise portal before them. Situated between the eroded halves of a mountain path, the portal exuded a comforting glow, pulsating slightly.
You must defend Area D-15 for a minimum of 90 days! Your mission will be considered a failure should any champion access the gateway! Penalty: Instant Death!
Please note the following rules! -Should a Calamity die, and without coming back to life, the mission will be considered a failure, but their sentence will be lifted. -Should a Calamity die, and resurrect via special means, their sentence will remain intact—no matter how many times they die and resurrect. -Should a Calamity possess the ability to transfer their consciousness to other beings or vessels, they will still need to fulfill their mission or face the consequences. -Should a Calamity flee from Infernia, via spatial abilities or any other means, they will instantly be eradicated. -Should a Calamity take over at least two areas within thirty days, they will be considered to have completed their mission! -An area can only be successfully taken over when the Calamity guarding it is eradicated! -The Council reserves the right to make judgments on any activity them deem contentious.
Rewards! Your sentence will be shortened by 1 year for every one champion eliminated. Your sentence will be shortened by 10 years for completing the mission. Your sentence will be shortened by 15 years for every area taken over.
Please note that regardless of a prisoner attaining the required number of years to wipe off their sentence, they will be required to complete all ten missions as they agreed!
Slim, Orion, Zara, and Ember stared at the system messages, a flurry of emotions running through their minds. Scott, however, approached the portal with gentle steps, stretching his hand toward it. Instantly, blackened pools formed beneath and within it, transforming the portal into a blackened abyssal gateway. Footsteps echoed in the ears of the champions, and they instinctively raised their heads.
“Prepare yourselves,” Scott said softly.