“Beast Dominate… Failed. Just - What the hell are you?!”
She shouted loudly - her voice slightly trembling and her body shaking. I was beyond confused on what was happening. Why did her skill fail and why does she look so frightened all of a sudden?
I didn’t get a lot of time to stand there and contemplate what had happened, as the woman let out a furious howl - her body enveloped by flames, which formed into a large dome. The flames spun around her for a few seconds before shattering, as a tall, slender and rather beautiful creature now stood in the place where the woman was standing moments earlier.
The beast looked like a fox - a pure white one with this radiant, light blue glow all around its body. The fox had five large tails behind it, as well as these velvet like strands which wrapped around its front legs, before flowing back towards its tails - slightly waving, while having this hypnotising glow to them. The Fox looked at me with fully light blue eyes, glaring at me, before growling.
“I don’t know how you managed to escape my skill or what in the name of the Primal Dragons you are, but I will not go down!”
The fox announced with a loud, loud voice, before howling. Several spinning light blue circles appeared in the air above the fox, before the blue flames in the scorched forest around us began to flow into the circles - as if they were absorbing them. Afterwards, these spear-like things slowly came out of the circles, before flying at light speed towards me.
The first one, I didn’t manage to react in time and was hit with - knocking me back quite a bit, as well as making a small window pop up in front of me.
Health;
3952 / 12900
Oh for the love of god - I am starting to get low on my health stat…
I will guess that the second that number hits zero, I will die. Better start taking this even more seriously - I cannot afford to tank too many hits anymore.
As the next spear flew towards me, I quickly sunk into some nearby shadows before making a mad dash towards the fox-like beast. I had to get in as close as possible, so that I could use ‘Harvester’. As of right now, that skill is probably my best bet to actually beat this fox and get away with my life still intact.
As I rushed forward, I leapt out of the shadows and flew towards the fox, opening my jaw wide open - aiming to sink my teeth into its neck. However, the fox suddenly leapt up high into the air, before looking down at me with shining eyes. Then, it flipped the light blue circles around to face down towards me, before firing off many, many arrow-like projectiles from them. I quickly flipped around, landing back down onto the ground before using the shadows around me to create a shield above me, right as the barrage of projectiles rained down on me.
After the barrage had ended, I made the shield disappear, right as the fox appeared right above me, creating blue circles all around me at point blank range. I quickly coiled up my body and sprung myself up into the air like a spring, just mere moments before the fox fired off its attack - powerful flame pillars shooting from the circles and completely incinerating the spot I was standing on just moments prior. I looked down, before quickly creating as many small purple orbs in the air around me and firing off ‘Venom Bullet’ down at the fox - who quickly retaliated and formed a large shield of blue flames, before forming a bunch of blue flames orbs, which all then flew towards me - increasing in size as they approached.
I didn’t get enough time to react and was hit head on, getting sent flying through the air, before hitting a snapped and scorched tree trunk.
The fall most definitely was not a soft one…
Health;
1159 / 12900
“Shit… I have to be more careful… Come on Faofa - think, think - how do I win this?”
I thought shedding a sweat as I rose back up and looked towards the fox with a weakened expression, shedding a sweat. The fox just slowly approached me, its footsteps heavy and imposing. It looked like a legendary beast…. Like I had come face to face with a creature that people would worship.
All of my attacks are basically useless - I can’t get in close enough to use ‘Harvester’ against it, as it reacts to my moves way too fast and I will guess that running away is useless as well, as the thing was able to detect me while inside of the shadows. Things are not looking good here…
As I was stressing about what to do, a sudden menu popped up in front of me. I looked down at it confused, reading what was on it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Attention ]
Large amount of Spiritual Energy has been detected.
Use of [Devourer] has been permitted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My face changed from a nervous and unsure expression, to a grin of relief. It looks like I wasn’t out of the windwork or options just yet. Thank you Arabor - for blessing me with such useful skills at the very beginning of my journey.
The fox finally took an imposing and intimidating stand on a hill above me, looking down at me with a judgemental glare. Looking up back at it, I shed a sweat. I know I said I still had a chance, but I still have no solution to how I can get close enough for ‘Devourer’ to reach the beast…
“It’s over. Begone already.”
The fox stated, before howling loudly - the ground feeling like it was shaking from it. Then, a large blue circle appeared below me. Almost immediately, I recognised the incoming attack and dashed to get out of the circle. The fox scuffed before hitting its left front leg onto the ground, a large wall of flames forming around the blue circle - eliminating all shadows around me and completely trapping me.
I looked around nervously, before the fox glared at me with a menacing gaze.
“Farewell - Monster.”
“Who’s the real monster here?”
I thought before beginning to brainstorm. The light emitted by the large circle below me intensified and intensified more and more - causing me to become more and more nervous. Then, the fox let out one last howl, before the light became blinding. Then, from the circle blue flames erupted into a massive pillar - which stretched on high enough to pierce the clouds.
The flames completely incinerated the forest nearby and vaporised all the trees around it, as well as sent ripples of energy through the sky.
Then, after a few seconds it dissipated, the blue circle disappearing, not a trace of Faofa or anything else remaining. The fox scuffed before morphing back into the shape of the woman, who cracked her neck lightly before turning around.
“I avenged you sister - you can now rest easy.”
She stated, beginning to slowly move away from the scene. It took only a couple of steps for her before she stopped, looking around confused. Something felt off - like there was this lingering presence around her, constantly shifting. The woman cautiously looked around, examining the area around her.
…Was it just her imagination?
“Peekaboo.”
The woman's eyes widened as she flipped around and I just looked at her with a wide grin and shining golden eyes. Then, before she could do anything, I quickly sunk my teeth into the right side of her neck, activating ‘Harvester’ immediately. The woman let out a bloodcurling scream, before grabbing me and pulling me off, before tossing me away, stumbling back afterwards as she grabbed her bloodied right side of the neck, looking over to me.
I landed rather softly, before lightly licking my lips and looking at her with a fiery gaze.
Wounds have been healed.
Through [Harvester] you have been granted the status;
-Blood Hungry (+50% to Strength ; +25% to Health)
Just what I wanted to hear.
The woman breathed heavily, before letting out a loud and infuriating sounding roar - before many, many blue circles appeared in the air, completely surrounding me and her. Guess she was becoming desperate.
“Just disappear already! How do you live through all of my attacks!?”
She looked at me infuriated before firing off blazing spears from all the circles around us - all of the spears pointed at me and flying at me. I exhaled, before dashing forward as the flaming spears rained down on me. I dodged every single one of them, as well as occasionally used ‘Shadowlord’ to create a quick shield to block some of them, all the while making a mad dash towards the woman, who was still gripping her wound.
The woman looked a lot more nervous now as she stumbled back a bit more, before extending her free arm towards me.
“St-Stay back!”
She shouted, a circle appearing in her palm, before a large fireball was fired from it. I quickly leapt towards the fireball, before using ‘Devourer’ - the red mist leaving my body and quickly enveloping the fireball, stopping it before draining it and then returning to my body. Landing back down, I continued dashing towards her, while the woman backed up even more.
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“I said - stay back…!”
She shouted, firing off more and more fireballs, all the while the flaming spears continued to rain down towards me from all the rest of the circles around me. I dodged the first fireball, before creating a quick shadow shield to block the second. Afterwards, I used ‘Devourer’ to absorb the third and fourth fireball, before finally spinning around with my tail and slicing apart the fifth one.
My eyes shined bright gold, as I glared at the woman, who simply looked at me horrified. First, I used ‘Venom Bullet’ - firing off the purple projectiles at her at basically point blank range, which as anyone would expect, hit her head on. Then, I immediately followed that up with ‘Devourer’ - the red mist completely surrounding the woman, before engulfing her and draining the excess spiritual energy that was coming off of her body.
The woman let out a scream of agony, while the blue circles around us cracked, before shattering. I landed onto the ground, continuing to keep ‘Devourer’ active as long as possible to absorb as much of her spiritual energy as possible. The woman collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and overall looking like an absolute mess. ‘Devourer’ then deactivated, the red mist returning to my body alongside with all the spiritual energy I managed to absorb from the woman's body - filling me with this really, really strong sense of warmth.
A Massive amount of Spiritual Energy has been absorbed.
Epic Skill [Spiritual Flame] has evolved into the Arc Skill [Djinn].
Oooo - that sounds cool.
But I can check it out later - first, I gotta finish this whole thing. I looked at the weakened woman with a cold gaze, before exhaling and moving closer to her, before activating ‘Shadowlord’ - using the shadows below her to knock her up high into the air. The woman spat out the air inside her lungs, before looking down at Faofa with a blurry, fading vision.
The snake looked like a monster through and through by this point - Its body was dark and almost made of flames, its golden eyes shined bright like a pair of stars and its presence… It was so immense and intense that she felt like she would suffocate if she stayed near it too long.
“Gotcha!”
I shouted, before creating as many small purple orbs around me as possible and firing off ‘Venom Bullet’ at the woman - all of my projectiles hitting her head on and sending her flying back far, far away. I breathed heavily, feeling my adrenaline rush slowly fade - as I exhaled in relief and closed my eyes.
That was probably the closest and most terrifying experience of my life…
I was so close to dying that it honestly felt like it was worthless to keep fighting. However, just a moment before the large circle below me erupted in flames, a sudden voice in my head spoke.
[Trickster] has been activated.
After that - the world around me almost… changed. I was still in the same spot and the circle erupted, however I didn’t feel any of it. It was like I had suddenly turned into a ghost. I moved outside the circle, but the woman didn’t notice me. Her attack was fired off successfully, but I didn’t feel a thing from it - not even the heat. It was so strange - but at the same time, I did not complain or question it much. It appeared that the skill ‘Trickster’ had allowed me to completely escape the circle with ease. And after the woman finished her attack, I was able to approach her without her noticing me.
In a way, it felt like it was ‘Presence Erase’ but stronger and I could actually move while it was active.
Shaking my head, I looked around before leaping into some nearby shadows. Looking around, I spotted the woman's shadow a bit farther away from me, laying next to a tree, grasping her chest. Shedding a sweat, I nervously approached her, slithering towards her with caution.
Once I was close enough, I came out of the shadows just in front of her - and the sight before me as soon as I came out, was not pretty at all. She was battered and beaten up heavily with blood soaking the ground around her and purple poison across her body. The woman was breathing heavily, all the while her presence was faint and barely noticeable.
I looked at her sceptically, unsure whether or not I should get closer.
“Come on… finish the job already monster….”
She suddenly murmured, catching me off guard.
I looked around, before slithering up towards her upper body, with the woman turning to look at me, her eyes filled with exhaustion and even a glimmer of sadness. Seeing me, she grit her teeth.
“Why are you just standing there and looking at me…? Come on! Finish me off! Do it, let me…”
The woman closed her eyes, tears forming lightly at her eyes as she rested her hair back against the tree trunk.
“...Let me be with my sister again at least…”
The woman cried, with her expression that of utter defeat. I simply stared at her in silence, unable to move an inch of my body. The sight of the woman's current state and her desperation in her voice to be finished off… It scared me. I felt dread - like my stomach was turning and my heart was being ripped in two. I know that she literally just tried to kill me…
But even then, I am not so heartless to not recognise the scene before me. It felt… familiar.
“...Was your sister a creature with six tails?”
I asked.
The woman looked at me slightly confused as well as startled, as if she hadn’t anticipated my ability to converse with her. After a moment or two, she nodded lightly.
I had a feeling it was the case. The sister she just called out to - it was the same girl that I had seen and ran from a couple of days ago - it had to be. But… Why did she come to find me and kill me over her? Did she assume that I killed her…?
I thought about it for a bit, before exhaling.
“Why did you come to kill me?”
The woman looked hesitant to answer, before coughing and slightly pushing herself back, leaning her back against the tree trunk behind her. Then, she exhaled heavily.
“You’re a monster… Why should I explain myself to you?”
She spat at me with a sharp tone, looking at me furious.
“And besides… You… You should know what you did. You killed her… I saw you…”
As soon as she said that, only being cut off by her cough at the end, I immediately realised that my guess was right - she had assumed that it was me who killed that girl that I had run away from desperately a few days ago. She was out for revenge for her sister - that was the story.
The woman cried lightly, her appearance even more depressing than it was already.
I stood there silently, unsure what I should say or even do in this situation. I wasn’t the type to be able to talk to people or comfort them - If I was that kind of person, perhaps my previous life wouldn’t have been so… miserable.
I thought about it for a bit, before sighing and slithering closer to her and then leapt onto her lap, coiling up and looking up at the woman, who looked down at me with teary eyes. She sniffled, looking at her confused.
“...I didn’t kill your sister - I was in no way strong enough to do so at the time. All I did was…. Basically reap the rewards from someone else's kill.”
I explained looking down a bit.
I didn’t exactly want to tell the woman about my special ‘Devourer’ skill, as I assume it wasn’t something common or well known in the world, however at the same time, it was hard to explain what I was doing with the small girl's corpse without telling her about it. The woman immediately fell dumbfounded and lost for words, before scuffing.
“And why should I believe you? When I arrived at the scene, you were over her dead body and… And…”
Her voice cut off as she looked to the side.
I remained silent for a bit, before shaking my head.
“...You don’t have to believe me… But I really didn’t do it. It was a strange man, who appeared out of nowhere and used these strange attacks made from his blood…”
I spoke softly, thinking about my wording carefully to give as good of a descriptive scene as I could.
“He killed her - he grabbed her by her neck and snapped it! I… I watched it happen.”
I closed my eyes, sinking slightly into my body.
The woman sat there in slight disbelief, before exhaling.
“...It makes sense now… Of course - her pendant was missing when I found her body. And seeing as you are a monster who wouldn’t have any use for it, it makes sense that a human killed her…”
She stated softly, before shaking her head, gritting her teeth and squeezing her hands into tight, tight fists. I could basically feel her anger and annoyance in this situation. It seemed as though, despite her statements about ‘a reason to believe’, she did in fact believe me.
I remained silent for a bit, while the woman took in a deep breath and looked at me with a forgiving expression.
“I’m sorry, little serpent. I attacked you under my own false misinterpretation of the situation as well as tried to kill you… I should have thought about it more rationally.”
“Hey - don’t be apologetic… you saw what you saw and assumed what you assumed. I would have done the same.”
I spoke, trying to comfort her to the best of my abilities. The woman shook her head, before patting my head lightly, smiling.
“You’re a terrifying monster… You can talk, your energy is unlike anything I've seen before… It makes me wonder what you are.”
She stated while gently petting my head. It felt a bit strange to feel the warmth of her hands against my scales at first, however that warmth quickly began to disappear and fade away, before her hand suddenly turned slowly to dust. I looked at it confused before looking at the woman.
“It appears my spiritual energy has run out… God damnit… Right as I also discovered the true culprit behind my sister's death…”
The woman said with an annoyed tone, gritting her teeth before lowering her arm back to her side. Then, she looked at me with a hopeful gaze.
“...Monster? Can you do me… a favour?”
Hearing her voice asking for a favour, I immediately lifted my head up out of my body and looked at her with a rather excited gaze.
“O-Of course! What do you need?”
After hearing her side and realising what all of this was about, as well as understanding that her life most certainly was coming to an end, judging off of her fading appearance and terrible condition, I felt like I had an obligation to help her in any way I still could - so if there was a favour I could do for her, I would.
“I want you to find that man… and please - give him what he deserves. Can you promise me to do that?”
!!! { Attention } !!!
Kitsune ‘Iyka’ wishes to make a Soul Pact with you.
[ Accept / Deny ]
A soul pact? Is that something similar to the ‘Essence Vow’ that me and Arabor made when I first arrived to the world? I was a bit startled by the sudden window, as well as slightly confused about the contents of it. However, after a bit of thinking, I exhaled and selected the ‘Accept’ option.
“Don’t worry - I promise to find him.”
I stated, smiling lightly. The woman smiled back at me slightly, before closing her eyes. I felt a strong, warm feeling appear in my body, before white chains appeared and wrapped around me and the woman. The chains tightened around us both as much as possible, before shattering into white dust.
The dust then quickly absorbed into my body and then the woman.
Soul Pact with the Individual ‘Iyka’ has been established.
“Thank you… And once again, I’m sorry.”
She stated, before her body began to crack and break apart, slowly fading away. I looked at her slightly saddened, before smiling again.
“Don’t apologise - It’ll make me feel worse about myself.”
The woman let out a small chuckle, before her entire body cracked and broke apart, fading into dust which slowly rose into the sky. I fell down onto the ground as her body disappeared and vanished - simply looking up to the sky above and remaining silent. There she went… Moving onto the next world and hopefully reuniting with her sister.
Though I barely knew her and she tried to kill me, I felt a bit… Sad. A bit… sorrowful.
I watched the sky for a little bit longer, before looking around me. It was time to get out of here before those humans that she had beaten come investigating. I quickly sunk into the shadows and rushed away, within seconds leaving the destroyed and scorched part of the forest and returning back into the lush green and dense forest range once more.
Once there, I hopped out of the shadows and looked back one last toward the area, just watching it silently. Then, exhaling lightly as I turned away, I slithered off into the forest, leaving behind the scene of battle.
