“Dreams are like the stars—infinite and ever so beautiful, sparkling iwilight of night, forever out of our reach. Thus, it is upon you te your own stars.”
~ Me
I had always heard that your entire life is supposed to fsh before your eyes at this moment. Yet, right now, in my case, there was a gring absehough I ot say what. As I face the end, it’s not my past that emerged. Instead, I find myself drawn into a dark dream of a realm where the Primordial of Magic reigns supreme, ah has lost her Life and purpose. I don’t know what to do… Should I embrace the dream and search for what has been lost, or bee the nightmare that tears it all down?
“By the t-three pilrs! D-Did it work, M-Mistress?” stammered a grating, nasal voice remi of an elderly man with a stutter. Igor, the embodiment of cliché character types, was the first parison that came to mind.
“Another failure, I’m afraid,” came the smooth and intoxigly seductive reply, reminding me of Elisabeth Hurley herself whispering sweet nothings. That voice stirred something within me. What? I’ve always had a thing firls with ats.
As my beautiful dream faded, I became aware of two trasting individuals versing nearby. Strangely, their voices were the only things I could focus on as I realized I couldn’t see.
Ah fuck, am I blind?!
fusion clouded my mind as I struggled to grasp what was happening.
I have to be dreaming! Wake up, Bke. Wake up!
...Please?
My body felt as though it was suspended in thick, murky fluid, every nerve and limb tingling with an uling numbness. Panic threatee through me, but I forced myself to remain calm as I tried to focus. Something was definitely wrong.
My mind must be pying trie! I’m not dead... am I? No, I’m in the hospital right now. Yeah, that’s it! I’m in the hospital... riiight?
Yes—oh shit! Did I really just answer myself? Crap, I’ve lost my mind… NOT AGAIN!
The thirst scorg my throat was nearly unbearable. I longed for a me water, but no sound emerged when I tried to speak. Fear crept in as I grappled with the true extent of my predit.
“What’s w-went wrong, M-Mistress?” stuttered the so-called Igor.
Mhmm... Yeah, I’m calling that nurse Igor from now on.
The thing about me is that I ofte to dark humor, swearing, goofy names, and sarcasm when I’m nervous, scared, or just for the hell of it—practically all the time. Holy, I’m just a sarcastid ical woman. I believe the correct term might be bitch, but that’s just semantics.
“The body was ie for the soul. Olin, dispose of the man’s remains auro the farmnds from whence he came—”
Remains? Oh shit! Am I in the mue? Don’t tell me I’m one of those people they mistakenly thought was dead a off to be buried!
“—We ’t risk the elves or humauring too deep into the forest, seeking their missing kin, and possibly stumbling upon this hidden dungeon. Should Lord Demidiot intervehe elders might well entomb me for a tury or tunishment for risking exposure of this moon’s st dungeon.”
Huh, I guess I’ll drop the name Igor. He really does seem more like an Olin, doesn’t he? But who is this Mistress, and why do I suddenly feel like I’ve developed a kink, ready to scream out, “Yes, Mistress!” at the crack of her whip—wait elves?
“S-Surely you jest! M-Mistress is too powerful for the to entomb.”
“Powerful or not, they would still try, as foolish as that may be. In any case, take the woman’s remains as well and make it seem as though a griffin got to them—”
Taking me as well? No. No. No! I’m not dead, damnit! What’s this about a griffin? None of this is making any sense!
“—And Olin, procure two more bodies for me, this time of the augmeype. Caster vessels appear to be tile for my purposes. No preferen gender—as long as the soul binds with the body, I’ll be... I’ll be utterly enraptured,” the st part was uttered as a soft whisper that tickled my senses. Still, I struggled to prehend what I was hearing.
“W-What about one of those g-goblins, M-Mistress?”
“Regrettably, Olin, we would enter the same problem as with the casters. While akin to neancy, the ritual I’m employing tio shatter the vessels from the inside, as if the e herself is forbidding it. Besides, I do not want my precious encased in such a detestable creature.
“I require something more resilient, hehe need for a magical enhaype, like an augmenter. However, should you e across a live caster, bring them to me regardless. Oh, the sheer delight of sinking my teeth into a sorcerer or healer is always so delectable.
“If only I had a phyctery, I could fo the need for a particur type of vessel and turn my precious into a powerful lich, but as, those are too dreadfully rare to e by. Mmm, just imagihe wicked deeds we could do together.”
“W-What about using the-the s-suck-you-bus?” I noticed a bit of a sinister delight behind Olin’s tone.
What the hell is going on? Did I pass out at a renfair or something? I’m not reliving a bad molly trip again, am I?
“It won’t work. That’s not her true body, but rather an alteration from her summoned soul... Oh, but that does give me a wonderful, delectable idea! On sed thought, Olin, take Van and... Niamh, if that damnable demoness will cooperate, along with a few skeletal knights, and raid Elsternwick to the east instead. Brihe remains of the sin and any living prisoners you capture; I feel a little famished. And Olin, e’s made to look like a border skirmish. Perhaps it will start a war with the Beastkin ahia, and we’ll go unnoticed with an overabundance of prey.”
“As you and, M-Mistress. And, uh, where is the... the s-summoned soul now?”
“WHAT?!”
What the hell were they talking about? This must be some cruel joke! Where am I? What’s going on? Ugh, Mom always did say drugs would eventually scramble my brain.
As a barrage of questions raced through my mind, a cacophony of chaos erupted arouhe sounds of metal and wood g against stone and gss shattering resounded, eg all around.
God, I wish I could see what’s happening.
“As you wish,” cooed a faint, almost ethereal woman’s voice.
Titan
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
Race Designation: Bck Pudding [EHA]
System Access Granted [SAG]
Racial Skills Activated [RSA]
Css Designation: Monster [CDM]
Loading Modules…
figuration plete.
Initializing Character Data…
Error.
Error.
Character Data Corruptioed.
Admin:\Magic>Login_
Corruption Overridden.
New Data Accepted.
Reinitializing Character Data…
plete.
Wele, USER [Bke].
V:\>
An array of text whizzed past me in the darkness, the first few lines barely registering in my mind, their tent nonsensical. The fleeting ss I mao catch reminded me of old-sS-DOS prompts, lines of code scrolling in frenzied overdrive as if an a puter were booting up.
Wait, w-what’s this? Hello? you hear me? Hello? Hello!
I shouted, trying to capture the attention of whht have spokeo my disappoi, there was no answer, no response, nothing—until the world around me suddenly snapped into view. It wasn’t the burst of Teicolor awe I had hoped for—you know, normal eyesight. Instead, I found myself viewing everything in stark bd white, which eculiar in itself. It resembled infrared, like the kind used in military surveilnce videos I’ve seen online. Most of my surroundings were enveloped in dark gray; some objects glowed white, while the rest varied in shades iween, but most were predominantly a mind-numbing dark gray.
What is going on—barf!
To my horror, the view kept expanding around me, unfurling like some insane panoramic se—all in bd white—well, gray, lots and lots of gray. The hat apahis strange vision was unbearable. I was experieng a full three-sixty-degree view, and my head spun wildly as a result. Worst of all, I couldn’t shut my eyes to it.
Ugh, Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. Well, not in Arizona; I’m thrilled not to be in Kansas—whatever, I’m going to be sick!
In my ed state, my head swirled as I took in, well, like I said, everything! I attempted to focus on a dark, seductive figure moving frantically, perfectly embodying the three ‘S’ stages of panic: sifting, shuffling, and smashing everything in her path. She was clearly searg for somethily what, I couldn’t say, but her desperation was unmistakable.
I once found myself in a simir situation, though in reverse—I was trying to hide the girl I was sleeping with from my soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. Needless to say, I failed miserably aed the ‘ex’ status. What! She cheated on me first… with the same girl. Don’t judge me; I’m cool with sharing. She was the greedy one.
It was when the seductive woman reached up towards me, grasped ay vial beside my head, and hurled it across the room, shattering it against the wall as she screamed in rage, that I noticed something else was off. Everything so far had been off, but this added another yer to the strangeness.
Where’s my body? Oh fuck… Am I just a head in a jar? Oh no. No. NO!
As I tried to focus on anything other than the shrouded woman of darkness, and the panic of not seeing a body beh my head in a jar, I couldn’t help but wonder—why was she so dark? Shouldn’t her body heat make her glow white in this realm of bd-white thermal vision? And why was it so challenging to focus on anything else? This entire panoramic view felt like a bad acid trip—though personally, I’ve always been more of a micro-shroom girl... not that I haven’t tried acid once or thriywaaay, I could really use a joint right about now.
Eventually, my gaze—or tration, attention, whatever you want to call this insane spiraling view—somewhat settled on a jar beside me. It was roughly my size, filled with thick swirling sludge, and its lid securely fastened, ensuring nothing inside could escape. When I shifted my i focus upward, I faced the uling realization that I was trapped in a predit eerily simir to the one encased in the jar beside me.
Eek! What is that crap?
A sensation seized me as I shifted my broken gaze to the substan the jar, a numbing cold tearing through me before I could fully process my thoughts. I should have anticipated what was i, but my senses were too muddled, overwhelmed by the annoying panoramisense. My attention lit, as though I were a cross-eyed spider, fixated on the murky sludge in the jar and the shadowy figure of the woman behind me—or in front of me, or beside me?
I ’t tell my face from my ass!
With this ing perspective, distinguishing my front from my back, or up from down, was a lost cause. In any case, the woman’s figure seemed to be reag up towards me... and then what? Well, let me tell you! It felt as though I was being raised skyward, remi of the absurdity of a rollercoaster’s ast. Just as expected from that bullshit, there was a sudden jolt as if I were being hurled to my death. What I say? I fug hate rollercoasters! The chaotic motion stopped as abruptly as it began, punctuated by the shattering of gss and a siing spt against a stone wall.
Ugh, that sucked.
Dazed and fused, I ached with an indescribable sensation as I felt my body slowly sliding down the wall. I was sliding down, right? Yes, it’s definitely down. And wait—that’s not pain. My body feels strange, but there isn’t any real paie the sensation of being liquefied like a bug against a windshield. But that’s ridiculous, isn’t it?
As I tinued sliding down within this murky fog of my new reality, I felt a solid surface scraping against me. It seemed as though I was slipping bad dowween what could be a wall and something wooden—
Wait, are these shelves?
I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, only gaining enough cohereo attempt movement after my dest had halted. Walking was out of the question, but crawling seemed somewhat doable, albeit awkwardly, like wriggling on my belly. I would have said breasts, but mine had always been too small—no, let’s say modest—for such descriptions. Anyway! Every inch forward felt like a battle. Eventually, I realized I was under something. Crap, I really had slid down and underh a set of shelving. But, that would be ridiculous. But. But. But then, that would mean...
Fuck, I am tiny.
Bewilderment clouded my thoughts as I grappled with the surrounding chaos. That woman’s sexy, ated, harsh words filled the air, apanied by the relentless discord of metal g with wood and the shattering of gss and stone. pletely disoriented, my senses faltered, uo decipher the unfolding pandemonium.
I’d bme this horrible view, but I think I’ve beaten that dead horse enough. Instead, my current fusion stems from having hit the wall with my head, body, and everything else, then slidiween it and a set of shelves, beh which I am now resting—or rather, hiding.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
Poison Status Detected [PSD]
Resist Status: Full Immunity [Active]
Applyiances…
Resistance Successful
Poison Effeullified
V:\>
What the—?!
Pain engulfed me, and my thoughts spiraled, leaving me feeling as though I’d been run over by a freight train. And to top it all off, I couldn’t tell if I was seeing a system notification or halluating.
This is what I get for reading too much manga!
Gratefully, the pain began to ebb as numbness rolled ba. Still, panic surged through me as I grappled with my bewildering predit.
Poison? How did I end up like this? Seriously, what the fuck is going on?
Desperatio my psyche, urgio flee this nightmarish situatiohere was ane within me, pellio stand my ground and fight!
If death is ing for me—I refuse to meet it lying down!
A flicker of relief ignited within me as I noticed something nearby, rge enough—or, more like, small enough—for me to climb on. Now, keep in mind I should have easily realized what this was, but e on, my whole world has just been flipped upside down, and my senses are in a bd-white whirlwind of nausea. I’m a bit out of it. Holy, I’ve been more coherent on college party nights, drowned in bckout drunkenness, than I am now.
I clutched at the eight-legged standing stool, mustering every ounce of strength to hoist myself up. Yet, as I began my ast, the objeder me disied as if made out of cotton dy, dissolving at my touch. At first, the sensation was akin to sinking into a plush beanbag chair or a fluffy cloud. However, the texture rapidly transformed, being granur and sweet, coating my senses with an uling sugary taste.
What is happening?
I couldn’t make sense of the bizarre circumstances, but I knew I o keep moving, to fight for my survival. A primal urge to escape, to fight, coursed through my veins. With determination fueling my every motion, I refused to let the sugar-coated snare drag me under as my stool shook and shuttered beh me.
An odd sensation enveloped me, and for a fleeting moment, I reveled in the warm, f embrace. However, the respite hemeral, as a tide of dread and disbelief washed over me.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
BattleResult
Enemy Defeated: [Escaped Dungeon Spiderling]
Level Up!
Current Level: 1
Level Milestone Achieved [LMA]
Racial Skill Unlocked: [Absorb]
Milesto Level: 5
Initiate [Absorb] on [Escaped Dungeon Spiderling]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
Rendered virtually brain-dead and speechless, my body felt peculiar, as though it was devoid of limbs. Yet, somehow, I mao crawl entirely atop... a spider? Ew! Within seds of receiving that gamer-like message, the spider beh me had pletely dissolved, sending shivers through me. The situation was a drum, a puzzle g out for resolution.
What have I bee?
Desperation g my sciousness. It was clear I was no longer human, so the lingering question was: what had I turned into? At this moment, even this little atheist found herself fervently praying not to be a mimic chest or some rotesque abomination jured from the depths of hell.
This ’t be happening. I must be dead or trapped in some twisted nightmare.
Yet, the sario was too surreal, too ludicrous. I had always yearned for a new life, a fresh start in another world, just like in all those light novels I relished. And now, here I was, a minuscule entity that had inexplicably ed a spider. I drew upon all my past gamer experiehe books and stories I’d read, and even my education—yep, a proud third-year college dropout! No major.
I scrutinized my circumstances, desperate for a clue, a hint of hope. Uanding my new form and its capabilities was critical. I remembered the earlier notification that had fshed by far too quickly for me to read, sparking a crucial realization. Then, it hit me—an epiphany: every RPG has a character sheet. ging to that sliver of hope, I summoned every bit of my strength and focused ily on one goal.
I mentally anded, Status!
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
CharacterStatus
Name: Bke
Rabsp; Bck Pudding
Css: Monster
Level: 1
Titles:
- None
Racial Skills:
- [Absorb]
- [Corrosive]
- [Thermal]
Spells:
- None
Abilities:
- None
Vulnerabilities:
- [Fire]
- [Holy]
Immunities:
- [Acid]
- [Darkness]
- [Disease]
- [Poison]
Uraits:
- [Polyglot]
Selectable Skills:
- [Stelr Void]
V:\>
A crushing wave of despair washed over me as the full weight of my predit became apparent. My humanity had been stripped away, leaviamorphosed—a big word, I know, but those three years in college weren’t for nothing—into a creature of tar and slime, a Bck Pudding, to be exact. This repugnay, a maion of dread and darkness, falls into the most loathsome category of slimes, if my memory of gaming lore holds up. You know, the type typically lurking in sewers, although I’m desperately hoping my recolles are off. The thought of being a sewer-dwelling, potential shit-eater is far from appealing.
Regret seeped into every thought as I reflected on my past life, wishing I had embraced more risks and lived more boldly. I mean, I did indulge a bit—ly the epitome of debauchery, but I certainly had my wild moments. Plenty of sex, a hint s, a dash of ro’ roll, though I may have had a tad of a vindictive streak, but who doesn’t. However, it feels like I’m kinda paying for some past misdeeds right now.
Am I being punished?
“Bloody pilrs! Olin, check the soul crystals on the shelves over there! The summoned soul couldn’t have gone far.”
“Y-yeses, M-Mistress.”
My heart raced with fear and anticipation as I straio dis any sounds that might clue me in on my surroundings. The swirling, disorienting view utterly shattered my tration, intensifying the difficulty of grasping my situation. The surrounding silence was broken only by what I initially mistook for the steady beating of my heart—wait, no, those were rhythmic footsteps approag. But then, where was my heartbeat?
Do I even have a heartbeat—or a heart?
Feeling like a drunk driver attempting a sobriety test, I shifted my focus to the Request A notification wavering before me. With a ton of desperation, I tried to mentally cli it, hoping for some trol amidst the chaos.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
RequestA
Do you wish to [Absorb] [Escaped Dungeon Spiderling]?
> YES
> NO
First-Time Alert: Dungeoies offer a heightened skill absorption success rate.
V:\>
If I’ve learned anything from tech user agreements, it’s that the specifics don’t matter as long as you click yes. So, I clicked yes, pnning to do the same for any popups that appeared until I eventually figured out what the fuck I was doing. Well… at least I tried to click yes. Everything inning on me.
After several attempts, I finally hit that infuriating, moving button!
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
SkillUpdate
[Absorb] [Escaped Dungeon Spiderling] Successful
New Selectable Skill Avaible:
> [Mana Focus]
V:\>
The sensation of tasting cotton dy intensified, sparking curiosity about whether I even had a mouth. As the absorption process enced, I was overwhelmed by flig feelings. I felt both slimy and oddly satisfied—not because the experience was unpleasant, but because, strangely, I e. It reminded me of the awkward thrill of my first threesome: fusi exhirating, full of uainty about what goes where and who licks and sucks what. Sure, I savored every moment, only to feel a tinge of guilt afterward—at least just the first time.
Despite the disfort from the peculiarly delightful sensation, a flicker of hope sparked within me. Now, bear in mind that the notification was swaying all around, making it a bit hard to read. All I really noticed was the word Focus, missing the entire text, and I got all giddy with hope. Perhaps this newfound skill could be my escape from the relentless panoramic kaleidoscope vision that was fraying my sanity.
“M-Mistress, these’s crystals are’s empties.”
“Ugh, get Niamh. It loathes me to admit I hat soul sucker and her Astral Insight. Losing my—our Dark Champion is not an option if we are to survive this era.”
“Ates once’s, M-Mistress.”
My heart sank as I heard the title Dark Champion beiioned. Of course, I had no clue what it meant, but anything that sounded dark and anonymous was never good. I sed my status sheet again, searg for any spells or abilities to aid me in this unfamiliar world.
I scrutinized my status sheet, which felt like trying to read through a funhouse mirror, looking for any skills that might help me navigate this bizarre, twisted reality. A ry caught my attention, a sliver of hope amidst the chaos enveloping me. As time pressed on, my desire tain clear vision and the ability to focus on one sihing grew strn the Mana portioirely, I selected what was listed as Mana Focus, hopeful for a solution. I mean, this Thermal was using magic or something, so maybe Mana Focus could help? I don’t know, I’m reag here for any glimmer of hope.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
SkillDetails
[Mana Focus]
Description: Acquire the capability to prehend mana through i sorcery.
Status: Inactive
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
Select [Mana Focus]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
A skill description notification appeared, and muy horror—I had more shit to read! Trying to read was a challenge—imagiempting to decipher text while bating motion siess in a car, specifically on a Formu Orack, then amplify that sensation a thousandfold during a massive twenty-car wreck. Oh! A’s not overlook the old-school puter formatting, which felt like reading braille. So, please, no judgments!
Amid my queasy struggle to read, one word stood out: prehend. Given my muddled state and the assumption that it reted to focus, I was vihis skill would be essential for being able to trate on a sihing. Desperate, I thought anything would be better than the current visual overload, even if it meant losing my eyesight at this point—I mean, my sense of smell retty ght now, so I’d take that over this bullshit.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
ActivateSpell
Seleg Spell: [Mana Focus]
Status: Active
Type: Spell
Activation: Passive
[Mana Focus] is now set as an active-passive.
V:\>
As the ability, spell, skill—whatchamacallit—activated, I tinued trating on my surroundings, hoping for either color or ao this annoying perspective—mainly the panoramic, though teicolor would be just a nice bonus. Perhaps I was overly focused on seeing color, because I got exactly that: the world suddeed in teicolor, revealing every detail in vibrant hues, yet still maintaining that stant three-hundred-and-sixty-degree panorama. ight have actually made it worse, as the rush of sensory input intensified, akin to a barrage of fireworks exploding simultaneously. Colors bleogether in a dizzying whirlwind, resembling a ival ride that never slows down. Oddly, none of the colors were what I expected, but there was too muake sense of anything.
I had thought the nausea and dizziness were bad before. As the siing feeling grew, I fought to keep whatever was in me down.
Ugh, do I even have a stomach?
The weight of my new reality bore down on me, with frustration and anger building with each dizzying moment. I was starting to loathe this dream—new life—nightmare? Despite my despair, I knew I had to keep moving forward, push through the disfort and uainty, and find a way to survive in this strange new world.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
Poisoed [PD]
Resist Status: Full Immunity [Active]
Applyiances…
Resistance Successful
Poison Effeullified
V:\>
What the shit is this?
Profanities flowed through my mind like a raging river as I tried to trate on the swaying notification. I could only make out something about poison, which likely meant another spiderling. I straio locate the creatures, their creepy little legs scurrying about like a horde of tap dancers, but my vision was an out-of-trol blur.
However, I discovered a little trick: by fog my awareness straight down at the ground instead of staring off into the dista didn’t help much—at all, really—but I did notie stant: a bck sludge resembling tar. Every twity muscles sent blobs of this vile, sticky liquid filing like writhiacles, leaving me feeling repulsed and sied as I realized—that was me!
I had never beeypical pretty girl, always the short and slightly curvy chick—well, maybe not that curvy, that’s just me being hard on myself—with a perma resting-bitch-face, sunless skin, green-dyed hair, bck lipstick, and a plethora of tattoos. But now, for the first time, I truly felt like the monster everyone else seemed to see in me.
A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I reminisced about my previous life, the person I used to be, Bke Lyanna Jefferson. I loo go ba time and recim that identity. Yet, deep down, I khere was urning to the past; I was trapped in this new reality as a Bck Pudding in a world filled with magid monsters.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
Poisoed [PD]
Poisoed [PD]
Poisoed [PD]
Resist Status: Full Immunity [Active]
Applyiances…
Resistance Successful
Poison Effeullified
V:\>
In a panic, I tried to scramble away, crawl, run, or do anything to escape, but it was too te. Three massive spiders had already uhemselves at me, their legs propelling them forward with terrifying speed; the skittering of their legs was my only indication of the impending doom. At least the system notifientioned something about poison being nullified, or else I’d already be dead. As they nded on me, I felt a surge of panid revulsion, my mind screaming to fight or flee. But then, just like before, I experienced a strange delight, a sweetness flooding my pores with the taste of cotton dy at the ty fair.
Despite their size—or my ck thereof—the spiderlings were no mate, dissolving into nothingness as soon as they touched my gooeyness. Yet, from the sounds of it, their remaining rades were uerred, skittering forward to take the pce of the fallen. Oer ahey approached me, each disiing into my body like cotton dy in water. The sensation was intoxig, like a drug I couldn’t resist. However, with each spiderling I ed, a part of me felt as though I was drifting further from my humanity.
What’s happening to me?
My mind was a chaotic whirlwind of emotions, fluctuatiween euphoria and disgust. I struggled to recile with my current diet. Not only had I transformed into a monster, but I was also embrag it mentally, being a ibalistic being—though, I hadn’t ed a human... yet. My meals were just spiders. That’s a on practi Asia, isn’t it? So, teically, there’s nothing wrong with eating spiders, right? Ha! heless, this realizatio shivers through my core, promptio pohe further horrors this ence might unveil.
g was out of the question—not that I had the eyes or tear ducts for it, but I’ve never been much of a crier, to begin with. The prospect of what I might evolve into was a bit scary yet strangely exhirating. Is that wrong? I was dev spiderlings—those are baby spiders, right? Anyway, I found myself sav the taste, trapped in this monstrous body with no apparent escape. It was an unimaginable nightmare, yet I found myself cherishing every moment. What does that say about me?
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
BattleResult
Enemies Defeated: 9 [Escaped Dungeon Spiderlings]
LEVEL UP!
LEVEL UP!
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 4
Milesto Level: 5
Initiate [Absorb] on 9 [Escaped Dungeon Spiderlings]?
> YES
> NO
V:\>
I mentally clicked, yes!
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
SkillUpdate
[Absorb] [Escaped Dungeon Spiderlings] Successful
New Selectable Skills Avaible:
- [Silk Webbing]
- [Spider Walk]
- [Venomous]
V:\>
Frustration and anger simmered inside me as I stared at the notification—then a peculiar realization struck.
I’m gring at it!
For the first time since my sight had returned, I could focus without the world overwhelming my senses. ill ed within me, yet my gaze g to the text with ued sharpness, as if my ck of physical eyes was just an illusion.
It was bizarre how ily I could trate despite the ing blur that filled my vision. The more I focused, the more the words sharpened, almost tangible, as if I could swipe them away with my gooey appendage.
This is so odd. Why am I not freaking out more?
Despite the lingering urge to expel my slimy guts, I managed rather well. A slight relief washed over me like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day, soothing the waves of hat had threateo overwhelm me. Although my panoramic view persisted, I discovered I could now pinpoint my focus under certain ditions. It was akin to haviive tunnel vision; I could zoom in on specific details while the periphery faded into a blur, remi of watg a vertical phone video horizontally—its edges softened, with only the ter remaining sharp.
However you describe it, this newfound crity was a wele reprieve from the relentless chaos. A wave of calm enveloped me, bolstering my fideo navigate this bizarre new world with newfound precisiarding those ditions I mentioned, well, this pinpoint focus—a bit of an exaggeration—seemed to only work when a system s was dispyed. It funed primarily around the edges of the ss; anything beyond that became blurry again.
The best analogy I could think of is like using your hand to make a pio focus your eyes—don't ask me why that works, but as a former tact lens wearer, I firm it does indeed help. In other words, it was a shitty temporary solution, which utterly sucked—but hey, I'd take it. Small victories!
“M-Mistress, eyes are’s r-r-r-returned’s withes Niamh’s.”
“Slow down, Olin. Don’t rush yourself when speaking. I would hate to repce you so soon.”
“Y-yeses, M-Mistress.”
“Niamh, if you would,” Aurelia insisted.
A new voice, feminine and tinged with both passion and annoyance, spoke sharply, “Thief,” she shen softehough still struggling to mask her utter pt, “I mean, Lady Aurelia, if I may—WHAT?!” She failed.
I didn’t o be a genius to realize that they were on the hunt for me. The sound of their versatio chills along my gooey skin, but as I tried to inch my way to safety, I realized that I had o go.
Perhaps there’s a mouse hole nearby, like in those old cartoons?
Strangely, however, I didn’t o move to survey my surroundings aermihat there was no hole in sight. At least I knew I was under a set of shelves. It was a small victory, but a victory heless.
Peering out from the edge of the shelf, I spied orio. The first creature, appearing to be a zombie houl, dispyed various stages of deposition. The stench was almost overwhelming, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation—it was disorienti fasating.
Am I salivating?
What the hell is wrong with me?
Shaking off the strange feeling, I averted my attention to the other two figures. Despite standing on opposite sides of the room, I found myself staring at both of them simultaneously, as if uo decide where to look first.
The woman in dark robes was breathtaking. Her long bck hair, pale skin, and red eyes made her resemble a ghostly apparition. Her robes shimmered like silk in the dlelight, drawing me inexorably to her.
This must be Aurelia.
The ure was like a sexual nightmare e to life. Stunningly beautiful, yet something in her gaze made my pudding crawl. Cd as if for a fetish club, with wings, horns, and a tail remi of a mythical creature, and those breasts—holy hell, they were practically spilling out of her leather bra. Despite her allure, my eyes inexplicably drifted back to Aurelia as if under a spell.
“Niamh, would you be so kind as to use your oversized snout to sniff out a mispced soul?”
The tensioween them alpable as they gred at each other with seething anger, each standing their ground on opposite ends of the room. It was as if they were moments away from tearing each other apart. My gaze shifted to the zombie-like creature, who was subtly ing his way back toward Aurelia, loyal as a guard dog. His movement triggered an intense desire to lu him, yet I mao restrain myself, a stark remihat I was not some mindless creature. I o remain hidden and vigint.
I could hear teeth grinding just before the demoness spoke. “And why, pray tell, is this soul so important, Aurelia? It’s not like you to care about a lowly soul.”
“Niamh, that is unimportant. Just do as you are anded, demon.”
“Oh, but it is, especially si’s us. I must admit, that’s an iing vessel you’ve chosen for it. So, Aurelia, what stops me from dev your little pet?”
“YOU WOULDN’T DARE!”
“Oh, but I would if I’m not given a reason not to.”
The air around me grew dense and foreboding as shadows seemed to slink into the room, dimming the flickering dlelight. A heavy aura of energy enveloped me, sending sharp, stabbing pains ay form, like a thousand needles pierg my skin simultaneously. Reality seemed to , with Aurelia at the epiter of this maelstrom of power.
V:\Assion>SAFE_MODE
Darkness Detected [DD]
Resist Status: Full Immunity [Active]
Applyiances…
Resistance Successful
Darkness Effeullified
V:\>
“Your reason is your life,” Aurelia hissed. No, really—she literally hissed! “Harm that soul, and I’ll be feasting on demon blood tonight!”
“Ha-hahaha! You’re so cute when you’re angry, little thief,” cooed Niamh, not missing a beat. “Don’t worry your pretty neancer head. Your pet is right below that shelf there. But do be careful. Its vessel is so very tiny. Ta-ta.”
As Niamh sauntered out of the room, her hips swayiively and her ughter eg behind her, I found myself again transfixed by Aurelia. Suddenly, her gaze locked onto me with an iy that made me feel like a deer caught in the headlights of an oning car.
Oh, shit!