Stage 13: Gourmet Nightmare.

- "I don't know how you managed to get out of my trap, but don't even think you can escape from this place!" – Gritting her teeth to the point of sinking her fangs into her lower lip, Angela threw herself in front of me with the edge of her scythe crashing against my sword. Emitting light sparks as a result of the friction of the metals that creaked in the echo of that dark cave. Dimly lit by the remnants of my spell already beginning to fade.

Moving my feet precisely dodging the imperfections in the rocky ground, I found it difficult to keep up with the chimera's incessant attacks, landing each blow one after the other. My arms trembled at times, reaching to cause slight cuts on the skin of my face.

- "User, the mana regeneration rate is starting to slow down. Do you wish to enter draconic mode ?"

- "So that?"

- "Silly! Have you already forgotten how you faced Asmodeus last time? You just focus on the battle and I'll take care of the rest along with this idiot spirit."

- "I am not a spirit, to be precise I am a sophisticated artificial intelligence unit"

- "Damn, shut up both of you!" – Breaking my concentration due to the discussion between Faust and the Oracle , Angela took advantage of the opening to change the rhythm of her attacks, turning on her left leg to deliver a roundhouse kick that I connected with my right side. Throwing me against one of the walls of the cave, throwing himself at me again while trying to block the blade of his weapon.

- "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Is this all you have cuteness? A few moments ago you were so arrogant in front of me and now you can barely keep up with me. And that, I'm just warming up" – Vanishing her weapon in the air, Angela transformed her body into a tumultuous group of bats, which began to bite me in every part of my body, draining my blood with each suck.

- " Ignis aura" – Seeing myself overwhelmed by their attacks, I cast a spell on myself to project an incandescent aura that managed to reach a few of the bats. Leaving the others to regroup to re-shape Angela once more.

Unlike our first encounter, the chimera's appearance drastically changed to the degree of taking on a renewed body with no signs of rot or wear. A brown skin and amber eyes, in his fleshy lips he revealed his fangs from which he still licked a little of the blood that had drained me.

- " Mmmmm , this blood is a delicacy that I had not tasted in years. That sweet taste of fear, the essence of virginal purity and your look, darling, that look of lamb makes me want to take my time and play wonderful things with you" – Seeing the way she writhed her body in excitement, I felt chills that made me shaking my shoulders without being able to avoid putting my displeasure face on him.

Causing with it that Angela was enraged, and manifested her scythe once more, but unlike the beginning of our fight, that weapon glowed in a sinister crimson aura.

- "Master Asmodeus is a man of fine tastes, as you can see, he put me together part by part in a way that, despite being pieces of different bodies, all harmonize to the degree of a perfect symphony in time. But you know, lately my legs and arms feel a bit stiff; but since you are here, it would be good for me to take yours to replace my damaged parts" – Increasing the speed of their attacks with every second, I was forced to move from that place to avoid that the shock of our blows could hurt Sandra that remained on the ground.

- "Come on silly! Stop running away and let me taste your skin, I promise to give you unparalleled ecstasy before I kill you."

- " Fuck you fucking harpy!" – Following the route we took on the way to the steel door, little by little I saw the lighting of the torches as we approached the hole through which we had fallen into the cavern.

- "User, the system is efficiently synchronized with the draconic function . Do you want to access?"

- "Yes, do it now!" – Right at the moment that Angela threw her scythe trying to cut me in two, the draconic form activated giving me wings with which I projected myself towards the hole until my body reached the outside.

The sun that was setting on the horizon, bathing the tops of the mountains, emitted an intense reflection that blinded me for an instant, forcing me to cover my eyes due to the gloom that surrounded me in the cave.

- "Where do you think you're going, sweetie?" – Getting on top of me, Angela projected a crescent kick on my head, impacting me with the heel of her boot. Making me hit the ground leaving a crater from the force of the impact.

- "Amelia, you also noticed, right?"

- "Yes, Faust. Its strength is increasing and I think I know why" – The beasts that were grazing in the meadows, one by one fell to the ground with their bodies consumed to the bone. While a flow of blood flew through the air to the silhouette that was floating above me.

Angela's skin was changing once more, going from that pale aspect to one where her flesh was appreciated in an intense red color. Expanding its wings that perfectly simulated the shape of a dragon's.

- "Oh yeah! This blood is good for my complexion. I must thank you for having the wonderful idea of bringing us to the surface. So we can move more freely compared to that stinking cave." – Trading its scythe for a pair of twin blades, the chimera launched itself out of the sky, wielding its weapons forward in a drill spin, sucking the air around it while crushing any substance or object that crossed its path.

- " died lapidei " – Moving in a more agile way thanks to the power of Faust, I moved away from Angela putting rock walls between us trying to buy time while reciting an incantation that could stop her.

- "Amelia, why don't you use that spell you used against Asmodeus 's pawns ?"

- "Faust, that spell is taboo! You forgot it already?"

- "Silly girl! Your opponent is not a living being, it is just a doll with human parts" – Despite the fact that he felt a deep respect for Sara and her teachings, at that moment the ancient dragon was right about Angela. His power was not based on anything other than the act of snatching the vital essence of every living being to gain strength. To attack her in the same way would only be to balance the scales once again.

- "Magnus lapis testudine " – Stopping suddenly putting my knees on the ground, I raised my arm and changed the shape of my weapon to that of a staff, intoning the chant that completely surrounded me with a thick layer of rock that was regenerating while mixing the runic chants with those of the life steal spell.

- "Come on get out of there! I want to continue playing with you, don't be shy" – Destroying layer after layer of the bark that served as my shield, the chimera soon realized that its battle form was fading until leaving it again as at the beginning of our combat.

- "Damned! What have you done to me?" – Tearing down my wall, the image in front of me was that of Angela lying on the ground with barely a dry appearance like a tree branch. To which I returned the favor, kicking her hard until her body was a few steps from the door of the alchemist's workshop.

- "Get away from me, don't follow me!" – Running clumsily grabbing the arm that almost came off at the seams, the chimera kicked the workshop door and went into the shadows of that ancient building.

Following her to deal the final blow, I stepped over the threshold of the door, seeing all sorts of artifacts that were gathering dust and footprints marked on the dilapidated stone floor. That, as I followed them, they took me through rooms that one after the other contained elements that were typical of a sick mind.

- "This place is horrible" – Illuminated by a dim light that came from inside, glass containers housed the bodies of different specimens ranging from dwarves, elves and even humans. Who reflected on their faces a peaceful appearance as if they were sunk in a deep sleep from which they could not wake up.

- "There is definitely no salvation for them anymore Amelia, don't push your luck. The souls of these beings have already left this world for years. There are nothing left but simple shells here"

- "I know, Faustus, I'm aware of it" – As I held my staff up with a lighting spell, I clenched my fists in rage at the thought that Asmodeus 's machinations would continue anywhere in that vast world. Unless someone stood up to him to end his ominous existence.

- "Leave me, I told you to let go of me damn!" – A woman's scream made me run towards a metallic door at the end of the corridor of that laboratory that was partially open, pushing the heavy plate until I could get half my body inside.

- "Please help!" – Angela, the vain chimera, had tears of black fluid in her eyes while an expression of despair was reflected on her face, while she extended her right arm as if trying to reach me.

- "What the hell is that?" – Coming from a container whose glass was shattered, a kind of pinkish viscous substance had engulfed the body of the chimera from the waist down.

- "It hurts, it hurts a lot! Please, you have to help me."

- "User, I detect signs of intelligent life in that organism" - Projecting some slimy tentacles from the center of its body to the door where I was stuck, the force of the impact sent me flying out of the room barely clearing the heavy plate of metal that was embedded in the wall above my head.

- "Girl, let's get out of here!"

- "I agree with the underdeveloped form, dear user"

- "What did you say insect?"

- "Oh the devil, shut up!" – Getting up from the ground running in a hurry, that mysterious being broke the walls of the room chasing me while it swallowed everything in its path until it dissolved completely. Even the specimens that still remained inert in their containers were dissolved by that mass that was taking on greater volume and speed.

The instant I flew out of the lab's main door to safety in the sky, the creature completely destroyed the roof of the place, dropping debris as it revealed its form in the last rays of the afternoon sun.

- "Identified life form, specimen from Limacus Flavus Titan in its embryonic phase"

- "Are you telling me that crap is a slug?"

- "Affirmative user, but unlike the slugs of your world. This species in its adult phase can reach 20 meters in height, the specimen on land is barely what you would call a baby "

- "Don't fuck with me! That thing is a baby!" – Without being able to hide the stupid expression on my face when I found out the identity of the monster in the laboratory, I felt how a tentacle grabbed my leg while it knocked me out of the air, slamming me violently against the ground. Quickly pulling me into what appeared to be a slimy body cavity, where I could see in horror in the distance, Angela's partially dissolved body.

- "No no no! Leave me, I'm not food" – Cutting the tentacle that held me, I rose to the sky again beating my wings with the hope of being able to avoid it. As the beast projected its tentacles one after another to have a chance to devour me.

- "Oracle, where is the nearest ocean?"

- "User, we are still in the autumn season. Maybe I should wait for summer and a good diet to go to the beach"

- "Hey you fucking idiot! First of all, stop making fun of me being overweight and second, we need salt to kill that thing."

- "Negative"

- "Than?"

- "Amelia, the only thing that can kill those slugs is fire or a large-scale freezing spell" - Sighing in annoyance, Fausto tried to make me calm down before the enemy we were fighting.

- "User, I must inform you something"

- "And now that?"

- "The Limacus Flavus is beginning to move towards the east" – A few kilometers from Crom, the town of Lithos , a tourist city known for its high influx in the winter period due to its snowy mountains, was crowded with people who were unaware of the danger that it had started.

Like a predator that has sniffed out desirable prey, the slug began to move on its tentacles like the tracks of a tank.

- "You're kidding? That thing doesn't move like a slug" – Flying after her in pursuit, I tried to get her attention by shooting continuous bursts of fireballs at her body, barely making slight scratches that only provoked her by throwing balls of acid at me that she spit out from some body orifices in her back.

Barely dodging them for a bit of space, he watched in horror as that substance dissolved even the earth, leaving large craters on the ground, withering all the vegetation that was around the impact.

- "Faust! Do you think we can do the same trick we used with Asmodeus ?"

- "Girl, we barely have mana left to maintain the flight spell and your life drain spell doesn't work on that monster" – Tightening my staff tightly, I felt my blood boil with rage as I realized that even with the power of Fausto it was impossible to face that beast.

- "Oracle, I have an idea. Do a topographic mapping of the area in front of the slug and locate heat sources above that idiot's body mass index" – Showing me the interface of the system, the oracle of the world began to make a series of calculations on a topographic projection of the plain and the mountain ranges before the beast. At the same time that I carried my hand against my chest, reciting a series of chained incantations that gradually caused the clouds in the sky to gather above us.

- "Target located, strong heat activity has been detected at eighty degrees north latitude."

- "Very well, let's get in front of this glutton to provoke him"

- "Amelia, what do you want?" – With an air of skepticism, Fausto's voice seemed not to understand the intentions of my plan, while I began to provoke the wrath of the slug, making it change its course.

- "You know Fausto, when you are a free player you have to deal with the whales who use their wallets to compensate for their shortcomings as players. And that is precisely what we are going to do with this whale" – The moment I saw that my enemy was closer to catching me, I cast the spell that I was casting on the top of one of the mountains.

- "Magna glaciers pugiones " – A series of sharp ice floes fell from the sky one after the other, impacting the rock of the summit until a dense mist of ice and debris formed in the air. Throwing myself at full speed to land on the ground bombarded by my latest attack, which was met with cracks from which a sulfurous-scented vapor emanated.

The ground beneath my feet trembled, announcing the arrival of the slug, which suddenly roared wildly, slamming its body against the ground, its tentacles projecting as it raised my stone walls to cast one last spell.

- "You asked me what my plan was, dear Fausto. Well, this is my damn plan" – Concentrating my mana flow on my right fist, I hit the ground releasing a spell that went through the crust of the mountain to where the heat source was.

- "This is the end of the game for you, slug. These pwned " – As if a tremor shook the crater dome on top of the mountain, pillars of incandescent material flowed from the cracks where the steam leaked. Collapsing the ground beneath the beast, throwing it into a glowing ocean of magma, which began to scorch her, making her moan in pain.

- "Checkmate you moron!"

- "Congratulations user! Has defeated the Limacus Flavus " – Any self-respecting player should keep two things in mind in online combat. The first is that a strategy, no matter how good it may be, will always have its weak points. And the second, but no less important, is that the other player will not always admit defeat.

- "Amelia, rise up!" – In a split second, unable to react in time. One of the slug's tentacles held me by the waist, encircling my arms, putting the tip of that tentacle in my mouth, preventing me from reciting any spell to defend myself.

Slowly sinking into the sea of magma, the slug writhed violently as the blazing fire devoured it bit by bit, making it clench its tentacle tightly. Breaking my arms and collapsing my lungs as blood flowed from my nostrils.

- "Amelia resists!" – Fausto's voice sounded so distant, I felt my body stop aching while my consciousness was gradually lost, as the suffocating heat of the lava began to roast my skin, burning my clothes.

- "Sister? Does it hurt a lot?" – As they say, the moments before death bring to mind events of our life as if they were fragments of films. As a subconscious preparation to rationally face the inevitable end.

That memory was from when I was barely twelve years old and I was learning to cook to stop buying pre-cooked food in the supermarket. With Akemi at an early age of development, that junk food was useless in providing him with the necessary nutrients for good growth.

Watching some watchtube videos , I thought it would be as easy to learn how to cook as it was to see the reviews of the games that were starting to interest me back then. But I awkwardly realized that as a brat who has never touched a stove in her life, it would be dangerous to venture into cooking without knowing the basics of safety.

The next day with my hand burned by the oil, I knocked on our neighbor's door and asked her to please teach me how to cook. Mrs. Hellen was a woman in her fifties who was surrounded by a large number of cats in her apartment.

Enjoying early retirement due to glaucoma, that woman used her time mostly cooking for church events in the city where we lived. To which he occasionally invited my sister and me, I think that to be nice to see us alone with our father outside all day.

- "It is normal for you to burn yourself with the oil if you directly add the meat to the pan when it is hot. Even more so if you take it out of the freezer and don't let the ice layer melt" – With that severe but kind tone, Mrs. Hellen showed me the difference in oil when I put a piece of warm meat and another frozen one.

- "You know, I used to work at a metallurgical plant as a production supervisor. Sometimes when I made my rounds, I would see how the employees endured that scorching heat by throwing buckets of water over their bodies from time to time. They were amazing indeed.

One time when one of them talked to me to flirt with me, he explained to me that they used a physical effect on it. I think they called it leidenfrost " – Taking me out of my trance, that memory gave me back the desire to fight, betting everything on a single play that came to my mind at that moment.

Biting the tentacle of my mouth, I spit out that piece of meat and chanted with the last of my mana flowing through my body. Creating a layer of ice that covered my skin, while I sank into that lava pit.

Just like Mrs. Hellen said, the leidenfrost effect helped me resist under the magma while the tentacle that held me was completely destroyed. Freeing me on the spot, but being unable to swim with my fractured arms.

Feeling how my eyeballs were exploding from the heat, my body was plunged into darkness waiting for the last layer of ice to dissolve, leaving me defenseless in the infernal coffin inside the mountain crater .

It was then that a strong jolt propelled my body out of the magma, lifting me up through the air until I fell suddenly on the rocks of the dome.

- "Damn fat cow, don't die! Wake up" – A familiar voice but different in essence, reverberated in my eardrums that little by little began to regenerate through an alchemy technique.

- "Thank God, you're alive!" – When I opened my eyes, a blurry face of a girl seemed to wipe her tears with a gnawed cloth sleeve. Surprising me in a great way, when contemplating it once my eyes recovered clarity.

With a fully developed body and waist-length hair, the woman in front of me wore a torn robe as if she had contained a growth spurt.

- "Sandra? Who are you and what did you do with the brat?"

- "How rude! I should have let you consume yourself in that crater" – Putting a childish pouting face on that mature face, I had no doubt that it was the little alchemist from the town of Crom.

With Angela's death, Sandra had freed herself from the effects of illusionary magic. But one of the consequences of having to face that test was that it eliminated her innocence just as it happened with the soul of the original Amelia.

- "Why are you looking at me with those eyes? Perhaps you like?" – With a mischievous look, putting her hand to her lips in mockery, Sandra showed a behavior according to the age she would have after years of preserving her childish body.

- " Ugh , please don't do that. I'm not a damn sick person" – Pushing her from my side, the alchemist laughed out loud, placing her hands on her stomach. Completely released from her trauma and the weight of the events of the night Crom's people disappeared.

- " Achu " - Wiping her nose, Sandra trembled with cold being only covered by those cloth imitations. Covering her with my cloak helping her to get up, we started walking up the mountain in the direction of the town of Litho .