Chapter 15 - Food for thought.
Chapter 15
I sit down and catch myself a little bit, trying to stop the thinking, I run through the endless notifications that I had been ignoring. Finding more and more surprising things as I go.
< Warning user low health >
< User taking Burning Damage >
< Burning Plaything returned to the flame >
< Exp Shared with Party >
< Burning Plaything returned to the flame >
< Exp Shared with Party >
< Burning Plaything returned to the flame >
< Exp Shared with Party >
{ 11050/10000 Max Exp Gained }
{ Level 15 Achieved }
[ Level Up ] { Please assign your 5 additional status points }
{ 1050/11000 until next level }
{ Health, mana and stamina replenished }
Damn… I have enough points to use my ability crystal… growth… what will that mean though… I take one last look at the item.
< Ability Crystal - Growth >
Grants Growth Ability
Restriction: 20 base Constitution
Restriction: 20 base Wisdom
'Crushing this crystal will grant you the Ability inside. Cannot be used until restrictions are met'
Zel thinks I should use it, it can't be that bad for me… right? I put 2 points into constitution and the rest into strength, trying to balance my physical abilities a bit more, knowing that my dexterity is lacking… maybe next time! I feel my entire body bulk up a little bit more, become more firm, ridgid, I punch out and feel the air crack like a whip as they stop. This is what it should feel like to be a martial artist!
Status Interface
Name: LilMoo
Level: 15
Race: Minotaur
Gender: Female, She/Her
Max Health: 300
Max Mana: 237
Max Stamina: 332
Points remaining: 0
Strength: 19 (23)
Dexterity: 6 (14)
Constitution: 20(25)
Intelligence: 10 (13)
Wisdom: 20 (25)
Charisma: 1 (4)
Luck: 50 (53)
I hear a gasp from Zel and tiny claps of excitement from Keeks, the Ability item on the ground, anticipation for what's to come. Both excited that I get something new in my repertoire of messed up body changes. I brace myself and crush it in my hand, using the item that so long ago dropped from a monster that was not born as one. One that was molded to be what she was over so many terrifying torturous years.
< Used Ability Crystal - Growth >
< Ability Crystal - Growth has evolved due to compatible Abilities >
< Ability Crystal - Growth has evolved due to Luck >
< Ability Crystal - Growth has changed to Ability Crystal - The Enduring Hunger of Tartarus - (Unique) >
Updating information on Ability Crystal
< Ability Crystal - The Enduring Hunger of Tartarus - (Unique) >
Grants The following Abilities:
Release the Titan (Adaptive) (Active)
Graveyard of the gods (Active)
Will of the Devourer (Active)
Restriction: 20 base Constitution
Restriction: 20 base Wisdom
'Crushing this crystal will grant you the Ability inside. Cannot be used until restrictions are met'
"It was prophesied that the Titan's of Tartarus could not be held forever, but when that day came… it was not the Titans that emerged. Something down there changed them. It was laughable, thinking that we could fight such beings… we never stood a chance" - Tisiphone, Last of the furies, gatekeeper of tartarus.
< User has gained Ability 'Graveyard of the gods (Active)' >
< User has gained Ability 'Will of the Devourer (Active)' >
I could only stare in shock at my notifications throwing up word after word from just using one ability crystal. I quickly showed my notifications to the girls, Zel's eyes going wide, Keeks eyes showing glee and apparently coming up with some… different ideas.
"Unique Crystal? But it never said anything about that in the title of the item wan?!" She looks at me quizzically and all I can do is shrug.
"I must have hit lots of requirements for it to upgrade.. Bone Control, That scientist's notes on bodies, and then my high luck changing it again… I would love to know what it was going to be without my high luck. It feels like its just event after event leading me to getting these fucked up items and abilities moo…"
Zel nods her head slowly in agreement. "With that high luck and the ability to double luck events, all of the things we have done together are a storyline of quests and small coincidences happening. So many interesting things just by being with you love… you might have had a harsh start but I feel like the game is paying you back ten-fold with it all wan!"
In Zel's excitement I can only recoil a little bit. "Everything I have been through in this game… has been horrifying… yes it's been fun and I've been with you and Keeks. But it has only opened old wounds and made me feel reluctant to keep going, like it's targeting me to see the worst of this world moo!" I do my best to hold back the tears that I always keep bottled up, the voice in the back of my mind screaming at me that this is a weakness. How can I protect them all with such weakness inside of me, something that I should tear out of my fucking skull!
"Sshhh… it's okay… I know it's been weird… it hasn't been all bad… it has let you open up… and we have Keeks with us now wan…" I feel a hand on my shoulder and a heavy weight on my legs. Looking down I see Keeks looking up at me, worry on her face as she snuggles into me. Yeah, it hasn't been all bad… Maybe this has all been worth it.
I'm doing my best… my condition in my real body hasn't been acting up thanks to Felicity and the medical device. I'm opening up and have found the love of my life in my arms again every night, little Keeks has become such a fixture in such little time. Everything is looking up… even with my weaknesses.
"I'm sor-" A hand goes to my lips from my side. I pause and breath out, kiss it and then bring her down to me while pulling Keeks up into a hug.
Yeah… everything is going to be okay… as long as they are by my side… as long… as they are by my side… Please don't leave me…
I pick them both up from the ground with me, ready to face this fucking fairy on. Quickly running down through the abilities as we walk back out to the crossroads and then to the blue bitch's house.
< 'Release the Titan' >
< 1st Stage >
For one minute the user will double in size, doubling strength, When ability ends the user will perish.
< 2nd Stage >
For 30 seconds the user will triple in size, Tripleing strength, When ability ends the user will perish.
< 3rd Stage >
For 10 Seconds the user will quadruple in size, Quadrupling strength, When Ability ends, the user will perish.
'The Titan's Mindlessly threw themselves against the gates of Tartarus, Boom, Boom, Boom, The gods were waiting on the other side. But they never expected the screams that would come from them. As the walls fell, the Gods could only look through in horror at what had become of what they once knew. The slaughter began. And as quickly as it started, it ended. The howls of the once Titans reverberated over our planet. No longer were they beings in form, much less alive. Their skin ripped off, their bodies enlarged and changed in every way possible. The sounds though, why do they sound so happy while their bodies deform and tear open in front of my eyes?!' - Written in stone at the gates of Tartarus, writer unknown.
What the fuck is this giant ass description!? And why I gotta die?! Fuck… okay, surely the next one will be better!
< Graveyard of the gods (Active) >
Sinking into the ground, The graveyard of the gods appears around the user, bones from the graveyard pierce the user's body, forming a cocoon around the user. >
After 5 seconds of incapacitation it forms a shell of bone around the user that acts as a new body.
Changes all resistances to 30 except for blunt, which is 10.
Able to use 'Bone control' Ability with 'Graveyard of the gods' Ability.
If the user passes out from the pain, instead the user will enter a rage and attack the closest living creature.
The user can use the Reverse ability to stop being in said form, and will take 5 seconds of incapacitation to revert.
200 Mana and 200 Stamina cost.
'The bones piled high and then sunk into the ground from the weight and liquids spilled. Those that faced the gates of Tartarus would forever lie here, a graveyard of gods and mortals alike. Mixed together and now impossible to discern from each other. All differences erased upon death.' - Unknown author.
S-so it's an expectation to pass out from the pain?! I'm pretty used to pain now… it costs a lot of stamina and mana though, seems like something I might have to start combat off with rather than use it as a surprise, especially since it will take 5 seconds of not moving to 'transform'... at least I don't die after I use it! I'm sure it will feel like it though.
Okay onto the last one…
< 'Will of the Devourer (Active)' >
User will be able to eat any creature below 20% health, instantly gaining body mass and enlarging physical form to eat larger creatures, growth equals the entire mass of the creature >
Mouth will be able to open wider, able to consume anything that enters it.
User gains 'insatiable' debuff
User stops being able to heal and regain stamina
User will regain Health, stamina and mana equal to the remaining health of the creature
Able to recognise when a creature is below 20% health
'They ripped and tore through anything and everything, all in an effort to appease their growing hunger. It only stopped when they were the last left. And then they turned on each other.' - The last record of the one that stayed, sent through before the threshold closed.
< Insatiable >
The creature with this debuff will become incensed with the need to eat, as if the creature has not eaten in days, eating will reduce the pain from not having eaten.
Haha… hah… yeah I'm never going to use that. Fucking hell. Why did I get all super fucked up abilities?! This was supposed to be awesome and change so much…
The walk is eventful at least, with the abilities to ruminate on, once or twice Keeks 'accidentally' calling me the Duchess, making me squirm as I think about becoming what she once was. Just something that will eat everyone and everything she could, growing larger and larger… Although she wasn't fully complete, I hope I would never have to use it.
We arrive at what could only be the blue fairy's house… something from a fairytale, this is sure a nightmare to behold.