Segment 0.7 | Humans x Monsters
Y'know back on the surface learning about monsters is in most history books, all libraries, stores, art, museum, and even in food places. But in school it's a class on its own, it's about the war that we had with the monsters over a millennials ago. It's said that the war lasted for years, until we- humans had won the battle and sealed the monsters underground. Magics, weapons, and many else were used during this war. Though it was never as specified what type of Magics were used during this war since it no longer exists on the surface anymore and that was a millennials ago. We were told then that these monsters were "horrifying" and that "they eat anybody they'd come across." "Beasts that would tear down your house flat with a single strike." Sometimes I would wonder how we won against them. Knowing that these days us humans would normally die, be wounded, or injured over a punch to the jaw, stab, shooting, mauled by a bear, or die from a car crash. To be honest, we are built like paper with intelligence that surpass other creatures, that's basically it. This would help kids eat vegetables though, because parents would often tell them stories as, "if you didn't eat your vegetables then you will be eaten by the monsters that lie in Mount Ebott." Though I was never really scared of these stories and in fact I was really interested in these stories and wanted to know more Mount Ebott. The highest mountain near my town. It was covered by lots of tress and forest, so it was difficult to locate even as a wild kid like me. Things never really startled me as much. I even used to wrestle with bears and run with wild deers in the forest. Call me Tarzan, but I wasn't wild enough to dare climb the Mountain of Ebott, because the people and I in town speculate that one day that they might one day break down the seal and wreak havoc on the surface again.
….
Right, these guys are my- no our natural enemy. I had forgotten about that, to be honest I've forgotten how or why I fell down here, but I do clearly remember the feeling I had when I fell.
Mani: Polly?
(1) Froggit: That was a pretty hard hit. But even so, the human is a bit dramatic, Ribbit.
(2) Froggit: So much for the hype of finding a strong human to beat. She's weak!
Whimsun: T-the h-human is h-hurt!
The slime, Moldsmal sinks into to itself; shrinking.
But that's beside the point, I didn't come here to play but to leave this place and go back to the surface. "The second Froggit is celebrating a little early for their win, what will you do?" The text box says. I've wanted a reason to use this, but now I've got one, can't say I don't feel a little excited. I press the FIGHT button for the first time and select the second Froggit.
Polly: rgh- That hurt you bastard! Giyaa!
The second Froggit is sent flying back from my attack to his face. I felt like hitting a gummy pillow as even though his DEF is high, his face still felt soft on my fist.
(1) Froggit: Woah! Ribert! (Robert)
Whimsun: Eek!
Moldsmal stretches outwards and jumps backwards probably out of shock.
Mani: 10/10 for damage and style points but… 1/10 for attitude and comment….
Polly: Whatever, hmph!
Surprisingly though, the Froggit, now known as Robert, got up quite unaffected though still taken damage.
Robert: Okay… So maybe, I was wrong, human. But that doesn't stop me-no us-Ribbit, right, Dobert!?
Dobert: Stop shouting. Ribbit.
They rain their attacks, but this time Moldsmal and Whimsun don't join in. And so, dodging their attacks were easier this time, I figured out to dodge Dobert's long tongue attack, I would have to jump over it and to keep moving so that the butterflies of Robert's attack wouldn't get to me.
After I their turn of attacks were out, I get text, "It seems Whimsun and Moldsmal are reluctant to fight you, what will you do?"
[M]
Mani: Will you choose to spare or-
Polly: Spare, obviously. I'm not trying to be a hero or anything, but I would rather not start hurting or worse, killing monsters if they have nothing to do with me.
Mani: …Really? Do you really believe these monsters aren't just going to betray or kill you later on?
Polly: No, I honestly want to go on a rampage, and erase everything I see… but I'm willing to try to have faith to see what lays beyond me.
Mani: … Alright, well, I am with you every step of the way! And also, you can heal using the Candy you got from the bowl earlier.
Polly: Really? I thought you could only heal using bandages or something…!
[End M]
I use the MERCY option and spare both Whimsun and Moldsmal.
Polly: See ya, you guys!
Those two disappear out of the ENCOUNTER space. But having seen this for the first time with still being in battle was a new experience for me. Mani was surprised too. And the Froggits…
Robert: RIBBIT! The girl spared our friends! How dare they! Ribbit!
Dobert: Don't get your tongue slapped in the face, just yet. Robert.
Robert: Yeah, I know! Ribbit- you human!
Polly: Why is being called a "human" an insult, anyway?
Dobert: Trust me, he's been taken why too many drama classes with a certain skeleton on tv.
Robert: It's because of you humans that we're stuck down here, duh! Now take this!
Robert and Dobert, both decide to do one deciding attack...!
Both stretch out their tongues and overlap it with each other, with tongues seeming to have a mind of its own back and go over and under each other forming like squares, just like you knit a sweater. But this time it was like blanket. And they called it, "A blanket of tongues...!"
….
That was lie, no one calls out special attacks, and instead they just attacked me with it.
Polly: Really!? How am I supposed to dodge this?
Robert: Yourth noth thoputh thu! (You're not supposed to!)
Dobert: Pleath thfive thith (Please, survive this)
Ignoring the incomprehensible words coming from their mouths, I, in just seconds, which felt weirdly like minutes. Saw the gaps in their attack and went in through the gaps- jumping through a small space just hoping it doesn't touch me. And not just because of the damage it'll do but the riveting feeling of having thick saliva on me until I shower.
[M]
Polly: Whew! That was too close! 10/10 for the backflip you did at the end.
Mani: You did it, ha ha!
Polly: I'd love to celebrate but we aren't done yet, we still have to get them to give up, so I can spare.
Mani: Right, I'd almost forgot, laugh out loud!
Polly: Did you just say, "laugh out loud" instead of "LOL"?
[M]
Robert: Heh, you sithy hupan! We're thill noth doth yeth! (Heh, you silly human! We're still not done yet!)
Dobert: You idioth, we are doth! Ribbith! We are theid! (You idiot, we are done! Ribbit! We're tied!)
It seems their attack wasn't fully mastered as they got their tongues tied together after the attack.
"They still have a lot more practicing." I thought. "Heh, I gotta say the same for me." I followed up.
Polly: Well, don't we got ourselves a tongue-twister!
Robert: Quit makin' fun-Ribbith of me! Onth we geth outthelveth outh- (Once we get ourselves out-)
Dobert: Oh, shuth up, Roberth- Ribbith! (Oh, shut up, Robbert!)
Polly: Do you guys give up!? Just to let you know I don't want to kill anyone; I just want to go back home.
Robert didn't seem convinced, and even wanted a reason as to why I wouldn't kill everyone once they let me pass. But I simply reminded him that even if they wanted to stop me, they can't as they are "tongue-tied" now. Dobert on the other hand was quick to give up since he never wanted to battle but only did it to see if we were good or not. I respected his decision. After some grumbling and mumbles from Robert he finally gave up and I was able to end the ENCOUNTER by sparing them both. After that my surround went back to normal once again and I was able to move on.
"You Won!" You have earned: (0) XP (4) SP (20) Gold"
Polly: Wahoo! I got some more gold, man I'm getting richer by the second!
Mani: You even got some more SP (Spare) which counts to leveling up your Friendship!
Like pair of cheerleaders in a football game, we hugged, gave high-fives, and danced like a party started. I couldn't tell very well about how the people we faced felt but I'm sure they thought I was weird celebrating as hard as I did and especially how I was doing it like "I was with someone". Since they can't see mani, that's what I can assume.
[The conversation they had while I was celebrating with Mani]
Robert: Ribbit- That human's weird. I've never seen anyone so happy over a battle before.
Dobert: That girl-Ribbit, is an idiot but they're the good kind of idiot… Let's just see how they do on the rest of the way.
Whimsun: I-I'm st-still sca-scared for- the-the h-human!
The Slime bounces around seemingly enjoying the moment because he can.
Robert: …Yeah, even if they do get past the RUINS and get to SNOWDIN, there gonna face way harder challenges from here on out. Ribbit.
Dobert: And that's way we'll watch them, Maybe this time, this human might be more special than the ones before and heck-Ribbit, might even settle things, with Asgore…
Whimsun: Ah! Eek! S-scary!
Polly: You know I feel, so hurt right now…
Mani: Did you forget already? You can heal using your items.
Polly: …! I had totally forgot.
I quickly to my ITEMS option and 6 things, 4 pieces of candy that I got from Toriel's candy bowl , the "Faded Ribbon," and a new thing which I had never seen before or at all in my inventory and wondered how it got there, surprisingly why it's there…
Mani: A stick?
Polly: Yeah…
Mani: Did you so how without me noticing pick up a stick and put it in your inve-
Polly: No, definitely not. I have no recorded memory of doing anything like that.
Mani: So, then how is it there?
Polly: I don't know…
I select the stick and get some information about it, "A wooden stick, just a regular long pieces of bark with a leaf on it: (2) ATK, no other enchants or effects in use."
Polly: … So, it's useless.
Mani: Seems so.
As I decide to throw it out of my items, I remember a memory of what it felt like to hit that Robbert- that meaty pillow feeling like it had bones, but it was soft. But for some reason it wasn't my first time. Punching something. I've forgotten my past and who I mostly was, but I remember my name clearly. Maybe I was a fighter in my past, I thought. And so, I decided to keep it and wield it.
"You currently wield the mightiest weapon, the Stick"
Polly: Heh.
Mani: you decided to not throw it away?
Polly; It's in my hand, is it not?
Polly: Mm! This candy is good! It tastes like grape with a hint of "deez"
Mani: What's "deez"?
Polly: For someone who watched and stalked me, my whole life you don't know what "deez" means?
Mani: I just never knew what it meant?
Polly: Well…
We walk further in the RUINS and eventually come across and rose bed with Ghost-like monster laying on top of it. Now, normally I would just walk past and call it a moment, but something intrigued me and wanted to know more about this guy.
Ghost guy: ZZZZ. ZZZZ. ZZZZ. ZZZ…
[M]
Mani: He's saying-
Polly: Z's out loud…
Mani: Pretending to be asleep… Why don't we just pass this guy?
Polly: We should… Just, hold on for a moment…
[S+M]
Polly: Hey!
Ghost guy: Woah! Don't scare me like that!
My surroundings start to darken signaling that we are yet in another ENCOUNTER.
Polly: Wait, are you serious?! Is this guy a mini boss!?
Mani: This is hilarious.
Polly: HA… HA… Laugh it up and get over it.
[Entering battle]
*You are facing the sad and lazy Napstablook, what will you do?
Polly: Well, one thing I wouldn't do is attack it. It's a ghost.
Napstablook: Hey, I'm not an "it", I'm a "he" thank you very much.
Mani: You have a unique name!
[M]
Polly: He can't hear you remember?
Mani: Oh, right.
[S+M]
I go to the ACT option and get four options this time, interesting options: Check, Flirt, threat, and Cheer.
Polly: What the hell?
I select the check option and see he's strange stats: (4) ATK, (???) DEF.
*He's a ghost, what can you expect? Said from the text.
[M]
Mani: I think we should cheer him up, next time!
Polly: He worries me, kind of…
Mani: Are you perhaps scared of ghosts? Because I also a bit cautious of this fellow.
Polly: Of course not, I'm just cautious.
[S+M]
Napstablook sheds tears from his eyes, at first, I thought that he just crying with abnormally big teardrops, but little did I know. That was his attack. As the tears drop to the ground it didn't sink into the ground or stop there-no, it spread out on to the ground following a line straight towards me, but luckily enough it was fast but really slow. In which I was able to dodge easily until it was my turn again.
Napstablook: Eh, what a failure… Again.
Mani: Aww, poor guy. Let's cheer him up!
Polly: That was a failed attack aimed to kill me, mind you. But yes, I agree!
This time I chose the CHEER option, I decided to compliment on his unique attack and tell him to show me some more. Napstablook hard to tell if any expression changed on his face but by his voice, he sounded hopeful now, and recognized.
Napstablook: Really? Heh, thanks…
As his turn begins, the tears he makes letters on the ground forming a sentence saying, "Sorry for attacking you, let me show you something." My turn begins again after he used his and I cheer him up once more.
Polly: Alright, let me see it, Napsta! It's gonna be cool I know it!
Napstablook: Here I go, then.
His tears on this turn instead of going down like normal it goes upwards this time and something forms, on top of him. Something majestic, completely in a class of its own, people wear this usually to cover up their shame and lame hair, but not for Napstablook. A Hat and fancy one at that, he called it, "A tearful of a tall hat" or "Dapper blook" he let me choose. Probably that's because it is a tall hat made of his ghost tears. It fit well considering as a ghost he didn't look scary and not cute but simple and cool, I thought.
Napstablook: D-Do you like it?
Polly: No… I love it!
Mani: It doesn't really-
Just before she finishes talking, I shush her despite knowing that no one besides me can hear her anyway. My surroundings go back to normal, where the purple brick walls and formations of it around are normal hue again. Leaving it after Napstablook replies with, "oh gee..."
"How gay," I thought.
Napstablook: I usually come to the RUINS because there's nobody around... But I've come across someone nice for change, and to think it's a human.
Polly: Well thanks, My name is Polly. I feel that it was... Interesting to meet you.
Napstablook: Oh well, I'll get out of your way.
He disappears, seemingly to somewhere but I wouldn't find out until way later. I kind of felt bad giving him some white lies, but I knew that guy needed it, though I did like that hat. The name of it though, did throw me off.
Mani: Hey, we didn't get anything out of that!?
Polly: That's probably due to not sparing or anything.
Mani: Speaking of which, shouldn't you have leveled up now on your FL?
Polly: Really?
"I check out my stats and find out that I'm at friendship level 2 now, and that my DEF went up by 2. My ATK also increased by 2 and due to the stick I equipped, making it add up to four in total. Anyway, I walked past the bed of rose leaves and found myself at two paths. One led into an empty room with spiderwebs in its corners and a sign that intrigued me to read, right ahead of me. The other path on my left assumedly leads me further through the RUINS. But of course, driven by my curiosity in strange things, I go to the room of emptiness where only cobwebs and a sign are left."
*Spider Bake Sale
*All proceeds go to real spiders
Polly: Whatever that means…
Mani: It means this is a shop and you get items by leaving some money on webs.
Polly: There was content in there, that went above the context of the sign but I'll let it slide.
I decide to leave 10 Gold on the spiderweb to see what happens.
[M]
Polly: By the way, I noticed that the gold I've been receiving look different to gold on the surface and these are like coins. So, why is it not named coins, instead? Not to mention the persons- monster's face looks a lot like Toriel's face maybe she has some sort of relation?
Mani: Well, I can say that these pieces of gold are of millennials ago and might cost a bit of money on the surface these days, in fact, one of these gold coins can be sold for 10 grand on the surface, actually.
Polly: Wow, your telling me I can live like a royal If I sold all of these on surface right now?
Mani: Wouldn't say royal, but you'd really rich!
Polly: Amazing, but what about-
Mani: Polly, look! A donut is on the web!
[S+M]
I pick it up and find a glazed donut with star sprinkles on it, and looking at the sprinkles it looks like the star I touch to SAVE AND RELOAD. Of course, I didn't think too much about and put it in my items for later. Which would now lead me to have 19 Gold left in my pocket. I walk out of the empty room with spiders at its corners and a sign that before intrigued me, and that now satisfied with my finding. I enter the path that would lead me further in the RUINS. In now a darker purple with less lighting in this hallway than the others, I enter and see a small round wooden table with cheese on it and what looks like a mouse hole on the opposite side of it. The hallways smelled like damp water like if I was near a river or smelling freshly wet mud. The feeling when I walked my finger across the walls; slightly warmer than the others, and much tougher, the cement that would connect the bricks together were a perfect feeling I couldn't describe. But, that may be just a lousy excuse for not being able to come up with words. And then I see it, glowing ever so bright never faltering, The color of golden attracted me to it. I touch it and It disperses again.
A text appears,
* Just the thought of a- no the mouse might one day, leave its hole and get the cheese, fills you with... DETERMINATION.
*Polly LV1 FL2 20:03 Real time
RUINS-Mouse Hole
SAVE Return
I pressed the save option then I continue on. I come across another room but with company, three Froggits not interacting with each other but look to be merely guarding the spot and I don't supposed they'd stop me, right? Out of entertainment I talk to each one of them greeting them kindly. They only croak and do nothing else. The one on the end closest to exit to the next room is strange and he wears strange sunglasses that say, "One Froggit". I'm sure it's supposed to continue on with something else but for now we'll leave it at that. I move on, until I get hit with another sudden ENCOUNTER. But I'm not surprised anymore.
[M]
Mani: This one is a Migosp, they're energetic and like to dance.
Polly: He's kinda like if a cockroach but could stand on too legs, creepy.
Mani: He looks really friendly, though.
Polly: Right, let's decide to give him some MERCY.
[S+M]
This guy shoots out a mini clone of himself that dances and shoots out white orbs that not carefully dodged results in 4 damage per hit. Which means I could only really take about 10 of those hits.
Polly: It's a good thing I got my Friendship level up.
It seemed that to end the battle, I had to dance along with him until I could feel the "flow". I know, weird times, call for desperate measures especially a dancing cockroach monster. And so, I had a couple more encounters like that until I reached another room with a puzzle this time, There were spikes ahead, simply too high for me to jump over. 3 damp spots on my left side and 3 on the other side. I thought I would have to dig to find a lever to pull the switch to deactivate the spikes. But I was wrong yet again. I find myself falling through them into each separate mini rooms and thankfully there were stairs. Mani would just simply laugh at the times I would fall through. There were two spots that had monsters to ENCOUNTER. They were Vegetoids and like looked regular carrot but big in width and they had devilish faces. "Make sure eat your greens." They said as I spared them. On my 5th spot I looked towards the far corner of the room. I fell through ad found a ribbon, a "faded ribbon" read in the text box. I simply touched it and into my Items it went I decided I'd check it out until I was done finding the right lever to deactivate the spikes, and on my 6th attempt I found it. It was then mani told that she knew where it was the entire time and appalled expression, I had on face wouldn't begone until I went into the next room. A couple of puzzles here and there, I gotta say, although it was an experience I wouldn't have anywhere. I definitely didn't want to experience it again.