by Wolfe Locke
The Huntsman Spider, realizing its death was approaching, tried to resist up until the very end. It snapped with its jaws and tried to bite at the Nightmare, hoping to disembowel or behead it like it had the humans. But it never mattered. The difference in their strengths was simply overwhelming. Ars Goethe, a Nightmare Duke, had no reason to fear such a pathetic creature. With a simple forward thrust, the spear of bone stabbed through the lower mandible of the Huntsman Spider. The Nightmare was not content with just that bit of damage, continuing to cut and stab, completely unstoppable until it had cut its way all the way through the spider’s underbelly, splitting it cleanly in two as blue blood spilled out from the massive wound.
The spider stopped struggling to get free as its lifeforce and blood disappeared, lapped up by the blighted ground that had spread all around the battlefield, feeding upon the death of both the land and the spider. The Nightmare was not content in simply letting the spider die, not after it had harmed its master. The Nightmare carefully examined the spider before walking around to the spider’s back and thrust a hand through the abdominal wound it had created, destroying all the useless organs inside until, at last, the Nightmare found what it was looking for and grasped at the still-beating heart of the spider and tore it out. The white organ was continuing to beat, even as the spider collapsed in death. The bone arms that had been holding it in place released their hold on the Huntsman Spider’s body and retreated back into the blight.
Boss monsters, unlike regular minions, were not instantly reabsorbed by the dungeon after a battle. They decomposed at a rapid rate, the skin first turning to dust as the muscles and organs turned to paste. But even then, within minutes, the dungeon would have reabsorbed the rapidly decayed body of the arachnid if not for the presence of the blight that absorbed it instead.
The entire time, Luca remained unconscious as the remaining members of his team looked around at each other uncertain of how to proceed or what to do. Not one of them wanted to die, and the monster this Nightmare was, spoke towards a primal fear within them of fates worse than death. Instead, they all held their breath from where they watched, hoping the Nightmare wouldn’t turn its attention to them.
Walking over to the unconscious boy, the Nightmare looked at the heart in its hand, imbuing it with the same dark energy that made up parts of its own body. The nether energy swirling around the heart corrupted it until, at last, only a bit of dust remained. The Nightmare grabbed Luca and shoved the dust down his throat, causing the unconscious boy to begin to cough himself awake, even as the dust worked on healing the few remaining wounds he had and adding a dark glisten to the metallic hue of his body.
As soon as Luca opened his eyes, the Nightmare disappeared, its mission completed for now until its master called for him again. All around, the blighted area around Luca disappeared, leaving a dead spot where nothing would ever grow there again. Proof of what had happened in this spot, proof of the blight. But in the very middle of where the portal had been remained a single obsidian jewel that held all the energy the blight had taken from the land. A parting gift from the Nightmare to its master.
Elsewhere, the remaining members of the team were reeling, wondering just who Luca really was, and what he really was. Wondering if they had made a mistake with him or if he might just be their salvation.
Chapter 23: The Belied
Name: Luca Fernandez
Race: Nephilim
Aliases: None
Class: Angel of Death
Passives Abilities
Soul Persistence
Additional Stats on Player Kill
Abilities
Summon Nightmare 1-1000
Level:4 of 999
Unassigned Stat Points: 0
Current Experience: 39 -85
STR: 17>21 INT: 10>15 AGI: 18>19
WIS: 10 LCK:10 >11 PHY: 2*
END: 15>18 PER:11>15
SOL: $07150*>11050
The effect of the notification hitting him was enough to make Luca stir, helping him to regain his consciousness as the residual effects of the pulverized spider heart the Nightmare had force-fed him took effect to finish the healing process started when he consumed Steele’s soul. Abruptly awakening, Luca sat up as all the wounds across his body healed, leaving only small, barely noticeable scars behind on what had previously been smooth skin.
He regained his consciousness just as 2Face and Tatiana ran over to inspect the dead earth that marked where Luca had summoned the Nightmare. They fully expected that after everything that had just happened, the two of them would be collecting the bodies of their dead teammates and would have to report back to the Guild and Dominic that their mission had been a complete failure.
Instead, what they found alarmed them. Luca was sitting upright, his uniform torn from the battle with a massive hole in the middle of it where the Huntsman Spider’s appendages had torn clear through the material. Luca heard them approach but didn’t bother to look out at either of them as he twisted the Obsidian orb, left behind by the Nightmare he had summoned, in his hand. It pulsed with dread energy and Luca wondered what he should do with it.
Tatiana and 2Face looked at each other. Both of their faces were etched with deep worry, looking in fear at Luca, wondering how much had changed in the past hour and whether they had a good cause to feel trepidation as they approached him.
"Hey, are you ok? That was crazy, right? I’m glad you made it," asked Tatiana nervously as she scanned around for Steele’s body, hoping to find and collect it before the dungeon absorbed it.
With a deeper voice than he had previously possessed, Luca turned to them with eyes of crimson, his skin glistening like black steel and the wings on his back matching the same coloration. "Where is Mother? And why are you not more concerned about your dead friend?"
Shifting nervously, Tatiana started to reach for her blade, but 2Face shook his head, discouraging her. "Steele hadn’t been on our team long, maybe a month or so. Losing a team member gets easy after a while. It’s something we all get used to. We would like to collect the body, though and bring it back for the memorial when we’re done here. Have you seen it?"
Luca closed his eyes before replying. "Steele’s gone. She was here when I passed out. But I asked a question and expect an answer. Where is Mother? I could have used his help when I was bleeding to death."
"I told you before, Luca," responded Tatiana, losing her cool at the questioning of her decision making. "Mother is the only healer in all of Hometown. He’s more important to keep alive than the rest of us. When it seemed like we might wipe as a party after Steele was killed, he took off ahead to the Ability Shop to await for extraction. He had pre-existing orders to try and get out alive."
Luca made adjustments to his stats, making sure to keep everything in relative line with each other, never forgetting the warning that was 2Face’s ruined face. Though he was only level 6, Luca realized his stats were massively boosted beyond what most players in the entire dungeon might have. He was positive at this point that at least among the humans, his stats were in the top 10, if not the top 5. Whatever fear and unease he had felt before was gone, replaced by a sense of urgency to grow even stronger.
Still holding the orb within his hand, Tatiana yelled at him. "What are you doing? We need to get moving and link up at the Ability Shop." Her words continued to ring hollow and Luca was unsure why.
"I’m growing stronger," was all he decided to reply as he made up his mind about what to do with the Obsidian Orb and placed it into his mouth, crushing it with his teeth and consuming it. What followed next was something he never would have imagined.
Images of the memory of the forest flashed across his mind, entire lifetimes flashing in seconds as he watched the coming and going of people and of elves across the forest. When the memories of the trees and the grass consumed by the blight were exhausted, it was replaced by the long memory of the Huntsman Spider.
Though he would be no expert because of it, Luca was exposed to the m
emories of the many observations of the Spider as it judged for itself what was prey, and what was to be avoided. In doing so, Luca gained knowledge and a small portion of skill in almost every weapon available in the dungeon, but more so, he gained insight into what was truly going on.
Luca stood up and spread out his blackened wings and leveled a hand at his two guildmates. "When were you going to turn on me? Before or after I chose abilities. Who’s really waiting for us at the Ability Shop? Sorlasan? Dominic? The Twins?"
Tatiana stuttered uneasily as she reached for the short sword at her side as 2Face readied his own greatsword for a fight. "Your silence tells me exactly what I needed to know," remarked Luca as he rushed forward with a speed that matched if not exceeded 2Face’s.
"You’ve got it all wrong," shouted 2Face as he tried to swing the greatsword at Luca. "We just wanted to help you. That was it, you don’t know what things are like here. Just listen to me, this is a misunderstanding."
But Luca had heard enough and knew better. He had seen it. Weaving under 2Face’s sword, Luca lunged forward with an outstretched hand, grasping at the man’s throat and shoving him directly into the ground. Not with the intent to stun him, but with the intent to kill, and with one powerful movement, he tore 2Face’s throat out as the man grasped at his neck, bleeding to death.
Tatiana didn’t wait for Luca to come at her, instead, she brandished her short sword and aimed for Luca’s exposed side, not wanting to give up the opportunity 2Face had afforded her, and when she went to sink the blade into him, the blade sparked, bouncing uselessly off of Luca’s skin. It was then that Tatiana realized what had happened; somehow, Luca had consumed Steele and gained her ability.
"You’re a monster. I’ll see you in hell." She spit at him as he turned and ran her down.
Chapter 24: The Sum of All Men
Notification: Player Killed – 2Face
Details: You have killed the player known as 2Face. An off-tank heavy serving under Tatiana in the Chaos Guild, current leader Dominic. In doing so, you have gained a small portion of his current stats and Sol.
This player can be resurrected.
The stat gain is as quantified, X2 points to Strength, X3 points to Agility, X1 points to Intelligence, X2 points to Luck, X1 points to Endurance, X1 points to Wisdom, and X0 points to Perception.
No abilities have transferred.
No experience is gained.
You have gained $1215 Sol
Notification: Player Expulsion – Luca Fernandez – Guild - Chaos
Details: Because you have killed a fellow member of the Guild Chaos, you have been automatically kicked out of the Guild and will no longer receive the benefits of the Guild.
Loss of Access To
-Weapons Training
-Skill Training
-Guild Lodging
-Prepared Food
-Prepared Drinks
-Hot Showers
+1% Experience Gain
+1% Sol Gain
Name: Luca Fernandez
Race: Nephilim
Aliases: None
Class: Angel of Death
Passives Abilities
Soul Persistence
Additional Stats on Player Kill
Abilities
Summon Nightmare 1-1000
Level:6 of 999
Unassigned Stat Points: 0
Current Experience: 39 -85
STR: 21>23 INT: 15>16 AGI: 19>22
WIS: 13>14 LCK: 11 >12 PHY: 2
END: 18>22 PER:15
SOL: $11050*>12260
He ignored the prompts, knowing now was not the time to focus on no longer belonging to the guild, not that it mattered to Luca, he had only been in the guild a day if that. Luca instead focused on the raw power that coursed through his veins as he held the struggling woman by the neck. He could see reflected in her eyes the imminent fear of death. I wonder how many times she looked at somebody the same way I’m looking at her now before taking their life? Luca found an odd bit of justice in the irony of it.
"Answer my questions, and I’ll let you live," said Luca with a deadly calm that betrayed no emotion. Tatiana paled, seeing he had no mercy in his eyes. The vestiges of the boy from the day before had all been burned away like chaff.
"You might be strong enough to take him on and kill him too," Tatiana admitted, weighing her options quickly before deciding on an answer. "I’ll tell you what you want to know. Just ask, but please put me down."
He lessened the force of his grip around her neck and let her boots touch the ground. Luca could already see the bruise marks around her neck. "The man who went to the surface with the four guild leaders, what is his real function?" asked Luca, a suspicion already gnawing at him and knowing the answer was something he wasn’t going to like.
Tatiana grimaced, hoping that Luca wouldn’t ask about that one and thought for a mere second about lying until she saw her death reflected in his crimson eyes. "His name is Adrian, and he helps run the farm for Sorlasan."
"Don’t be coy, Tatiana, I need details. I can just as soon consume your soul and take the knowledge directly," chided Luca, his grip tightening in response, reminding her of the precarious nature of her current position.
"We take turns serving a rotation, but the farm is where we power-level people we find in the ruins above. These survivors get taken in, taken care of, and then once they hit level 10 and have a chance to buy abilities for themselves, Master Sorlasan, one of his minions, or some of the other guild officers kill them. The elves can’t level up, but they can gain stats." She closed her eyes, not wanting to look at Luca as she admitted any of this.
"Once you hit level 10, the experience gain required goes up from 135 to reach level 10, to 1135 to reach level 11. It makes a difference. It’s never quite the same but we’ve figured out that there's about a 5% chance that an ability will transfer over to the player’s killer, and anywhere between 10-40% of their stats." The irony was not lost on Luca that Tatiana was trying to explain in rational terms to the man she had called a monster as she talked about butchering people for stat points.
"How many people have been killed this way so far, rough figure if you can guess one," demanded Luca as he tried to comparatively figure out his stats versus whoever he might have to fight. He wasn’t afraid, but he also had no intention of heading head first into a losing battle. Luca had no problem waiting to gather more strength if needed.
"I’m not sure. The entire operation was shut down once before by the humans of the Prime Guilds, and Master Sorlasan was killed in the process, resetting him back to his base level 50 stats when he respawned, or so I’ve heard. You won’t get any help from them taking him on, they’re long-dead now." Tatiana’s shoulders sagged when she disclosed the last part.
"Are there any other guilds besides Legends and Chaos?" Luca had an idea in mind, but if there was a power that already existed within the dungeon to combat the elves and other corruption, he would like to join them.
"No, there's not," she replied, spitting on the ground in anger. "I was part of a fringe guild on the outskirts of Hometown, something that looked like an old border fort. Chaos and Legends conscripted everyone, and those who refused were killed on the spot as livestock."
"Last question before I let you go," Luca said as he looked out into the distance towards where he thought the ability shop might be. "How long have you all been planning on killing me? What changed?"
Tatiana laughed, a high-pitched shrill laugh that angered Luca, causing him to tighten his grip to quiet her. "It was planned from the moment you first appeared. An abnormal with wings? Everyone knew immediately you’d be a high-value target. We were surprised honestly the elves didn’t try to take you and make you one of them. The kids you see, they don’t mind acting the part of spy for the right price. But you’re right, things change, plans changed, we had wanted to power level you first, but as soon as it became clear that your power growth was exponential, Mother took off to inform the boss. No one w
ants you to die out here and let that power go to waste before they can take it for themselves."
Luca grimaced, hardening his jawline knowing a hard-fought battle was coming for him, and likely soon. "Alright, as promised, you can leave." He sat her down, and for a minute, she was surprised that he had made good on his promise to let her leave alive. As she turned to walk away, Tatiana smiled at how naive he still was.
As for Luca, he saw her turn to walk away and hoped she would make the right decision. If she walked back to the guild portal on the island, it meant she was going to stay out of the fight. If she walked towards the ability shop, it meant she intended to side against him. In spite of the claim of the contrary, Luca hadn’t become a monster. He had just simply adopted the harsh reality of the world he now lived in.
When Luca saw Tatiana turn to head towards the ability shop, her fate was sealed. With a quickness she couldn’t match, Luca sped forward in a dead sprint and tackled the woman into the ground. Though she begged for her life and called him a liar, Luca had no intention of changing his mind. He had shown all the mercy he intended on showing, but unlike with 2Face, Luca had no intention of letting this opportunity go to waste. He was going to need every stat point.
A horrified look of terror dawned on Tatiana’s face as she realized just what Luca was doing, and though she tried to stab at him with her Spark Sword, it held no effect without the build-up of charges. A horrible pain wracked her entire body as Luca reached out with his dominant hand and grasped at a sliver of her life-force and pulled her soul out of its body, just as he had done with Steele. He pulled it kicking, screaming, and resisting to his mouth and consumed it.