章 20: CHAPTER - 1 : MY DECISION
CHAPTER - 1 : MY DECISION
I lifted up my index finger and touched the warm drop of water that was dripping from my left eye, tracing down all its way through my cheek, then the side of the mouth; it fell on a white cushion-like object, in which supposedly I have been sleeping.
Was I crying…?
But what for, I don't seem to remember!
Where is this place and who am I?
I looked to my right and some figures were moving in front of me. The bright lights that were shining all around me, distorted my vision as they scattered in a disorderly manner on my retina because of the tears.
Seeing them the next thing I felt was a sudden urge to do something. Something that I had been wanting to do and felt so strongly about it. There was nothing too complicated when I think about it. It could be considered 'easy' in my vocabulary. It was something that I had been doing for so long, that it felt utterly tasteless.
And yet it was so irresistible.
There was a deep desire to kill those who stood in front of me.
I focused my eyes along their line of sight, to register their appearances. But my eyes started glowing deep red; they were as if on fire. Burning a special mark on my eyes. Something manifested…
Something dark but was much more clear and understandable than the light. The pain didn't hurt me. The hot flames blazing deep within my eyes did not burn me. I heard a lot of crackling sound. Something was breaking, and torn apart just like I had been feeling since the moment I woke up.
And finally something did shatter. By me, but I didn't touch anything. So what was it that broke?
And before I knew, all of them fell on the ground and turned into black threads which disappeared soon after. The ashes of the dead were nowhere to be found. The flames of anger were just too strong that even their ashes faded away along with their existences.
Their soul never to return to the land of living again.
I heard a deep metal clanking and some distance apart stood another man in a bold armour, brandishing a long thin sharp metal rod, the tip of the sword aimed at me. I quietly started walking towards him…
Step…step. I tried to walk as slowly and softly as I could and yet my footsteps echoed loudly in this strange familiar place.
To ask him, why does he want to kill me?
I had not hurt him. This was our first time meeting, then why it is that he is so inclined to take my life. I harbor no ill feelings against him, but I could sense fear and hostility from him.
He was afraid…of me… could that be the very reason for his action. Is that enough to make one kill another…I must ask him.
My blank eyes peered directly into his shallow blue eyes. The pool of fear, the dribbling water like structure, resonated with my memories…
For less than a second that I stood in front of him, I remembered all that had happened from the moment I was reborn in this world. His dead, fear-stricken pale eyes said it all. The one who wronged had the same stench, I could smell malevolence and the sin this person has committed.
The insufferable things I saw. The unspeakable things they did to that little girl. Just go away from my sight. Be gone.
"DISAPPEAR."
My left hand clad in a blue new-found highly active energy, it went past right through his neck, severing all the thoughts that connected his body and mind. And in a similar manner his existence fell apart and vanished along with the black strings of death. That's what I could call it then.
I touched my face, looked at my hands and the blood that was spread all over. I tried to wipe it, but the more I tried, the more it spread across the places I touched.
I got so frustrated that I conjured some water and translated that red sanguine fluid into it. After all I could control any element freely, as I wished.
I turned the water, into a concave mirror like shape, and looked at my face. I was taken a bit back; I looked at my two hands, the two feet I was walking on. My slender body and the white long frock I was wearing. The person in the reflection is it me.
And before I realized it, I was already…
A human.
Honestly, it felt so peaceful.
***
STATUS WINDOW
NAME : --------
AGE : 6 MONTHS
RACE : HUMAN
LEVEL : 10
HP : ERR
MP : ERR
SP : ERR
UNIQUE SKILL : ALL SEEING EYES OF THE GODS
Ø FIRST FORM: EYE OF INVESTIGATION
Ø SECOND FORM : KINETIC EYE
Ø THIRD FORM : EYE OF ADRANEIA
Ø FOURTH FORM : EYE OF SOUL
SKILLS : [GLUTTONY LV 8][MYSTICAL POISON MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED FIRE MAGIC ] [SAGE OF ADVANCED WATER MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED WOOD MAGIC][SAGE OF ADVANCED WIND MAGIC] [DIVINE MYSTIC THREAD MAGIC] [ADVANCED SOUND MAGIC ] [SAGE OF ADVANCED SPACE- TIME MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED ICE MAGIC] [SAGE OF DIVINE LIGHT] [SAGE OF ADVANCED GRAVITY MAGIC] [SAGE OF DARK MATTER] [SAGE OF ADVANCED LIGHTNING MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED EARTH MAGIC] [BIO-ENGINEERING] [ELEMENT MANIPULATION] [ABNORMAL STATUS INFLICTION]
TITLE : LEGACY OF GODDESS ARACHNE, SECRETIVE PLOTTER,
IMMORTALITY, MERCILESS
FLOOR – 10
I was inside the Great Tathya Labyrinth, on floor 10. All around me there were webs, glowing strings expanding all across the room, somehow relaying me all the information. Even the slightest movement of air and to the very detailed structures of rocks – it was all so crystal clear and understandable.
My consciousness was spread all across. I felt as if I had become one with my surroundings. The amount of information that these things relayed to me – their past, the present and the possibilities of the future.
But now, that it has come to this, what will be my future.
What is that I need to do now?
The promise, I think I made with someone in my sleep. Just what kind of dreams am I having? Should I consult a psychiatrist? But will they accept a murderer at their clinic.
I had two choices to blast a way through the entrance and move to the surface, from where those vile beings came. But I felt the lack of strength I had and my inability of making the right call – that is me still being naïve. The thought that I couldn't even make up my mind to save someone was sickening. I knew I could have done much more, if only I had been more careful, if only I could have seen the full picture.
The carelessness on my part, made someone else pay the heavy price.
So there was only one option left for me to take - to climb all the way down and get strong on my own. To put my life at risk all for the sake of learning – what exactly I wanted to do right now? And the answer lied here, somewhere in these shunned walls, the hellish monsters and in its unexplored depths.
An answer that will serve as a reminder of who I really am…..
I am sure of it.
I planned to travel down, from the next day. Today I just wanted to relax and review my stats, skills and the things I had acquired.
I never thought I could turn into a human by myself and the status window was speaking of some kind of evolution. Most probably it's the effect of 'Legacy of Goddess Arachne' - nothing else explains it and no other idea so much as struck with me.
Fortunately my face is the same as my previous life, so Lady Athena will have now no problem recognizing me. I know I am delaying my meet, but this is for the best. I just know it, she will surely understand.
The only thing that had changed was my hairs that had turned from dark black to ashen white. And these red eyes also seem special but evil at the same time. The most frightening part is that it suddenly starts glowing on its own.
Even this body and the age it depicts is the same as before I reincarnated. My height hasn't grown…. That's a bummer. Though it feels much more comfortable now, but thinking of a 6 month old kid look like a 15 year old girl is a bit odd and vexes me.
At least the frock looks good on me; I wonder when I made it with my webs. Could it be that unconsciously I am a born talented costume designer, who can make these beautiful dresses even in my sleep?
It more or less resembles like a wedding dress, but why would I go there. Never mind.
But the thing I was most excited about is….
I took out a frying pan from my dimensional storage. I am glad that I put everything inside my dimensional storage before I destroyed everything on this floor. Those humans sure had a lot of equipment, food and other necessary things with them. I just couldn't properly remember just how many of them there really were.
Then I had some vegetables (while some of them looked unfamiliar to me – new world, new dishes), nonperishable items like nuts, wheat, spices, salt, sugar and many other things I had been wanting to eat. It was so stupid of me to get excited over such trivial things, but eating monsters for more than six months had made my stomach sick.
It was time to cook for the first time, in this new world with my magic.
If only I could record it, then I would have earned a fortune with the video uploaded on net back in my world.
'Cooking lessons on my magic pan' sounds about right.
The pleasant aroma of grilled meat and soy sauce wafted through the air. I was trying to cook hamburger steak but even though I did not have all the ingredients, just the thought of it made my mouth glisten with water. Then I also cooked up some white rice, though there colour is a bit pale and smaller than my original world, it will do.
"So, yummy, one more, one again and this one too….. That too… Yours won't cut. Add another…" And by that time I think I had eaten a full appetite for three alone.
All the levels on my magic attributes have vanished. What does that mean? If only there was someone who could teach me the finer details of magic and its application. I think I can increase my offensive power.
Well, maybe I will figure it out myself by going down to the very bottom.
[TELEPORT]
I was now on floor 50; where I was born and chased around… just forget the last part.
This was where I spent my first day after birth, the day I lost my humanity, the day I found this new power, the day I resolved myself to climb up the floors.
But today, again I was here this time to climb down the abyss, go deeper and deeper; there was no looking back now. In a way I was reborn again, with a new perspective of this world.
I did not want anyone I shared a bond with to die and for that wish to come true I had decided to kill those who harm them, myself. I was being just too selfish and arrogant. These thoughts came so natural to me that I was myself frightened. Is it because I have been devouring the souls of the dead, is it because I have become a monster, or I always was. I don't know…
There, that's the entrance to my next destination, as I slowly walked through the gate, into a new dimension pocket.
Well floor 51 here I come.
***
FLOOR – 51
"How, did it come to this, come on Sachi, you are not afraid of the dark."
I mumbled to myself as I jumped in the very last second and dodged the tail attack of the Demogorgon. It's a huge snake, with a giant head and a very long, an exceptionally long and thick body.
In the very last moment I casted another {Wind Cutter} in an attempt to chop down its neck but it was useless. I missed again; by a slight margin…fine I know my aim is terrible.
The moment I entered this floor it was complete dark. One would think of using light or fire magic. But this dimensional pocket has a special build to it. I think the entire environment is made of some special kind of ideal black body material that can absorb all light in an instant. So all I could depend on was my advanced magic sense and spidey danger sense.
Times like this is when you are hundred percent sure of yourself that you will be ambushed and still fail to anticipate the attack.
"Gwaaahhhhaahh." Something came at a full swing and hit everything below my abdomen, making me directly head butt the wall. My head hurts; more importantly one of my hands got twisted. Well, I do feel pain; actually it's more excruciating in my human form. The spider form, I think might be a bit immune to sensation of pain like these.
But it really hurts a lot, but I don't have time to concern myself with it. My Ultra Self Regeneration kicked in, and within a blink of an eye I was back to normal.
Thanks to that surprise attack, I can trace back the location of monster and also determine the length of this floor after being pushed back to the walls.
The only source of light was, the blue plasma glowing on my hands and bare feet. But that too was only for combat and did not help much for lighting purpose.
My enemy Demogorgon, seems to have a special ability that allows it to know about anything happening in this floor. It can pinpoint my location, without any problem so it seems. But if he thinks that this turf belongs only to him, then I have my own ways.
I was now using sound magic and sending small signals everywhere around, trying to receive information along my webs. One would also, ask me to use my thermo-sensory kinetic ability, but that was a no go – since it didn't pick up any heat signature. Maybe this species doesn't produce heat on its own but have the same body temperature as the surrounding. It's impressive that it can camouflage up to this extent.
Monsters of this labyrinth are no joke! I cannot let my guard down even for once if I want to see it through the end. But that makes it even the more challenging and satisfying at the same time. Killing things was something I had started enjoying. To face death and overcome it at face value, nothing could have been more pleasurable. For me it was all but a game of life and death. The objective is to survive.
Another, flexible tail attack of this reptile came in full swing. I think it has enough force to even break a thirty meter thick concrete wall without a hitch. {Wind Cutter} is useless & light and flame magic gets absorbed by the surrounding.
Gravity magic is tough to use in an environment where I cannot pinpoint the exact geometry and structure of the monster.
But I am going to wrap things up now, I tried to stretch the hundreds of strings I had set-up around the room, as I pulled them along my fingers while jumping and dodging the tail and earth projectiles, it launched after successive fixed intervals.
A huge mess of nets lifted up from both below and sideways. And inside this net, lies our today's catch – a huge reptile snake monster. I again used my plasma coated hands to finely chop it into pieces, which thus marked it end. Times like these, I think it's time for me to choose a weapon for myself, than staining my hands in cold-blood. But I have no experience in wielding one.
It was now time for me to head down to floor 52. I am making a killing. It took me just fifty minutes to make out of this floor. I hope the next floors are quick to finish.
***
MONSTER DIARY
DEMOGORGON {CATASTROPHE CLASS MONSTER}
NAME : DEMOGORGON
AGE : 180 YEARS
RACE : REPTILE GILA MONSTER
LEVEL : 5000
HP : 60,000
MP :40,000
SP : 60,000
SKILLS : [BODY ARMOUR LV10] [BODY REINFORCEMENT LV10] [EARTH MAGIC LV 8] [BLOOD DETECTION] [TELEKINESIS] [ULTRA SELF REGENERATION] [DIAMOND SKIN]
FLOOR – 52
I did not imagine that I would see such a large floor, but all there was to look was an empty ground, with fire grasses growing all around. I mean literally there were grasses with fire lit up on them. While most of them had an orange colour, blue flame grasses also grew among them, adding a special colourful touch to the full landscape. I might make a lot of money by selling them as magic ever-burning candles; also I think it burns endlessly. I might as well pick all of them and put them in my dimensional storage.
"WWeeehehheehEE."
A Giant horse came galloping, lowering its head it headed straight in my direction. Its black body clad in a fiery fist of undying flames, without any hint of hesitation it wanted to knock me down. But this kind of attitude was not new to me.
Monsters here have a tendency to underestimate me. Now it would not be prudent to hold the monster, since it flames would burn me. Not that it would matter because of my regeneration ability but it would still hurt a lot. So, it's a no go.
I used flight magic and easily dodged its charge. But this made the horse even angrier. Out of nowhere a pair of long red wings appeared on its back, which began to glow, the heat flares surrounding its body surged, raising the temperature of the room with leaps and bound, many a tornado of flames started following me. Even the grasses, which up till now appeared peaceful with their meditated flames, became fiery in nature. Are those wings some kind of a weapon, I think I should check it just in case. My suspicions were correct.
Those are special magical wings – 'CRIMSON WINGS OF PHOENIX', and they are beautiful at that. I would like to kill the monster without destroying them.
I was using water magic to keep the flames at bay and using cryokinesis to keep my body cool.
Though the horse looks intimidating with its huge size and all, but I don't think it's much of a fight. Because I have just the spell for this purpose!
[ABSOLUTE ZERO]
The ice statute of the giant flame horse monster stood in front of me. It was quite a magnificent piece of work. But unfortunately, that is when the character is obliged to say that 'it was a bad match, me and you.'
I used my index finger to poke at the base of the statue and it came crackling down to pieces all engulfed in my black threads.
But then, who would have thought that I would be going to rest again so soon.
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP]
[YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 11]
As usual, those white glossy threads appeared and started engulfing me. I did not bother to resist, because I myself felt sleepy. The comfort of the soft touch of these silky webs was just irresistible.
After 10 days…
There was not much to speak of any upgrades, except for that I felt more energetic and strong. My reflexes and movements always kept on increasing. That was a good point. Evasion tactic, excellent vitality and supreme combat ability are a must, if I want to properly analyse the strength of the monsters I am fighting.
This is the only way to defeat the strong, after all.
Next I travelled down to floor 53 and 54.
While these floors did have strong monsters in large amount, but they did not have a unique trait ability to speak of. Just some sand bags for me.
No one stood a chance against the spells that I had created by myself after all.
While I punched through all the Dragneel Orlogs on floor 53, I did face a bit of difficulty against the flying one-eyed balloon-con monsters. They were sneaky in their tactics and excelled in ambush, evasion techniques and dark magic.
The lot of people you hate to see the most, because they are just too easy to keep going along with their flow.
***
MONSTER DIARY
EQUO SAGITTARIUS {CATASTROPHE CLASS MONSTER}
NAME : NUCKELAVEE
AGE : -----
RACE : EQUO SAGITTARIUS STAR MONSTER
LEVEL : 4500
HP : 65,000
MP :50,000
SP : 50,000
SKILLS : [ADVANCED FIRE MAGIC] [ULTRA SELF REGENERATION] [FIRE SKIN] [SHADOW MOVEMENT] [QUICK DASH] [SPEAR HEAD]
CRIMSON WINGS OF PHOENIX'
CLASS : - S - class weapon
ABILITY : Allows the user to control fire in their vicinity. Uses magic from the surrounding rather than using the MP of the user.
DESCRIPTION : These wings were bestowed to the fairies to protect their holy forest from wildfire by the God of Fire – Vulcan himself.
This relic was supposedly lost during the Great Wars.
STATUS WINDOW
NAME : --------
AGE : 6 MONTHS
RACE : HUMAN
LEVEL : 11
HP : ERR
MP : ERR
SP : ERR
UNIQUE SKILL : ALL SEEING EYES OF THE GODS
Ø FIRST FORM: EYE OF INVESTIGATION
Ø SECOND FORM : KINETIC EYE
Ø THIRD FORM : EYE OF ADRANEIA
Ø FOURTH FORM : EYE OF SOUL
SKILLS : [GLUTTONY LV 8][MYSTICAL POISON MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED FIRE MAGIC ] [SAGE OF ADVANCED WATER MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED WOOD MAGIC][SAGE OF ADVANCED WIND MAGIC] [DIVINE MYSTIC THREAD MAGIC] [ADVANCED SOUND MAGIC ] [SAGE OF ADVANCED SPACE- TIME MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED ICE MAGIC] [SAGE OF DIVINE LIGHT] [SAGE OF ADVANCED GRAVITY MAGIC] [SAGE OF DARK MATTER] [SAGE OF ADVANCED LIGHTNING MAGIC] [SAGE OF ADVANCED EARTH MAGIC] [BIO-ENGINEERING] [ELEMENT MANIPULATION] [ABNORMAL STATUS INFLICTION]
TITLE : LEGACY OF GODDESS ARACHNE, SECRETIVE PLOTTER,
IMMORTALITY, MERCILESS
FLOOR - 55
I thought it would be just another monster encounter, but as I entered this new plain dimension, I felt a very strong evil presence. My heart started pounding more than it should have and my skin tightened up. I was scared by just this presence, because unlike other monsters I had faced, it had a consciousness of its own.
This presence belonged to this certain someone, who was standing right in front of me giving a peculiar expression of astonishment seeing me. She too had a human like appearance, but the horns on her head did not add up. Though none the less those black horns looked good on her.
Do I still have the blood stains of the previous monster I killed on my clothes? Or has it to do something with my face. I don't know how exactly my looks are perceived in this world, but I did get compliments on my beauty in my previous world and so did Lady Athena said herself too.
Please exercise some self-control, its bad manners to stare at strangers and people you are meeting for the first time.
I used my appraisal and found out that she was a 'Devil'. Do they even exist in this world and what is one doing down here? Shouldn't she be in Hell, just as the scriptures in the Pantheon Library mentioned?
Since it hasn't attacked me and is waiting herself, this means that this being is exercising caution. It is an intelligent species, so can I make contact with her and ask for help.
She has a tall figure, dark coloured skin and has an ominous look in her eyes. I need to be extra careful just in case. I don't want it to end in a mess just like with the humans. As long as the person in front of me has no ill intent against me, I guess it should be fine.
But my eyes were suddenly caught up gazing at a totally different thing. It felt so attractive. More like I was drawn to it. It was calling me. Just behind that strange looking person, below a cluster of large Magitite ores, there stood a large boulder with an intimate network of cracks woven all over it.
Blue dotted light rained over it, making the edges of the blade shine, as two swords were stuck inside it. I don't know what these two swords were doing in such a place, or what business does this devil being had to do with it. But… for the first time I felt like I wanted something.
The brightness that these blades reflected on my eyes brought a sense of pleasure and satisfaction that I wanted to grab them without wasting a single moment. Don't go the wrong way of getting the idea that I have a 'press the red button' syndrome. Nope, I don't so don't even look for me.
The colour of the magical aura surrounding the swords was so beautiful that I didn't even flip my eye lid even for once.
The two swords were almost half deep inside the boulder. The composite rock of this boulder did not appear to be tough, but was magically enhanced with the swords. While one sword was white, the other was complete black. They appeared to be a bit rusted and unclean to me, but I did not care.
My appraisal failed to work on it, but the amount of magical powers leaking from them was blinding enough for me to recognize its true strength.
"Those belong to me." I don't know why, but I said these words aloud.
I know people practice a theory of 'one who finds first, gets to keep it.'
But just listen to me, I know the swords are calling to me, my hands are shaking, and they wanted to hold the handle of the swords. My mind was drawn to the beautiful marking embedded near its hilt. My eyes fixed on its smooth edges and sparkly tip of the blade, which I could feel, even though it was embedded in the rocks.
I just know those swords will look good on me, if I hold them. Usually I do not behave like this or am attached to things. But this was totally different. Unconsciously I knew the swords right place is right beside my waist and I can be the only rightful worthy wielder.
You get it now, just in these mere seconds, how I belonged to the swords and the swords belonged to me. It was clearly simply, the true worth of the swords will be understood when I wield them with my own two hands.
"kadi jasi uluruk. Hyoyka muduk hasi lassi"
'Come again.' I thought to myself. These peculiar words, which the stranger spoke, brought a sense of relief and doubt at the same time.
As usual I was unable to understand neither the language nor the meaning of these words. But at least they can talk.
So I tried my best too, in my own previous world language.
"Hello…. Or, should I say Hi. But both have the same meaning. Wait… what am I doing. Guess it has been so long since I spoke to someone. But could you please tell me where exactly I am in this world."
While my eyes were still fixed at the swords, and my thoughts ran rampant, thinking of what to speak and what not to. I guess I was a bit angry with this whole reincarnation process. Usually, they would have installed the language in our brains or provided us with a skill. But there should also be this magic translation stones which the people of this world use, to converse with the heroes summoned. But, maybe such convenient things do not exist after all.
"Well, you made a big mistake. I had already made preparations just in case."
The Devil – she had brandished a long sword, out of nowhere, maybe she too can use dimensional storage, and directly charged at me. I did not flinch. Her movements were super-fast. Normally I wouldn't have been able to see her if I was a normal human. But I was not a complete human after all. Her movements appeared slower than usual to me, slow enough that I could shift to my right and doge it. But there is no fun, than to torment others who try to harm me.
The attacker must have thought that I couldn't keep up with her speed, because I was still gazing at the swords, but I have kinetic vision and 360degree view.
It seems that she fell for it, it sucks when you completely underestimate your opponent. Maybe it's my human form that allowed her to lower her guard, because I am too young to explore such a dangerous labyrinth on my own. Could she also have a connection to the humans on floor 10, I thought to myself just in case.
While the attacker was submitted to the ground in a single thud sound. Her face buried deep inside the earth. Maybe the gravitational field was too strong for her to handle, or she is just that simple to play with.
But to my surprise, she unleashed a huge amount of magical energy and was now completely enveloped in a cloudy black aura. She had suddenly become strong, and flew back to her starting position.
Her hurt body parts self regenerated and she now held the sword pointed directly at me. Her frown putting strain on her burrows and old-age wrinkles on her cheeks. She gritted her teeth and glared at me with her ominous devilish eyes.
Oh! Yes I was wondering she doesn't have those supposedly wings and arrow head tail. Were those just mythical pictures in my world fake depiction and imagination of just a silly old guy?
I used my appraisal skill on her sword, which appeared special to me, just in case. I needed to read her full strength, unlike any other monsters she will not easily fall in my traps and it seems to me that she is adept in combat, prepared to kill me.
One conclusion – 'she is strong. Maybe the strongest I have yet to face in terms of level and especially combat skills.'
I felt a little sad, because all I wanted was to talk, though there was no room for negotiation about the swords. Those belong to me and that's final. I had no mercy for those who wanted to hurt me, adding one more head count to my tab won't make a big change.
Play time was over.
***
STATUS WINDOW
NAME : VERTIGO
AGE : -----
RACE : DEVIL
LEVEL : 7500
HP : 65,000
MP :68,000
SP : 70,000
SKILLS : [DARK MATTER MAGIC LV 7] [FIRE MAGIC LV 8] [SELF REGENERATION] [SHADOW MOVEMENT] [ADVANCED LIGHTNING MAGIC][UMBRAKINESIS]
TITLES : DARK COUNTESS, TENTH APSOTLE
ACIES
CLASS : LEGENDARY WEAPON
ABILITY : Cut through anything – both physical and non-physical entities including magic flow in the surrounding.
DESCRIPTION : A mythical weapon said to be lost during the Great Wars. Made by the Smith God himself, but after the original wielder died in battle, all its traces had been cleared, leading to its non-recovery.
Because of its immense power the original wielder was given the title 'ICTUS KNIGHT'.
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