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Death scape CHAPTER 16
16 It was a mural. There were three people, and two heads were missing. Neo stared at it in bewilderment, straining his eyes to make out its shape under the light bioluminescent insect lantern placed in the center of the room. After studying it for a while, Neo discovered the mural was only quite familiar with the portrait in Neo's house, but it was definitely not the same. Neo and his elder brother's head was intact in the portrait, but their parent's head was faceless, for a reason Neo would kill to find out. And strangely enough, as far as Neo knew, that was the only portrait that survived the fire. But the mural in front of Neo contained only three figures: two headless tall people, and a relatively short person with his/her head intact. It was just a bogus cave wall painting made with makeshift colors after all. So Neo couldn't quite figure out the gender or the facial features of the short person. Neo studied the mural for a while, but he couldn't figure out anything s
Death scape CHAPTER 17
17 Come night, Neo's bizarre host was back, with a scary creature that looked like an ape from head to torso, and then had the lower limb of a walrus. Neo was… definitely not going to eat that."Dinner here," he said, dropping the carcass with a loud thud. "Nice mantle by the way," he added, his voice as husky as ever.Neo nodded in reply. He then swallowed and summoned up courage. "So what can I call you?" Neo asked grinning."Seeker… call me Seeker," he replied, walking towards his boulder. Seeker shifted the boulder with one hand, making Neo's eyes widen in surprise. As he was about to enter, he suddenly halted. Throwing investigating glances around the room. Neo's blood froze.But his fears didn't come through. Seeker entered, oblivious to Neo's infiltrations. Neo breathed a sigh of relief.*The next morning, Seeker went out to hunt and Neo decided to tag along. He wanted to get familiar with the environment in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat. Walking along with him, Ne
Death scape CHAPTER 18
18 "Welcome, kid, to the valley of endless battle," Seeker said to the still discombobulated Neo. Neo was still reeling in shock when he suddenly felt a strong push from behind, and he lost his footing, falling from the cliff. His voice echoed, accompanied by a series of loud curses, but his voice was quickly drowned by the sound of battles below. He really wanted to arrange his thoughts, but the sight of the ground that kept growing bigger and bigger made his eyes twitch violently."What to do... What to do..." Neo thought as he tried to swim in the air. He only ended up looking stupid.Suddenly, a large arm grabbed his waist and glided over the battle below to a relatively safe place. It turned out it was Seeker after all. His feather mantle wasn't for show; it was actually a makeshift wing suit. "Never gets old," Seeker said, putting Neo down after the landing, almost laughing out loud. Neo, still exasperated, walked up to Seeker's towering figure. His voice was stifled amids
Death scape CHAPTER 19
19 Neo picked up the sword, but it was too big and clumsy for him. Suddenly, the sword disappeared into a rain of golden sparks. "[You have acquired a specter]," a magnificent voice boomed. Neo flinched, hearing Reaper's voice. "Surprise!" Seeker said. As soon as Neo got closer, Seeker explained, "So, I untethered the sword from my soul core, and since you picked it up, it quickly recognized you as its master."Neo grinned weakly as he summoned the sword. It was very thin and long, and from a distance, it looked like a dark spike with red markings. Neo also noticed that its look was almost completely different from when Seeker wielded it. "Cool, it's of the demon rank," Neo thought, waving the sword in the air. "Alright, go on now, and if you die, I will kill you," Seeker remarked, snapping Neo out of his daze. Neo muttered some words that sounded like curses as he proceeded towards the battle in the distance with mixed feelings. His mood looked forlorn, but he tried to encoura
Death scape CHAPTER 20
20 Neo sat down beside the fire. It was night again, and the blood-red moon towered above the sky, inviting the deadly creatures that dwelled at the mountain peaks to a feast. The world quaked as they battled for their stomachs' fill, making Neo remember what happened earlier that day. He had lost his first battle, and if it wasn't for Seeker's timely intervention, it could have been his last. Neo didn't know if to be grateful because it was Seeker who sent him to fight in the first place. Eventually, Neo spoke, his voice faint."Thank you..."Seeker paused, his teeth biting down on an especially large chunk of meat, with his makeshift helmet raised."...for the other time," Neo added.Then the confusion on Seeker's mind finally cleared."It's nothing, just eat up, it thickens when it gets cold," he replied.Neo stared at the black soup in front of him in disgust. It was a slurpy soup made from the gargoyle's blood. Seeker said the skin of the mangled fox was not edible the day it wa
Death scape CHAPTER 21
21 An ocean of fang and claws lashed out, aiming at a youth with bushy, inky black hair. His straight, but bruised face, curved into a vicious grin. His pale skin was framed by a furry mantle, covering all of his body save for the head. Red bolts of lightning flickered in the depths of his eyes, as he evaded a swift claw strike that would have ripped the better part of his leg off. Still trying to keep his panic at bay, just as he had been taught, he quickly made a swift turn, generating just enough tension on his second leg to leap out of the way—all in one swift, fluid motion. The cage of fangs clashed together, releasing a reverberated metallic sound in the air that was quickly swallowed by the sound of the horde of creatures perishing in the distance.Suddenly, a blurry silhouette lashed out, piercing the eyes of the creature straight into its brain. The creature vibrated and fell to the ground with a loud thud. As blood cascaded from the injury, the sword dissipated into a clou
Death scape CHAPTER 22
22 Neo stared into Seeker's bestial eyes, noticing a sense of wrongness in them. And then it was suddenly gone, replaced by his carefree and insouciant attitude."Why are you here spacing out?" Seeker questioned."Don't pretend you don't see the creature on the ground, weirdo," Neo retorted."Of course I do. What's up with it? Is it pregnant? Ohh, or does it have a birthmark? Those ones are very delicious." Seeker replied, pretending to scope it out."Ohh curses, Seeker! This is my first slain demon. All the signs are there: jagged tooth, vermillion eyes… You taught me all these things, damn it!" Neo replied, facepalming with a frustrated groan."Ohh, I see. Good. Remember for the last three weeks you haven't been holding up to your end of the deal, but now that you can slay demons, that changes.""Remember, two heads per day," Seeker said, walking up to the cayherd corpse. He chopped its head off in one swift motion and then added, "One more for today."He then turned to leave, but a
Death scape CHAPTER 23
23 Neo attempted a downward slash at the incoming eel, but the eel evaded the slash nimbly. Neo had been quite proficient with the sword lately due to the lessons he had been receiving from Seeker, but still, the eel had been able to evade it, partially because it was in its natural habitat while Neo wasn't, and also partially because the slash was slowed down by the density of the water. Neo was still struggling to retract his arm for a follow-up slash when the creature planted countless tendrils into his arm. Bolts of electricity coursed through his arm, heading straight for his brain and heart. Shivers ran down his spine…quite literally, Neo suspected his death was near. But instead of the expected death, Neo's body absorbed the electricity, igniting the bolts of crimson lightning in the depths of his eyes. His power soared. Neo immediately abandoned all pretense of coordination, activating the second power he had hidden since his arrival to the afterlife. He had underesti
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- Death scape
CHAPTER 36
It was another day of death and blood in the Valley of Endless Battles. The sky was overcast, a more frequent occurrence lately. The day was still young, but the signs of the previous night's battle were still evident on the valley's terrain. Gargoyles and Harknidae were already converging in massive numbers, ready to continue where they left off the day before. The endless, harrowing cycle—an endless loop of death—was about to begin again.Neo, however, observed the activities from a particular ledge. His long, inky black hair fluttered in the wind. Something seemed different about his apparel; a deep blue cape was attached to his mantle, also fluttering in the wind and bolstering the grandeur of his stance. A great sword, silver with intricately running orange lines across its hilt, rested resplendently on his shoulder, held steady by his arm.With a sharp, unyielding gaze, devoid of emotion, Neo's expression darkened."Oh, Valley," he voiced, "I heard you never run out of fodder?"
- Death scape
CHAPTER 35
The creature thrashed wildly, swinging its ample muscular frame around. Neo gritted his teeth, swinging like a loose hair strand, ensuring the willow vine remained firm. It didn't seem to work; the creature was furious, trying to rid itself of the parasite assaulting its body. But Neo was just too stubborn. During its wild thrashing, the creature struck the cave tunnel wall. A large chunk rained down, causing a chain reaction; a large slab of stone crumbled far away, covering a sizable portion of the tunnel. A smile threatened to break through Neo's grim expression; his plan was working. He just needed to inflict more pain. The creature was momentarily disoriented by the damage it caused, so Neo seized the opportunity to skewer another part of its belly. Repeating this several times, Neo tested his theory of pain. The creature's endurance finally gave out; it seemed to have had enough of Neo's shenanigans. It abruptly fell to the floor, rolling to crush Neo under its immense we
- Death scape
CHAPTER 34
Neo's skin seared and hurt badly; the fur of the cave mantle was blackening and charring from the lightning coating his body. But that was the least of his problems. Bolstered by the speed of Ten Lives Per Second, further augmented by his Crimson Nebulae, Neo quickly escaped the cave chamber— where he killed the most harrowing creatue he'd ever faced, save for Seeker. Neo, being Neo, was quickly confronted with another problem. This wasn't surprising actually; he seemed to attract death and blood. One might say it was the price for having Soul Stinger and Bone of Contention, both weapons that cheated death in some way. Nonetheless, it could just be Neo's bad luck. "If only someone out there could fix my luck," Neo thought sullenly. Exiting the chamber, Neo found himself in a tunnel leading to the cave exit. He could see the pristine sunlight at the other end, but it seemed miles away. Worse, the tunnel was completely straight, offering little room to maneuver. If the harrowin
- Death scape
CHAPTER 33
Neo pondered for a few moments, figuring the only person who he spent enough time with for the scent to rub off of him was Seeker. At least, that was Neo's assumption. There was a high possibility the leviathan feared him because of the ancient, mysterious man Neo had lived with for weeks. Thankfully, Seeker was gone, and Neo wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. But aside from that, after the creature spared Neo, it must have abandoned its wait-and-bait game. It compelled Neo to kill it so it could sacrifice its life for its unborn child. “Actually, scratch that; I’m not sure about any of this nonsense,” he muttered. “Being lonely has finally ruined my sanity,” Neo mused, shaking his head in self-deprecation. “So, what am I to do with this egg? Fry it, scramble it, or destroy it and gain more leviathan souls and probably a specter? Perhaps I’ll go with the third one,” he thought, laughing at his own dry humor. The prospect of an easy, stress-free leviathan soul was ecs
- Death scape
CHAPTER 32
Neo stared at the creature's carcass with astonishment. He still couldn't comprehend what made it slay itself, but further thought wouldn't change anything.There was much to harvest from a creature of that caliber: its tough scales and extremely dense bones would be very useful. Feeding on the creature wouldn't be worthwhile; partly because Neo felt a connection to it, and mostly because it would be so tough it might not even digest. He'd rather eat his nameless soup or some cayherd. It wouldn't be pleasant to see the meat return whole after a stressful voyage through his digestive system.Neo summoned Weeper's Fury and got to work.He climbed onto the creature, his legs trembling slightly. He was actually standing on a leviathan! What if it was just pretending to be dead? he thought. But he quickly dismissed his doubts and began.Even though it would have been cleverer to start from the deep laceration in its underbelly, Neo couldn't turn the whole creature over. Not only because
- Death scape
CHAPTER 31
Neo walked toward the creature. Wisps of crimson lightning crackled beneath his eyes. The massive creature's soul came into view, but instead of a single soul shrouded in a misty haze, there were two: one mature, the other immensely fragile and weak.Neo's expression remained placid as he moved with a steady gait. He raised his right arm and thrust it toward the mature soul. His arm phased through the creature's body as if cutting through air, striking the soul—a pristine orb. Cracks spread across its surface, but then something strange happened.The cracks immediately began to close, restoring the soul to its whole state. But before this process was complete, the creature intentionally halted the healing, and the cracks reappeared. The soul shattered into countless pieces, finally free from the curse of corruption. Essence from the dead soul, bending the will of the realm, flowed into the less mature soul—the power of a leviathan.[Reaping: You have slain an Amok Leviathan: Heavenly
- Death scape
CHAPTER 30
After seeing the gigantic eye, Neo's initial reaction was to flee—something he had become quite proficient at recently.But then he didn't. He had a sudden, strange feeling that something was off. Whenever he was agitated or frantic, there was always an adrenaline rush born from fear or panic, accompanied by the killing intent surging from the threat. Neo's brain had summed up these feelings as a beacon of danger. So, since one of them was absent in his current situation, he couldn't help but notice that the giant eye, or whatever creature it belonged to, wasn't releasing any killing intent whatsoever. That was even the reason behind Neo's impetuous act of climbing the ledge, without even taking notice of the creature lying in the darkness within.Neo silently contemplated for a split second whether he should leave or check out the cave. His logical reasoning was trying to rip him apart from within, scolding him for even having the thought of staying.A wry smile suddenly appeared on
- Death scape
CHAPTER 29
Neo breathed gently and sat down. He summoned another Dew Heart and took it, calming his nerves in the process. The sounds of carnage below him were muffled as he made a mental note of his next steps. It might take forever, but at that moment, Neo, in his little heart, determined he was going to leave that cursed valley, even if it was the last thing he did. His slightly long and bushy hair fluttered gently in the wind, as if in approval of his immense conviction. And for the first time in many years, a thin veil of cloud loomed above the Valley of Endless Battles, besmirching the ever-pristine radiance of the sun. Neo rose to his feet and stared down. Since there was no winged Seeker to break his fall, if he jumped down, he would only end up as a blood puddle. The ledge he was standing on was at least forty meters from the floor. There was no way he would fall from such a distance without reducing himself to a bloody goo. Well, maybe not, but then. Neo wasn't so much into risk
- Death scape
CHAPTER 28
REAPER'S GLYPHS [language of the divine]Name— Reapling Neolin. Progress: Beast souls— 28Monster souls— 16Demon souls— 1…..Innate ability— Crimson nebulaeRemarks: You wield a tremendous power; its prowess can only be limited by your mortal body.**Reaper's gifts— soul stingerReaper's remark: Energy is the foundation of all things. Perks: You gain great affinity to souls of the living. You can repair or destroy it.Quirks: During each attack, your souls becomes exposed.Progress— 3Specter— Ten lives per second (soul tied), bone of contention (soul tied), cave mantle, weepers fury, whispering fang, willow vine, moon witness, dew heart, dragon blaze.Skin-?Phantom-?Neo had forgotten the ecstasy of entering his soul core for a while. Checking the glyphs with the backdrop of the mist was kind of aesthetically pleasing, or probably being in his soul core was kind of soothing. Neo couldn’t tell which. Not that it mattered anyway. There were also some noticeable changes in Neo’s
