The Ghast is ten feet tall and has a long tongue that stretches down below its chest, across its naked blue skin. Its long thin hair runs down the back of its head in patches. It wears a necklace made of skulls that sways back and forth as it comes forward. It grabs one paralyzed ghoul and bites its head off. Long claws dig into the ghoul's body as it swallows its head, downing the whole thing in an instant, then casts the carcass aside, into the fire that burns around us. I understand perfectly now what the Ghast is. A giant ghoul that eats the flesh of both the living and the dead.
"Fuck," I say, trying once again to move my body. Ambrosia was right. Without us, the ghouls stood no chance. Even with us, I can't shake the feeling we were all about to die.
"Fall in the damn pit," I hear Ambrosia whisper.
I am unsure what a four-foot pit will do against a giant of this size.
The Ghast knocks back another ghoul as it runs up toward it. It flies into a tree screaming as its body splatters across the branches.
"Ready to run away now?" Ambrosia asks me.
"No," I answer, pulling my sword up. I don't know why I am still trying to be the hero. Maybe it is the rush of blood I feel running through my body. I don't care whether these people live or die. They had damned themselves already. But the Ghast, something about fighting it seems exciting, even if I don't stand a chance.
Another ghoul jumps onto the Ghast's back and begins biting its ear. The Ghast in return grabs it and sinks its claws deep into the ghoul's back, then throws it to the ground. With the same claw dug into the ghoul's chest, holding it face down in the dirt, the Ghast crouches down and bites into the side of the ghoul's face. The ghoul stops screaming after about three seconds as the Ghast stands back up chewing on its would-be challenger's face.
"Pet?" Ambrosia tilts her head, smiling down at me as she begins floating above the ground. I think she is actually impressed by the Ghast and the way it kills the ghouls so casually.
The Ghast's ear has already begun regenerating. As long as they have flesh these creatures can live forever.
"Hey UGLY!" I shout as the Ghast crushes another of the ghouls under its foot. Even the toes are sharpened into black claws. There is a strange taste in the air as it moves closer toward us, towards the pit.
"Poison," Ambrosia says, grabbing me and pulling me back.
"It's not hurting any of the ghouls?" I argue.
"They are immune to poisons," she confirms what I was already thinking.
"We just need to draw it a little closer to the pit!" I shout.
"We will," Ambrosia assures me.
The arrows seem to bounce off the Ghast's body as it bites and claws two more of the ghouls to death. It seems as if there is no saving them, and the ghouls that surround us beside Immenithes and Esteri are already scattering into the woods. Everyone is running away.
"Too late to run now, that thing has caught our scent. It will hunt us to the ends of the world," Ambrosia says, spreading her legs into a bow stance.
"What do we do?" I ask.
The Ghast might not have been the most intelligent creature, but it notices the pit waiting in front of it and steps around it toward the rest of us while we wait for our certain deaths. As it steps around the pit, Ambrosia blows into the air. The creature stops as if paralyzed.
"Won't last long," she says.
"What did you do?" I ask confused.
My Insight informs me that the Ghast has been Dominated.
She walks forward toward the Ghast. The poison that filled the air has receded and I get the sense that it is safe to step forward as well. The few ghouls left with us lower their weapons. For a moment everything feels calm.
"Shy, calmly now. None of us are here to hurt you," Ambrosia's voice is soft and calm as she lies. Sweet even. "Now, step back and rest."
The Ghast steps backward into the pit and falls. Half of its body fills the pit while the other half sticks out, fixated on Ambrosia.
"Now, let's end this. Sleep," she whispers, walking up to the creature and gently slits its throat and places the dagger in the back of its neck, near the top of its spine. "Rest in peace, my friend." Ambrosia turns towards one ghoul. "Set fire to the pit!" Her entire demeanor changes from soft and kind to demanding and dangerous. As the ghoul stands there staring at her in confusion, she demands it again.
This time the ghoul grabs a burning branch and walks toward the pit. The Ghast is still alive. No longer under Ambrosia's charm, I can see its eyes, head, and mouth moving. It is even more enraged now, betrayed.
"I severed its nerves from its lower body. It will regenerate if we don't burn it," Ambrosia says standing beside me once again. "We should leave now!"
Esteri runs up toward me as the other ghouls burn the Ghast's body. I can hear it shrieking in pain. The Black Knights will arrive with the next wave.
"My sister..." Esteri starts.
"No," I say clenching my fist, "and if I ever see you again, I promise I will kill you."
Esteri backs down.
"Scatter vermin," Ambrosia hisses.
We walk into the woods as Esteri, her father, and the other ghouls scatter into the woods in the opposite direction. We walk for another half a mile when Ambrosia stops me. "This should be far enough," she says walking over and wrapping her hand around my neck.
I can hear a river running behind us as I close my eyes and let her kiss my lips. I feel her tongue sliding down my throat as she grabs my crotch. Ambrosia's head tilts back. She looks at me, her eyes glimmering. I am wondering if I have been charmed again. "Pet," she begins whispering into my ear, biting the bottom of my earlobe all while rubbing the crotch of my trousers.
I whisper, "Yes," when I feel her moving her hand up toward my chest. Her claws sink into my skin. She pulls the hair on my chest while untying my leather vest. Her other hand moves up from my crotch as she unclips my belt, throwing it to the ground against a rock. She steps back, letting her clothes drop to the ground. I have the strangest feeling of deja vu.
My vampiress stands before me completely nude and I feel like I am about to lose control. Her nipples harden as the cold air blows against her pale skin. I begin moving toward her. She places her arms on my shoulder as I begin reaching down toward her clit. "Pet," she begins speaking softly again, "you stink of rotten flesh." She pushes me backward and I fall into a still, cold river.
I emerge a moment later. Ambrosia is nowhere in sight. The light of the stars reflects on the surface of the surrounding lake. I feel her behind me. Her bare breasts press against my wet clothes as her hands reach around me. She lifts my shirt with one hand while reaching down into my pants with the other. I feel her grip on the base of my shaft, her hand moving up and down as I struggle to pull off the rest of my clothes. When I am completely naked, I feel her body pressing against me. A whirlpool forms around us as my eyes adjust even more to the surrounding darkness. Dark Vision has never mattered more.
"Fuck me like you wanted to fuck that brat," Ambrosia orders.
We only have a few hours before the sun comes up, but it feels like the night will never end. I turn Ambrosia over and feel myself sliding into her from behind. Her hand reaches back, grabbing the back of my head as I bite the back of her neck. I know now this will be a night I will never forget.
Ah, the city of Tlos! I've heard so many things from Ambrosia during our journey here. This place is one of the oldest and largest settlements in Lycia, making it one of the six principal cities of the Kingdom. To put it simply, the city is urban just like I thought. From the way she describes this place, something tells me she's been here before, but when I ask for clarification, her response is blurry, not wanting to give a simple yes or no answer. I'm not sure if she's holding a secret but knowing her, time will show.Standing before the city gates, I see several dozen NPCs flooding the entrance even though it's late. To be honest, I'm not sure if they are NPCs or Players, as there's no way for me to understand or distinguish one from the other. This makes me wonder if my Neural Control Interface will obtain that ability with some kind of Mod or Upgrade. I can't deny it would come in handy. On the other hand, the Real-World Gam
I can see where this goes and Ambrosia has Charmed the poor guy already. A tooltip appears above him with the Charm Notification. I've been the victim of the Vampire Charm several times so far and I know that she can be irresistible. Seriously, I know I shouldn't be jealous, but I recall the feeling. When you are charmed you feel like you would do anything for that person. My understanding is Charm is pretty much a level down from Dominate.Ambrosia rests her hand on her hip. "Find me at the Crazy Shrimp," she tells him and ruffles her hair as she winks at him. I see the guard staring down at her legs as he leans closer. The second guard starts to move closer. She casts her gaze toward him. "I'd be more than glad you join me."Now I feel bad for the guys and I think about warning them, but if I'm honest with myself, she will be mad at me and I'll have to pay the price for the both of them.The two guards gulp and nod at us, allowing us to get into the city. "You
I gasp involuntarily, temptation gnaws my resolution to finish my current quest. I know she tries to use Charm in every chance she gets, but I'm immune to it. Ever since we faced down the knights in the forest, all she can do is try to seduce me. So far, I wasn't able todeny her. Not that I wanted to anyways. In fact, it's one of the things this body-avatar of mine longs for daily.Despite arriving late, the city is alive and full of wide avenues and places to sit, drink, and eat. The merchants are still open and offer their merchandise to the passersby. For the first time in my life in this world, I see a sky tower at the center that most likely houses thousands of people. The rest of the city is full of parks and wild spaces, giving the folk a chance to admire nature and enjoy the trails. What amuses me is the river that flows throughout the city, splitting it in half. As I walk throughout the Agora, we cross several bridges and sometimes I pause to admire the view. T
I access my NCI and check my list of available cantrip spells through my Spell Slot Inventory: Infestation, Fire Bolt, Booming Blade, and Primal Savagery. Most of them will come handy in the challenge to come. I'm not sure if Ambrosia plans to use her Charm or Dominate skill to bewitch them, but for peace of mind I cast my first spell: Primal Savagery. I'm not sure if she'll be able to charm nine people at once. Anyway, she can easily have them for supper.Primal Savagery is a transmutation cantrip that causes my teeth and fingernails to sharpen. It's an effective spell for melee attacks. Especially for me since I have Vampire Ancestry, this spell instead of causing a maximum damage of 10 Hitpoints, it can add up 50% more, causing a maximum damage of 15 Hitpoints.The effects of the spell take place immediately and I can sense my fangs inside my mouth sharpening and extending. My fingernails resemble that of a creature rather than that of a human. For the time being, m
Well, my HP bar has seen better days and I can't explain how useful a Save and Load option would be for the Real-World Game. The times I would Save before an incident, make a mock battle to see how things unravel, and then Load again were countless. For me this process was like second nature, although many Players like my friend Smeme considered this kind of play through as cheating, orboring... This game is different though and I have to abide by its rules... for now.I cast Mage Armor, and a protective magical field surrounds me. I feel my skin hardening, making it as tough as leather armor. Good, now time for the next spell in line: Infestation. It’s a conjuration cantrip spell that causes a cloud of parasitic insects to attack the target I wish. Admittedly, Infestation is a weak spell compared to others, only causing up to 6 Hit Points of poison damage, yet I can force my victims to move in the direction I want.My prey, a level-3 bald thug, is the unlu
I do as I'm commanded; her reassuring look puts me at partial ease. It’s certainly a plus to have someone senior in a new world who knows more, yet I am not entirely relieved. Who can trust a Vampire after all? Although not immediately as I'd expected, the Potion of Lesser Heal takes effect and a feeling of warmth engulfs me, healing my wounds and replenishing my HP Bar back to 80%. It would have taken some time for my passive regeneration to heal me this fast.Wow, having magic potions and items like these can really make a difference in a battle. We should buy some first thing in the morning."Well?" Zoe snaps her fingers, drawing my attention back to her."Well, what?" I gasp."Will you join us? The quest? You're level-headed and certainly we could use someone like you," her chest rises and falls with a rapid breath, drawing my attention to her hand-sized breasts."I would love
After the gathering, we split into several teams and begin our descent into the tunnels from different areas of town. The goal is to find the source of the infestation and remedy it, but first, we have been given a medial task to prove our worth. That way, they’ll decide if we are capable enough to take harder quests. From the tunnels, we are meant to gather underneath the Inn and meet in a great chamber. From there we will be given our official orders. One of the guild mistresses hands us a rough map that shows us the path we are meant to take. The path leads us back toward the Hey Kitty tavern. Ambrosia calls the whole thing a waste of time but I enjoy the chance for a trial run.Myself, Ambrosia, and three others venture down into the tunnels near one of the open canals. Inside, we light our torches and begin scouting the area. It feels like it will be a long night with nothing of any interest. The sewers smell, you guessed it, disgusting. We stay away from the water
As we head down the tunnel, I wonder if Ambrosia's offer is still on the table. Thinking of the pleasure I was offered a couple of moments ago, I fail to notice that we have already reached the chamber below the Commander’s Inn. There are a bunch of adventurers here. It feels like we are right back where we started, only far fewer of us. We climb up the stone staircase that leads to the main hall of the guild. There, we hear a ruckus taking place near the center of the main hall. This piques our interest and we decide to head there.While I do so, I ask myself what was the reason for this medial quest. Maybe to see who's capable enough to venture deeper into the tunnels, I guess. Yet, thining our forces doesn't make sense, no matter how useless some adventurers are. Well, as this optional quest progresses, I'll find out eventually.As reach the epicenter of turmoil, we see the leader of our previous party, Alexander, bullying and trying to hit a blonde girl that
And here it is, like a performer entering the stage. It's a sad creature from what I can see, some kind of abomination that must have escaped from the pits of the Evil Domains."A blood fiend,"Ambrosia says and takes the vanguard.At least I now know its name. The Threat Level 24 Blood Fiend is an enormous creature, reddish in color, and has a maw with several lines of razor-like fangs. It walks on all fours and its razor-sharp claws extend from each of its limbs."Anything specific I should be aware of?" I ask Ambrosia."These deadly creatures are known for their ferocity and tenacity. They even prey on other fiends. We should watch out for its Terror Gaze. Its effects are similar to the lich's Frightening Gaze that you experienced earlier, although it can only affect one target. If it affects you, then you will be an easy feast," she tells me, now back at her casual snobbish and carefree look."Fuck, there's something wrong with the difficu
What kind of world is this? I'm at a loss and unable to do anything now. Locked in place. I can't believe what I just witnessed. For our good luck, Ambrosia takes the initiative again and grabs Elektra and me by the wrist and forces us to follow her. The place is once again a perfect pandemonium of death, with the remaining adventurers trying to fight off the advancing undead, and our former leader gone mad.Behind the bone throne there's a door, but smaller in size. Ambrosia quickly opens it and throws me and Elektra across the other side. As she follows, she shuts the door behind her."That was close!" She exhales with her eyes closed.I must admit, it's one of these few times I've seen Ambrosia actually worrying.Tears stream down Elektra's eyes as she tries to get a grasp on what happened. I'm in a state of dismay as well. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest and my hands are
Cadmus was once considered one of the most prominent and brilliant wizards when he joined the Wizard Academy in Lycia. Working his way through the ranks, he joined the Adventurer's Guild at eighteen and began dungeon diving in as many ruins as he could. He even uncovered a city buried beneath the rubble of Podalia. It was there, where he uncovered sacred manuscripts that allowed him to unravel his unnatural talents to create constructs, golems, and other powerful inventions.Gradually, he gave up spell-casting for technology. Fusing magic, alchemy, and technology, he became known as a powerful artificer, upgrading his class and everything. The wizards that he had grown and trained with, envied and despised him for that, eventually leading to his seclusion from the outside world.His story was confided in me by Elektra in the Commander's Inn before our departure, but I paid no attention at the time. All I thought then was that it was some kind of backg
My entire body trembles, my eyes water, and my pupils dilate. I immediately feel the hotness of my body taking place, my heart racing, and my brain being on fire. The agony is so intense that sweat starts trickling down my neck and I'm about to explode. I cannot move, I'm frozen and terrified, nothing can make my tense body relax. This is what true fear is! I think that the creators of this world have gone a little overboard with realism. This is far from enjoyable and someone should tell them that there's a limit to how realistic a game should be.It seems that several other adventurers have fallen prey to the legendary action of our great opponent. It will be impossible at the current Threat Level I am to defeat this creature.My NCI informs me that Elektra, Alexander, Zoe, and the rest of the team have been affected and they are unable to move as well. I want to scream and shout and tell them to move, but it seems I'm unable to do so. Command as I might, this body-a
Leveraging the momentum, I cast my next Tier-1 spell called Thunderwave. A wave of thunder force shoots out from my hands and all the creatures are pushed ten feet away from me, while sustaining another 30 by 40% damage. Elektra doesn't waste any time and immediately rains down Fire Bolts, reducing my remaining opponents to ash. A surge of energy floods my body and I can see I've leveled up once more, reaching Threat Level 6 and HP 28."Yes!" I shout out, smiling at Elektra as she continues to rain fire down at the horde in front of us.Compared to before, Alexander and his team support me in the best possible way, burning down all the undead that attempt to support my flanks as I tank. We continue like this for what feels like an hour. Every time we gain some ground, the dungeon throws something new at us. Freakish mutations. Undead with two heads. Assassins with four arms. Twisted variations that are stronger, faster, but blend in with the regular undea
When I accepted this quest, I thought that we would have a carte blanche and we would be able to penetrate the underground as we deemed necessary. But all I've been doing is following orders which I must obey. I'm an adventurer, not a soldier. I'm not pleased and it seems my team isn't either. I can't say that I'm not happy with how the plot is developing though. In fact, it's interesting and soon everything will unravel. I can't help but feel excited. Standing at the front of death's door… in front of the complete unknown. I've never experienced this kind of looming anxiety before. Despite my worries, I'm thrilled to be down here.My goal for now is to gather as much information as possible and level up the faster. I'm sure this battle will make me stronger."We need to talk," I tell Alexander as I grab him by his wrist and bring him closer to me so that neither our leader nor the Black Knight will hear us.Alexander pulls his hand and releases his wrist
To my surprise, Ι quickly find out that the approaching duο is none other than the Black Knight and his sorcerer sidekick we met earlier in The Commander's Inn. Each has leveled up by one Threat Level, but their HP is down to 60%. For some reason, our great leader had decided that it would be an excellent idea to split our forces and have the strongest of adventurers invade from other entrances. I have no clue who decided this man was to be the commander of this expedition, but common sense says that you should have all your forces concentrated, instead of splitting them like sprinkles of light in the darkness, then have them invade such an enormous underground tunnel system."I thought we were the only people who survived," the Black Knight booms at us in a harsh, reverberating voice as he takes his enormous, two-handed sword from his shoulder and places it in front of him with the point of his blade touching the hard brick floor, penetrating it an inch or two.<
She's right and we quickly make our retreat, leaving the innumerable undead behind. Connecting with the others, I see that Zoe is still alive, though I'm not that thankful seeing Alexander right beside her and in full health. But I can't say the same for the rest of the adventurers. This battle has left us weakened and the damage we sustained is enormous. I don't have a clear view of our army, but I think we lost at least a third of our total forces. Half of what remains is barely holding. This mission is a failure and we'll be lucky if we get out with our lives.The rearguard has exchanged positions with us, so we can catch our breaths and retreat organized. But most of my fellow adventurers are in a panic, and I can hear their piercing screams from all over the place. Their faces are desperate and terrified. It seems all hope has abandoned us."Please, someone help me," a brunette girl holding one of our fellow adventurers pleads."Please, help me, I can't see
The two undead assassins give me a sinister smile as more of their kind gather behind them. Fighting two of them took all my wits tohold my ground. It will be impossible for me to fight five of them and I get the feeling that this will be game over for now. I'm ready to quit, thinking once more how broken the difficulty level of this game is. My body protests, telling me I should fight to the bitter end. Could it be that if someone dies in the real world, instead of respawning, all that awaits is oblivion? Terror gnaws at me, not wanting to believe that a game over is a permanent state here."Do not fret pet!" The voice of Ambrosia whispers to me from over my shoulder."I will protect you," sexy Elektra says as a Fire Bolt flies and hits an undead assassin in the torso, decreasing his HP by 10%.I'm relieved now that my seductive aides are by my side and battle-ready. We should finish them off quickly before they cut us off from the rest of the adventurers