Slycerr
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Gamer of Capes and Worms
Gamer of Capes and Worms 6
New
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2021
- Messages
- 27
- Likes received
- 258
-Matt McCartney-
Waiting always made him nervous.
Waiting for school to end, waiting for the bullies to come.
Waiting for friends to leave him.
To be fair, the last one hasn't happened in a while.
His boxing friend group started with just Spencer recommending it, to fight off the bullies and gain a bit more confidence in himself.
Ironically, the boxing gym did help with the bullies, but not because he fought them off.
No, that was because of the friends he made there. They found him familiar, and when he told them which school he was going to and why he was there, they stood up for him.
Spencer and Leia were from the drama club and asked him to help with writing and correcting spelling or grammar mistakes, making it so he could sit with them now at lunch.
Johnathan, or John or Johnny, helped with keeping the jockeys away from him. As a thanks, he helped him with homework and understanding lessons, although sadly it wasn't enough to not make him repeat a year.
Which doesn't make Johnny stupid, he just wasn't book smart and he knew it irritated him to no end.
But he never acted that frustration on him, which he appreciated.
Kevin was just that 'everybody likes him' guy, a bit oblivious maybe, considering he didn't know anybody was being bullied in the school. But he was the type of guy you couldn't stay mad at.
As for Brian,
He listened.
You could talk about anything with him and he would listen, maybe not enthusiastically, but he asked questions and let you get it out of your system, good or bad topics,
He listened.
You did have to worry when you talked about anything martial arts related, then the two roles of speaker and listener could change pretty fast.
He was certain the group would have been disbanded when they finished high school (well except Johnny), but here they are, months later and still hanging out regularly.
And then Liam came into the mix.
Brian was honest with them and said his dad asked him to invite Liam, they were okay with it.
It wasn't a bad deal, if it clicked then they had a possible new friend and made Mr. Laborn happy.
If it didn't, well then they could at least say they tried and it didn't work out.
That does make him wonder if Mr. Laborn had anything to do with his current friend group…
Looking at his phone for the time, it was 5 minutes before the agreed upon time.
"Hey Matt! How are ya!"
"WAH!" Turning around, I glared at Liam.
"Don't scare me like that!"
Looking confused and abashed, he answered,
"Sorry, it wasn't my intention to scare you."
Glare slowly disappearing, I just huff and wave my hand.
"S'fine. Anyway, anything you'd like to do today?"
Grinning at me, Liam just shrugs. "Not really, you're the one who invited me and I didn't know if you had something in mind."
Cheeks reddening in embarrassment, I voiced my plan.
"Well, I was thinking of just going for a walk on the boardwalk and maybe visiting the bookshop here, maybe grab a bite later."
Putting his hands in his pockets and looking completely at ease, he smirks.
"S'fine by me, maybe stop by the sports store while we're at it."
Confused, I replied, "What you need there? New boxing gloves?"
"Nah, I want a metal bat for at home, there's been an attempted break-in at one of the apartments and I want something to defend myself."
Bleaching a bit at that, I asked, "What happened?"
Another shrug, acting completely nonchalant, but I could see something in his eyes.
"It was apparently pretty close, but the moment the robber saw the light go on in the room, they bolted. So it was probably a druggie wanting some cash but not yet gone far enough to kill or hurt someone over it."
Grimacing, I remember what kind of city I live in. That story happens far too often, but there is little that can be done about it, and the police just take your information and throw it in the trash on the way out.
Seeing my expression, Liam just gestures that he appreciates the worry but wants to leave the subject.
So we walk and talk around the boardwalk, over boxing and reading, over the bowling we did last week, over anything really.
And that is where Liam is good at, going with any topic and talking with you about it.
That isn't to say he knows everything; if he doesn't know he will just tell you and say to keep talking about it if you want to.
And that is what makes Liam fun.
Because while Brian listens, Liam listens and is interested.
So we talk, mostly about fantasy stories; he recommends stories online and I recommend books.
At the end, we ate at Fugly Bob's and were about to leave when a floating girl with her companions came in.
Glory Girl came in with her sister and Panacea and the ward Gallant.
"Come on Ames! That guy had it coming! You should know to not be aggressive in front of a cape! Should I have not stopped that fight from happening then?!"
Speaking loudly and with animated hand motions, Victoria Dallon, better known as Glory
Girl, told her sister for anyone to hear.
With an exasperated breath, her sister answered, "No Vicky, what I'm telling you was to let
Gallant handle it because he is better at defusing… which you know by the way."
With a "Hmpf," Vicky turned away from Panacea with her arms crossed.
Meanwhile, Gallant was in between them trying to ironically… defuse the situation of the sisters arguing.
"Hehe, now now Ladies, what do you guys want to eat? Today is on me, okay?"
That brought the sisters back to where they were and they saw all the people staring at them.
And as professional capes… they just ignored us and went to order.
Looking back at Liam, I saw him being really focused on the heroes; there was even a moment when his staring was so much that Gallant started looking at us.
"First time seeing New Wave and Gallant?"
Turning back towards me, a bit confused, he took a second and replied.
"Oh? Yeah, first time. Up close anyway, I've probably seen Glory Girl flying in the distance."
"Really? You live close to New Wave?"
Amused, he shrugs.
"Don't think so? I live in the nice part of the Merchants; if New Wave was close by, I would think they'd have cleaned that part up already."
"True, I didn't even know the Merchants had a nice part haha."
Joking and bantering, we left Fugly Bob's, not realizing Gallant was looking at us on the way out.
Not that much later, Liam and I parted ways and went back home.
Today was a fun day.
-William Brooks-
It's been a month since my last, and first, dungeon run.
The first thing on my to-do list was already done.
Get a metal bat.
My stats and skills are also steadily improving.
[Status]
Name: William Brooks
Class: NA
Soul Realm: Red
Soul Form: Disordered/ [Redacted]
Soul Attribute: Neutral
Sp. Physique: NA
Soul Force: 162
Body Force: 135
Money: $4525
Soul Force had the biggest increase with 53 points, and Body Force at 35 points.
My cultivation speed was steadily improving; while before 50% looked fast, I was now sitting on 130% without the movement bonus of meditation, which itself was another 12.5%.
I've also dropped training in the gym on Wednesday to do more traditional cultivation.
Technically with the Heavenly God Technique, I don't need to physically work out anymore, but the gym gives me more than just that.
For one, I'm actually learning how to fight there, plus it's basically my only social interaction I have except for the get-togethers I have with Matt and the group.
Soul Sense has also leveled up nicely.
Soul Sense Lvl. 17
The ability to sense Soul Energy outside the body.
Current distance: 51 ft
It's the skill that leveled up the most, probably because I've tried to never not have it on.
Now I shouldn't be surprise-attacked anymore by a koala-dropping ghoul.
Soul Reinforcement is another skill I focused a lot of my time on; this one was harder to level because it still requires some amount of focus, but I suspect that another week and I can go back into the dungeon again with this skill a useable part of my arsenal.
Not to say that it doesn't already give a considerable boost.
Soul Reinforcement Lvl. 11
The use of Soul Force and reinforcing your body with it, a must for every Cultivator.
Adds 11% of Soul Force towards Body Force while in use.
Right now that's an extra 16 points to my Body Force making me technically halfway into Bronze Star-2 of the Fighter Rank.
Which doesn't sound like a lot, but with good technique that bit can add a massive difference.
Or
You could use the force multiplier known as 'baseball bat'.
With all that, Soul Manipulation is going up bit by bit in the background, sitting at Lvl. 29.
I think it's high enough to try some techniques I've known from the story Tales of Demons and Gods where the base of my power came from, like the Secret Soul Techniques.
I'll probably need to practice on zombies first before I use it in the real world though. After all, Shen Yue used it to overpower Nie Li in the beginning of the story and was worried he would actually try and kill him.
My Soul Realm is much stronger and I'm in a world where nobody even has Soul Force or barely anything, because I could still sense them with Soul Sense.
Other than that, it's maybe a good time to start seriously researching this city and its power players.
So, getting a pen and paper, I use my phone to research my city.
The results were… worrying.
First, the Merchants. So far I found they are just a group of drug dealers backed by a few capes.
Skidmark isn't that dangerous by himself for me; his power basically lets him deflect things weakly. And while it theoretically could be stacked to increase the force it deflects back, he hasn't shown any sign of doing that the last few years.
He's basically as dangerous as a normal guy, but probably with a gun.
Squealer is a tragic tale, or maybe a fortunate one in a tragic setting, because the moment people hear of a tinker they try everything to snatch them up.
Because while the Merchants are bad, they are infinitely better to be under than the Nazi regime if you don't believe in it, or Lung's tyrannical rule.
Still, if I can get her out of that situation, then I will.
Then we have Mush, which I almost have pity for.
To have the power to become a trash monster is at the same time a lucky pick in this city, but besides being a Case 53, one of the worst powers you can have.
Useful, but disgusting.
As for Trainwreck and Scrub, so far I can remember they only join the Merchants after the Leviathan attack.
The other powers in this city are much more powerful and numerous, both in capes and gang members.
So much research that after 30 minutes, my head actually starts to hurt.
Research done for today, both because I'm tired, and because I'm disturbed.
Putting on the TV for some background noise, I go to the kitchen to make myself some tea.
Waiting for the water to boil, I hear the TV suddenly change from the program it was on.
Going back to look, my face pales and my mouth opens in shock for a second before a guilty sigh of relief comes over me.
In big black letters with a red background, four words flash on the screen.
ENDBRINGER ALERT IN MADISON!
I completely forgot about the Simurgh attack in Madison.
The attack that would bring The Travelers to Earth-B and make them Simurgh Bombs at the same time, and create another S-Class threat in Noelle's power.
Watching the news, one brave or suicidal reporter is standing at the meeting place of all the capes that is rapidly filling up.
But despite all that I can see, and the knowledge that thousands of people will die and millions will be ruined,
One question keeps coming back to the front of my mind.
Could I have prevented this?
AN: This chapter was a rollercoaster for me. At first I thought meeting between Matt and Liam was a good opportunity for an interlude, to see if I could do a good job with it or not.
Do tell me if I did btw, does he feel different from Liam's thoughts? I think he does.
I also tried to write the conversation differently; did you guys like it? Or should I go back to how I wrote them before?
Then we came to the downhill part, Liam's POV was tough—not it being him per se, but more of what the fuck am I going to make him do that is helpful but not the same thing as I did before.
So I made him do research that I realized halfway would be a massive info dump and had to change it to something else. This is where the Endbringer comes in, Simurgh right before Christmas.
I even have a reason why Liam doesn't think or talk about the holidays. That I had totally planned beforehand…
PS. Also, it's my birthday!
Waiting always made him nervous.
Waiting for school to end, waiting for the bullies to come.
Waiting for friends to leave him.
To be fair, the last one hasn't happened in a while.
His boxing friend group started with just Spencer recommending it, to fight off the bullies and gain a bit more confidence in himself.
Ironically, the boxing gym did help with the bullies, but not because he fought them off.
No, that was because of the friends he made there. They found him familiar, and when he told them which school he was going to and why he was there, they stood up for him.
Spencer and Leia were from the drama club and asked him to help with writing and correcting spelling or grammar mistakes, making it so he could sit with them now at lunch.
Johnathan, or John or Johnny, helped with keeping the jockeys away from him. As a thanks, he helped him with homework and understanding lessons, although sadly it wasn't enough to not make him repeat a year.
Which doesn't make Johnny stupid, he just wasn't book smart and he knew it irritated him to no end.
But he never acted that frustration on him, which he appreciated.
Kevin was just that 'everybody likes him' guy, a bit oblivious maybe, considering he didn't know anybody was being bullied in the school. But he was the type of guy you couldn't stay mad at.
As for Brian,
He listened.
You could talk about anything with him and he would listen, maybe not enthusiastically, but he asked questions and let you get it out of your system, good or bad topics,
He listened.
You did have to worry when you talked about anything martial arts related, then the two roles of speaker and listener could change pretty fast.
He was certain the group would have been disbanded when they finished high school (well except Johnny), but here they are, months later and still hanging out regularly.
And then Liam came into the mix.
Brian was honest with them and said his dad asked him to invite Liam, they were okay with it.
It wasn't a bad deal, if it clicked then they had a possible new friend and made Mr. Laborn happy.
If it didn't, well then they could at least say they tried and it didn't work out.
That does make him wonder if Mr. Laborn had anything to do with his current friend group…
Looking at his phone for the time, it was 5 minutes before the agreed upon time.
"Hey Matt! How are ya!"
"WAH!" Turning around, I glared at Liam.
"Don't scare me like that!"
Looking confused and abashed, he answered,
"Sorry, it wasn't my intention to scare you."
Glare slowly disappearing, I just huff and wave my hand.
"S'fine. Anyway, anything you'd like to do today?"
Grinning at me, Liam just shrugs. "Not really, you're the one who invited me and I didn't know if you had something in mind."
Cheeks reddening in embarrassment, I voiced my plan.
"Well, I was thinking of just going for a walk on the boardwalk and maybe visiting the bookshop here, maybe grab a bite later."
Putting his hands in his pockets and looking completely at ease, he smirks.
"S'fine by me, maybe stop by the sports store while we're at it."
Confused, I replied, "What you need there? New boxing gloves?"
"Nah, I want a metal bat for at home, there's been an attempted break-in at one of the apartments and I want something to defend myself."
Bleaching a bit at that, I asked, "What happened?"
Another shrug, acting completely nonchalant, but I could see something in his eyes.
"It was apparently pretty close, but the moment the robber saw the light go on in the room, they bolted. So it was probably a druggie wanting some cash but not yet gone far enough to kill or hurt someone over it."
Grimacing, I remember what kind of city I live in. That story happens far too often, but there is little that can be done about it, and the police just take your information and throw it in the trash on the way out.
Seeing my expression, Liam just gestures that he appreciates the worry but wants to leave the subject.
So we walk and talk around the boardwalk, over boxing and reading, over the bowling we did last week, over anything really.
And that is where Liam is good at, going with any topic and talking with you about it.
That isn't to say he knows everything; if he doesn't know he will just tell you and say to keep talking about it if you want to.
And that is what makes Liam fun.
Because while Brian listens, Liam listens and is interested.
So we talk, mostly about fantasy stories; he recommends stories online and I recommend books.
At the end, we ate at Fugly Bob's and were about to leave when a floating girl with her companions came in.
Glory Girl came in with her sister and Panacea and the ward Gallant.
"Come on Ames! That guy had it coming! You should know to not be aggressive in front of a cape! Should I have not stopped that fight from happening then?!"
Speaking loudly and with animated hand motions, Victoria Dallon, better known as Glory
Girl, told her sister for anyone to hear.
With an exasperated breath, her sister answered, "No Vicky, what I'm telling you was to let
Gallant handle it because he is better at defusing… which you know by the way."
With a "Hmpf," Vicky turned away from Panacea with her arms crossed.
Meanwhile, Gallant was in between them trying to ironically… defuse the situation of the sisters arguing.
"Hehe, now now Ladies, what do you guys want to eat? Today is on me, okay?"
That brought the sisters back to where they were and they saw all the people staring at them.
And as professional capes… they just ignored us and went to order.
Looking back at Liam, I saw him being really focused on the heroes; there was even a moment when his staring was so much that Gallant started looking at us.
"First time seeing New Wave and Gallant?"
Turning back towards me, a bit confused, he took a second and replied.
"Oh? Yeah, first time. Up close anyway, I've probably seen Glory Girl flying in the distance."
"Really? You live close to New Wave?"
Amused, he shrugs.
"Don't think so? I live in the nice part of the Merchants; if New Wave was close by, I would think they'd have cleaned that part up already."
"True, I didn't even know the Merchants had a nice part haha."
Joking and bantering, we left Fugly Bob's, not realizing Gallant was looking at us on the way out.
Not that much later, Liam and I parted ways and went back home.
Today was a fun day.
-William Brooks-
It's been a month since my last, and first, dungeon run.
The first thing on my to-do list was already done.
Get a metal bat.
My stats and skills are also steadily improving.
[Status]
Name: William Brooks
Class: NA
Soul Realm: Red
Soul Form: Disordered/ [Redacted]
Soul Attribute: Neutral
Sp. Physique: NA
Soul Force: 162
Body Force: 135
Money: $4525
Soul Force had the biggest increase with 53 points, and Body Force at 35 points.
My cultivation speed was steadily improving; while before 50% looked fast, I was now sitting on 130% without the movement bonus of meditation, which itself was another 12.5%.
I've also dropped training in the gym on Wednesday to do more traditional cultivation.
Technically with the Heavenly God Technique, I don't need to physically work out anymore, but the gym gives me more than just that.
For one, I'm actually learning how to fight there, plus it's basically my only social interaction I have except for the get-togethers I have with Matt and the group.
Soul Sense has also leveled up nicely.
Soul Sense Lvl. 17
The ability to sense Soul Energy outside the body.
Current distance: 51 ft
It's the skill that leveled up the most, probably because I've tried to never not have it on.
Now I shouldn't be surprise-attacked anymore by a koala-dropping ghoul.
Soul Reinforcement is another skill I focused a lot of my time on; this one was harder to level because it still requires some amount of focus, but I suspect that another week and I can go back into the dungeon again with this skill a useable part of my arsenal.
Not to say that it doesn't already give a considerable boost.
Soul Reinforcement Lvl. 11
The use of Soul Force and reinforcing your body with it, a must for every Cultivator.
Adds 11% of Soul Force towards Body Force while in use.
Right now that's an extra 16 points to my Body Force making me technically halfway into Bronze Star-2 of the Fighter Rank.
Which doesn't sound like a lot, but with good technique that bit can add a massive difference.
Or
You could use the force multiplier known as 'baseball bat'.
With all that, Soul Manipulation is going up bit by bit in the background, sitting at Lvl. 29.
I think it's high enough to try some techniques I've known from the story Tales of Demons and Gods where the base of my power came from, like the Secret Soul Techniques.
I'll probably need to practice on zombies first before I use it in the real world though. After all, Shen Yue used it to overpower Nie Li in the beginning of the story and was worried he would actually try and kill him.
My Soul Realm is much stronger and I'm in a world where nobody even has Soul Force or barely anything, because I could still sense them with Soul Sense.
Other than that, it's maybe a good time to start seriously researching this city and its power players.
So, getting a pen and paper, I use my phone to research my city.
The results were… worrying.
First, the Merchants. So far I found they are just a group of drug dealers backed by a few capes.
Skidmark isn't that dangerous by himself for me; his power basically lets him deflect things weakly. And while it theoretically could be stacked to increase the force it deflects back, he hasn't shown any sign of doing that the last few years.
He's basically as dangerous as a normal guy, but probably with a gun.
Squealer is a tragic tale, or maybe a fortunate one in a tragic setting, because the moment people hear of a tinker they try everything to snatch them up.
Because while the Merchants are bad, they are infinitely better to be under than the Nazi regime if you don't believe in it, or Lung's tyrannical rule.
Still, if I can get her out of that situation, then I will.
Then we have Mush, which I almost have pity for.
To have the power to become a trash monster is at the same time a lucky pick in this city, but besides being a Case 53, one of the worst powers you can have.
Useful, but disgusting.
As for Trainwreck and Scrub, so far I can remember they only join the Merchants after the Leviathan attack.
The other powers in this city are much more powerful and numerous, both in capes and gang members.
So much research that after 30 minutes, my head actually starts to hurt.
Research done for today, both because I'm tired, and because I'm disturbed.
Putting on the TV for some background noise, I go to the kitchen to make myself some tea.
Waiting for the water to boil, I hear the TV suddenly change from the program it was on.
Going back to look, my face pales and my mouth opens in shock for a second before a guilty sigh of relief comes over me.
In big black letters with a red background, four words flash on the screen.
ENDBRINGER ALERT IN MADISON!
I completely forgot about the Simurgh attack in Madison.
The attack that would bring The Travelers to Earth-B and make them Simurgh Bombs at the same time, and create another S-Class threat in Noelle's power.
Watching the news, one brave or suicidal reporter is standing at the meeting place of all the capes that is rapidly filling up.
But despite all that I can see, and the knowledge that thousands of people will die and millions will be ruined,
One question keeps coming back to the front of my mind.
Could I have prevented this?
AN: This chapter was a rollercoaster for me. At first I thought meeting between Matt and Liam was a good opportunity for an interlude, to see if I could do a good job with it or not.
Do tell me if I did btw, does he feel different from Liam's thoughts? I think he does.
I also tried to write the conversation differently; did you guys like it? Or should I go back to how I wrote them before?
Then we came to the downhill part, Liam's POV was tough—not it being him per se, but more of what the fuck am I going to make him do that is helpful but not the same thing as I did before.
So I made him do research that I realized halfway would be a massive info dump and had to change it to something else. This is where the Endbringer comes in, Simurgh right before Christmas.
I even have a reason why Liam doesn't think or talk about the holidays. That I had totally planned beforehand…
PS. Also, it's my birthday!
Last edited:
Nicohals J Westerberg
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I don't know if it's because Im on mobile but some sentences have a weird gap in between them
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
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I don't notice anything at first glance, but I'll check more indepth later.
Neondagger
Versed in the lewd.
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Happy birthday and thanks for the chapter
G1 Convoy
Versed in the lewd.
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TFTC and Happy Birthday.
If you were only trying to portray Matt as a socially awkward, (post?) highschool teen, who is trying to navigating relationships in his social circle (and nothing more), then you did okay.
If you were only trying to portray Matt as a socially awkward, (post?) highschool teen, who is trying to navigating relationships in his social circle (and nothing more), then you did okay.
Slycerr
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Thank you!
And that was what I was going for yes xD.
Also yes, Liam's friend group recently graduated, well except Johnny. They are also a year older than Liam, but he himself doesn't go to school and is basically 'home-schooled'.
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
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Thank you!
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
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Thanks!
Sirrocco
Tiny but ambitious squid
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You have some line breaks in odd places. It's not terrible, but it's also pretty clearly not intentional.
I feel like the MC would benefit from having... a plan? Goals? Like, right now he seems to be runnign entirely on 'I'm gonna cultivate, because cultivating is awesome, and eventually I guess I'll do stuff with it once I get good enough." "What stuff?" "Just, you know, stuff."
On the other hand, it looks like he's starting to get a bit of a push in that direction now, so....
I feel like the MC would benefit from having... a plan? Goals? Like, right now he seems to be runnign entirely on 'I'm gonna cultivate, because cultivating is awesome, and eventually I guess I'll do stuff with it once I get good enough." "What stuff?" "Just, you know, stuff."
On the other hand, it looks like he's starting to get a bit of a push in that direction now, so....
Slycerr
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Yeah, I don't know why it does that, I tried fixing, and it helped a bit, but I'll try something else.
If that doesn't fix it, then I'll just have to put it in the AN that I tried.
As for the mc not having any goals or plans, there isn't a lot of things he COULD plan, even less without strenght.
He is smart, which I tried to show with his preparing for the Undeath Realm, but not genius smart that the plan he would make wouldn't just be 'become strong enough to fight gangs effectively'.
I'm trying to make him smart enough to know any plans he would make would need strength regardless of the circumstances.
He's intelligent, but not a genius is was trying to say. Brockton Bay is a shit show we're you need some sort of strength to ever change something, so that's what he focuses on.
Aaaand I'm rambling, gonna stop now.
Last edited:
Sirrocco
Tiny but ambitious squid
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No, I mean... he hasn't really even committed to hero/villain/rogue yet. He hasn't decided if he wants to join any particular groups. He apparently knows at least some stuff about Worm canon, but it's only just now occurring to him that he might be able to mess with it. He's certainly not putting in any effort to connect with anyone in particular. He hasn't considered what his likely threats are or put any specific effort into preparing for them other than keeping his head down. He's done none of that.
He figured out "I'm in Brockton. Therefore, I'll need personal strength" and then stopped there. Now, this is admittedly very xianxia. Also, you know, I'm still reading. It's just....
Ah - but for clarity, this *is8 part of his character now. He's just gotten a wakeup call, and that might cause him to adjust his behaviors somewhat, but it's not going to turn him into "Planning guy, the guy who plans" or anything.
Last edited:
Slycerr
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Ah, I think I understand what you're saying, that's my bad. I find it obvious that he's going the hero route, but that's writers bias, so I'll see if I can make that more obvious in the chapters I'm writing now. And to be double fair to you, there hasn't really been a situation where he can show what kind of person he is yet.
this is parlty intended, because we're still in the preparation stage. I do think his reaction at the latest chapter posted at the end shows he wants to go the hero route.
admittedly, a lot of his actions will only become more clear in later chapters, like making a goal as 'get stronger' and just focusing on that almost religiously.
I will keep your feedback in mind thought.
This is the first fic I wrote and posted in years. So you can say this is my trail of fire to get better as a writer.
Last edited:
Sirrocco
Tiny but ambitious squid
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2015
- Messages
- 16,878
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- 93,453
Okay. If he's planning on going heroic, is he planning on going Protectorate, somehow joining New Wave, or being (officially) a sort of heroically-inclined Rogue? Has he thought that far? If he's hoping to join a group, has he thought about how muh he's going to tell them about his powers?
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2021
- Messages
- 27
- Likes received
- 258
Well, Protectorate is know to leak like a seave, so unless he can directly speak with the people at the top that option is not that great.
As for New Wave, he would need to truly be an exceptional cape to be accepted in what is basically a Family group (or date someone from them).
Going solo has the upside of being free but the downside of statistic that says they don't survive long.
I can't say which route he which route he'll go because that would be spoiling.
but he(me) has thought of it, but right now he basically is a strong guy that has a pocket dimension that could be usefull in very specific circumstances.
He also suffers from the protagonist viewpoint of thinking himself important (which he kinda is) and that the whole world lies on his schouldres because he knows the outcome if he doesn't do anything.
Gamer of Capes and Worms 7
New
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2021
- Messages
- 27
- Likes received
- 258
I watched the news about Madison and the Simurgh until I was too tired to stay awake.
When I woke up, I read the news online, the cape dead rate was at a 52% rate.
And they say it's one of the better fights they had.
Scion even showed up fairly early in the fight, and this was still considered good…
It put things in perspective, and it also made me realize something.
That I couldn't have changed anything, or at least not in the long run.
So what if I told them, if I even found a way to contact Cauldron and changed what happened to Madison.
Best case scenario, the Simurgh was killed, and then the next Endbringer came next in line.
One I knew even less about, where no tactics were made for, and where my knowledge would do nothing against.
Hell, I don't even know if I'm a blind spot or not, I assume so because I haven't had a visit from Hat Lady yet, but it could just be that the Path says it isn't time yet.
The only thing that would change anything was strength, which I had almost nothing of right now.
So with a new intensity, I trained and cultivated.
I made a notebook and wrote all that I could remember from Worm, something I should've done a long time ago and I can't help but curse at myself for getting excited with the chance of powers and probably already having forgotten information that could have helped.
I also looked around for some tear-resistant clothes, the closest thing I could find in a week?
Jeans.
Not the pants, but the material itself is generally very tear-resistant, so I bought a jacket and pants that did cost a pretty penny.
Other than that, I bought biker padding and a helmet to absorb some blows, and I should be set defensively.
Normally I wouldn't bother with a helmet because of visibility, but with Soul Sense that wasn't a worry.
Being ready for the place, I went into the Undead Realm with three goals in mind.
Try to use my Soul Force more offensively. Get more combat experience and finally,
make money.
…
A man's gotta eat, okay…
Going down the apartment like I did the first two times, I saw my first victim.
The zombie had no idea it was going to become a test subject.
To be fair, I don't think it has an idea of anything…
Stopping about 15 ft away from it with the zombie having its back to me.
I readied my soul force, and instead of keeping it contained I pushed it out towards the undead with the mental image of surrounding and crushing it.
The effect was immediate.
It didn't pop or really fall to the ground. It was more like its strings were cut and it fell limp.
[You have slain a zombie!]
[$5 added to your bank account.]
[Skill Created! 'Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive)' Unlocked!]
Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) Lvl. 1
Standard Soul techniques that every Demon Spiritualist should know.
This Skill only has Attacking Techniques.
That was... very easy, I even got a skill out of it which I wasn't expecting.
I mean, I'll take it. But my feelings are mixed on it.
Looking at my reserves, I see that that attack did take a chunk out of it. I did use my full power on it, so maybe that's what I should be working on.
So that's what I did, the next dozen zombies were to see how much pressure it took.
To kill one zombie took about 30% of the current maximum pressure, and about 15% for them to basically stand still and pummel them with my bat.
I also noticed that if they were bunched together it was easier on my reserves, but the pressure needed to be a bit higher so it evened out.
Two different directions was doable but strenuous, three was next to impossible currently.
The gains made the headache I got from it worth it though.
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Soul Manipulation level increased!]
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Soul Manipulation level increased!]
[Soul Sense Level Increased!]
The Secret Soul Techniques levelled the most of course.
Soul Manipulation is as steady as ever and Soul Sense broke Lvl 20.
Looking at my reserves, I see I only have half left.
Deciding to find an open area and finding myself on the street, I sit down, put my bat beside me, and cultivate to regain some Soul Energy.
This way I shouldn't be ambushed by anything from above again.
And it's a good thing I did, because in my sensing range something came at me pretty fast.
Opening my eyes, 7 ft from me, a ghoul was just about to jump me.
Rolling to the side, I was right on time because I could feel the ghoul's claws scrape against my back.
Looking at the creature, I used all the soul pressure I had and saw it buckle, but not fall.
Reaching for the bat, I was shocked when I felt the ghoul still move towards me.
Admittedly at a much slower speed, but moving all the same.
Readying myself for another jump and to hit it with my full force.
I was rewarded with the ghoul going straight for my face.
Anticipating the distance, I swung with all my might plus Soul Reinforcement and crushed its skull as it fell on the ground.
[You have slain a ghoul!]
[$68 added to your bank account.]
[You have gained 1 Healing Pill.]
Looking at the indented head of the ghoul, I can't help but wonder if it's normal that the sight of something so gruesome shouldn't make me puke, the change seems too fast.
But sadly, I can't afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. If something so disgusting doesn't make me flinch, then little will.
Which is a good thing, sadly. One day I hope to kill the Slaughterhouse 9, and Bonesaw's creations will probably still test me.
Thinking over my last few fights, I have a feeling it wouldn't take so long anymore when I can finish this floor.
Just when I finished this thought, a pop-up came up.
[Received a Quest]*
[Received a Quest]*
Quest: First clear!
Clear the Undeath Realm.
Reward: [Item]
Accept Quest: Yes/No
Quest: Kill your First Boss!
Kill enough monsters for the Boss to spawn, and kill it.
Reward: [Skill]
Accept Quest: Yes/No
Clicking yes to both quests, I went a bit up the street to regain my Soul Reserves, this time I kept standing.
I won that fight with the ghoul, but sitting down to be more comfortable was a habit that made that fight harder than it needed to be.
After filling my reserves back up, I just kept walking and killing zombies as that appeared to be the only way to summon ghouls.
It took 5 more ghouls for the difficulty to increase again.
Because this time it wasn't a singular one that found me.
Seeing 2 run towards me, I already knew this was going to be a pain in the ass.
Instead of using my Soul Pressure on both of the ghouls, I only used it on one of them, making them stagger and not double team me.
Then, I did my now signature head smash.
Sadly, this was the first time I got unlucky and anticipated distance wrong, so instead of the head I hit its shoulder.
This made it still combatable, but one of its arms was useless now.
Switching the targets for the Soul Pressure, I put my focus on the second one coming for a bite of me.
This time, I didn't miss, and crushed its head. And feeling the injured one coming towards my back, I dashed towards the side as I saw the ghoul fly next to me.
When it lands, I'm already on it and hit its neck, making it go down again.
I step on it to keep it down and pummel its skull with all my might.
Only when the pop-up comes do I stop.
[You have slain a ghoul! 2x]
[$68 added to your bank account.]
[$77 added to your bank account.]
[You have gained 1 Healing Pill.]
[You have gained 2 Healing Pills.]
[Soul Reinforcement level increased!]
That fight went fairly well, staggering them made the fight much easier than it otherwise would be, I took a serious hit to my reserves but that's better than it being on my body I would say.
I am getting tired though, so I think I'm going to leave it at this and come back tomorrow.
[Do you wish to leave the Undeath Realm? Yes/No]
Clicking 'Yes' I appear back in my apartment, I put my bat and knife to the side and take off my gear.
Looking at my jacket, I see that while it wasn't a full tear, the place where the ghoul hit me does look a bit rough. If I didn't put that on it would've gone right through my clothing and probably injured me.
Thanking my preparation, I put everything away and go shower.
After it, I cultivate for an hour or two and go to bed.
The next day I skip training in the gym and cultivate for half a day before going back in the Undead Realm.
This I do until Thursday and I get quite a bit of cash, my cultivation is a bit slower, but from this month I need to pay myself for the apartment and necessities.
[Status]
Name: William Brooks
Class: NA
Soul Realm: Red
Soul Form: Disordered / [Redacted]
Soul Attribute: Neutral
Sp. Physique: NA
Soul Force: 176
Body Force: 141
Money: $6356
I made about 2000 dollars in 4 days, making expenses for this month paid for.
Every time I fought multiple ghouls though, I stopped directly after because it was still too tiring on me and my Soul Energy.
But yesterday something changed.
Meditation leveled up to Lvl. 25.
Meditation Lvl. 25
Meditation is all about connection with something, from everything to yourself or the world around you.
Or in this case, your Soul.
Increase Soul Force gain by 25%.
While in movement and meditative state, increase Soul Force gain by 12.5%.
Can enter meditative state anytime.
I can now be always in a meditative state.
This not only makes it so I can get 25% more gain on my Soul Force, which just refills my reserves when they're not full,
it also gives me a constant state of calm and peace that I sorely needed these last few days.
Because not a few days have passed since Christmas.
A holiday you're supposed to spend with family…
Family that isn't here…
Shaking my head to get away from those thoughts, I focus back on what this means in battle.
This means that I now have to worry less about Soul Force use and don't have to meditate after every fight.
So joining the Undeath Realm, I murder my way until groups of ghouls come.
At this point they aren't even that difficult anymore.
They always jump to attack and never defend themselves, making them almost trivial.
The only difficulty is making sure only one of them attacks at a time, which requires a bit of improvisation with the Secret Soul Techniques.
It did give quite a few levels to it and Soul Manipulation when I figured out how to do two different amounts of pressure on different targets.
I took down three groups of three that way before a notification appeared in front of me.
[The Boss has appeared, and it's coming for you.]
It didn't even take five seconds before I heard a scream that made my body freeze for a second.
Immediately after, something came into my Soul Sense range from the side, and if I didn't duck to the front, it would have taken me to the ground.
Rolling and getting up as fast as I could, I look at it with wide eyes.
It was on all fours like all ghouls, but instead of the bony frame, it had a lot more muscles.
Its claws were also much longer and had a reddish-black tint to them.
Those were the only things I could observe before it yelled again and my body froze.
Seeing it sprint at me, I used my full Soul Pressure on it, and it barely slowed down.
It was just slow enough that I could roll back and kick it in its stomach when it flew over me.
Standing back up, I turned to the creature and saw its many teeth that were in a permanent smile.
Getting in my stance, I waited for it to come to me.
Seeing it running and jumping to attack me, I couldn't help but smile a bit.
Turning to smash its head in, it did something that I have seen no monster do yet.
It blocked.
With its arm, it blocked the strike and was on top of me.
Then it started tearing at my arms and biting my helmet.
Taking the kitchen knife out of my belt, I started stabbing its belly and tried to get it off me.
After what felt like an eternity, it finally jumped off me.
Scrambling back up, I saw it holding its stomach with the arm I hit with my bat.
Quickly taking out a healing pill from my pocket, I popped it into my mouth before really looking at my injuries.
I couldn't afford to have my attention away from the muscled undead.
Feeling more tired than I have ever been, I tried something desperate.
Instead of using pressure, I sharpened my Soul Energy and shot it towards the ghoul.
Suddenly it's holding its head, and without thinking, I sprint over towards it to stab it to death.
Getting on top of it, it seems to snap out of it, going back to trying to cut me with its claws and trying to bite me in the shoulder instead of my head.
But I have the advantageous position and stab it from under its jaw, turning it like I'm training to make a brain slushie.
After an uncomfortable amount of time, it slowly goes limp, and I get a notification that is followed by even more of them.
What also appears suddenly is a chest that comes straight from a fantasy game about 5ft away from me.
…
I did not scream or yelp when it appeared. Anyone who says so is a lying liar who only lies.
…
Anyway, I first looked at the notifications.
[You have slain a Nightmarish Ghoul!]
[$756 added to your bank account.]
[You have gained the 'Nightmare Ghoul' Demon Spirit.]
[Secret Soul Techniques has leveled up! 3x.]
[Soul Manipulation has leveled up! 3x.]
[Soul Reinforcement has leveled up! 2x.]
The pearl appeared next to the body; it had this black and red pattern to it that just screamed EVIL at you.
Looking at the other notifications, they were about my completed quests.
Quest: First clear!
Clear the Undeath Realm.
Reward: [Item]
Accept Reward: Yes/No
Quest: Kill your First Boss!
Kill enough monsters for the Boss to spawn, and kill it.
Reward: [Skill]
Accept Reward: Yes/No
Clicking yes to both, a book and a ring appear in my hands.
Seeing the ring, my eyes widen and an uncontrollable grin appears on my face.
Immediately putting the ring on my finger, a notification pops up and my face begins to hurt from how hard I'm smiling.
[Spatial Ring equipped.]
[Inventory Unlocked.]
[Current Inventory: 5m³.]
Putting in some Soul Energy in the ring, an empty space appears in my mind.
Picking a Healing Pill, I will it into my inventory, and it disappears from my hand into the space.
Quickly pulling everything into it, I can now be ready to fight anytime.
Looking for the Skill book, I realize that in my excitement for my inventory I also put it into it.
Taking it out, the screen to learn it appears.
[Do you wish to learn the Skill [Inscriptions: Enchanting]? Yes/No.]
Oh damn, that could massively increase my combat potential.
Also, looking at my gear, it wouldn't be amiss for the next set to be tougher.
Clicking yes, knowledge enters my mind.
[Skill Created! 'Inscriptions: Enchanting' Unlocked!]
Inscriptions: Enchanting Lvl 1
The art of inscribing something is as old as time itself. At the same time, this means the possibilities are also endless.
It's on you to find them.
Enchanting is weird. It's a language, but not.
It's a weird combination of a language like Chinese or Japanese, with different combinations of symbols meaning different things, but with a lot of math.
And between all the confusion, there is a strange amount of sense in it.
Determined to try it out later, I go to the chest that appeared.
Opening it up, there isn't a lot in it, but what's in it is great.
There is a pill bottle with 3 pills in it, some money, and another Skill book.
Taking the Skill book, it asks me if I want to learn it:
[Do you wish to learn the Skill [Divine Streaming]? Yes/No.]
Confused, because I can't remember this one, and it isn't obvious at what it does at first glance, I click yes.
[Skill Created! 'Divine Streaming' Unlocked!]
Divine Streaming Lvl. 1
The perfect escape technique, turning yourself into light and increasing your speed to match.
But this skill isn't about how fast you can be, but about how good you are at being fast.
The fuck?
AN: 150 watchers?! you guys are awesome, I'm honeslty kind of shocked we got there that fast.
As for the spacing problem in the chapters, I honeslty don't know how to completly fix it, copy/paste does weird things to it. And while I fixed it a little bit, some just refuse to be fixed or need to be deleted, which I'm hesitant to do.
Anyway, I'm grateful to all that read my story and comment on it. And they do help btw, some discussion about the story is always welcomed, I write from chapter to chapter, so any ideas or changes you'd like could actually appear in the story.
This isn't a guarantee that they will be implemented though, but I will listen at least.
When I woke up, I read the news online, the cape dead rate was at a 52% rate.
And they say it's one of the better fights they had.
Scion even showed up fairly early in the fight, and this was still considered good…
It put things in perspective, and it also made me realize something.
That I couldn't have changed anything, or at least not in the long run.
So what if I told them, if I even found a way to contact Cauldron and changed what happened to Madison.
Best case scenario, the Simurgh was killed, and then the next Endbringer came next in line.
One I knew even less about, where no tactics were made for, and where my knowledge would do nothing against.
Hell, I don't even know if I'm a blind spot or not, I assume so because I haven't had a visit from Hat Lady yet, but it could just be that the Path says it isn't time yet.
The only thing that would change anything was strength, which I had almost nothing of right now.
So with a new intensity, I trained and cultivated.
I made a notebook and wrote all that I could remember from Worm, something I should've done a long time ago and I can't help but curse at myself for getting excited with the chance of powers and probably already having forgotten information that could have helped.
I also looked around for some tear-resistant clothes, the closest thing I could find in a week?
Jeans.
Not the pants, but the material itself is generally very tear-resistant, so I bought a jacket and pants that did cost a pretty penny.
Other than that, I bought biker padding and a helmet to absorb some blows, and I should be set defensively.
Normally I wouldn't bother with a helmet because of visibility, but with Soul Sense that wasn't a worry.
Being ready for the place, I went into the Undead Realm with three goals in mind.
Try to use my Soul Force more offensively. Get more combat experience and finally,
make money.
…
A man's gotta eat, okay…
Going down the apartment like I did the first two times, I saw my first victim.
The zombie had no idea it was going to become a test subject.
To be fair, I don't think it has an idea of anything…
Stopping about 15 ft away from it with the zombie having its back to me.
I readied my soul force, and instead of keeping it contained I pushed it out towards the undead with the mental image of surrounding and crushing it.
The effect was immediate.
It didn't pop or really fall to the ground. It was more like its strings were cut and it fell limp.
[You have slain a zombie!]
[$5 added to your bank account.]
[Skill Created! 'Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive)' Unlocked!]
Standard Soul techniques that every Demon Spiritualist should know.
This Skill only has Attacking Techniques.
That was... very easy, I even got a skill out of it which I wasn't expecting.
I mean, I'll take it. But my feelings are mixed on it.
Looking at my reserves, I see that that attack did take a chunk out of it. I did use my full power on it, so maybe that's what I should be working on.
So that's what I did, the next dozen zombies were to see how much pressure it took.
To kill one zombie took about 30% of the current maximum pressure, and about 15% for them to basically stand still and pummel them with my bat.
I also noticed that if they were bunched together it was easier on my reserves, but the pressure needed to be a bit higher so it evened out.
Two different directions was doable but strenuous, three was next to impossible currently.
The gains made the headache I got from it worth it though.
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Soul Manipulation level increased!]
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Secret Soul Techniques (Offensive) level increased!]
[Soul Manipulation level increased!]
[Soul Sense Level Increased!]
The Secret Soul Techniques levelled the most of course.
Soul Manipulation is as steady as ever and Soul Sense broke Lvl 20.
Looking at my reserves, I see I only have half left.
Deciding to find an open area and finding myself on the street, I sit down, put my bat beside me, and cultivate to regain some Soul Energy.
This way I shouldn't be ambushed by anything from above again.
And it's a good thing I did, because in my sensing range something came at me pretty fast.
Opening my eyes, 7 ft from me, a ghoul was just about to jump me.
Rolling to the side, I was right on time because I could feel the ghoul's claws scrape against my back.
Looking at the creature, I used all the soul pressure I had and saw it buckle, but not fall.
Reaching for the bat, I was shocked when I felt the ghoul still move towards me.
Admittedly at a much slower speed, but moving all the same.
Readying myself for another jump and to hit it with my full force.
I was rewarded with the ghoul going straight for my face.
Anticipating the distance, I swung with all my might plus Soul Reinforcement and crushed its skull as it fell on the ground.
[You have slain a ghoul!]
[$68 added to your bank account.]
[You have gained 1 Healing Pill.]
Looking at the indented head of the ghoul, I can't help but wonder if it's normal that the sight of something so gruesome shouldn't make me puke, the change seems too fast.
But sadly, I can't afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. If something so disgusting doesn't make me flinch, then little will.
Which is a good thing, sadly. One day I hope to kill the Slaughterhouse 9, and Bonesaw's creations will probably still test me.
Thinking over my last few fights, I have a feeling it wouldn't take so long anymore when I can finish this floor.
Just when I finished this thought, a pop-up came up.
[Received a Quest]*
[Received a Quest]*
Quest: First clear!
Clear the Undeath Realm.
Reward: [Item]
Accept Quest: Yes/No
Quest: Kill your First Boss!
Kill enough monsters for the Boss to spawn, and kill it.
Reward: [Skill]
Accept Quest: Yes/No
Clicking yes to both quests, I went a bit up the street to regain my Soul Reserves, this time I kept standing.
I won that fight with the ghoul, but sitting down to be more comfortable was a habit that made that fight harder than it needed to be.
After filling my reserves back up, I just kept walking and killing zombies as that appeared to be the only way to summon ghouls.
It took 5 more ghouls for the difficulty to increase again.
Because this time it wasn't a singular one that found me.
Seeing 2 run towards me, I already knew this was going to be a pain in the ass.
Instead of using my Soul Pressure on both of the ghouls, I only used it on one of them, making them stagger and not double team me.
Then, I did my now signature head smash.
Sadly, this was the first time I got unlucky and anticipated distance wrong, so instead of the head I hit its shoulder.
This made it still combatable, but one of its arms was useless now.
Switching the targets for the Soul Pressure, I put my focus on the second one coming for a bite of me.
This time, I didn't miss, and crushed its head. And feeling the injured one coming towards my back, I dashed towards the side as I saw the ghoul fly next to me.
When it lands, I'm already on it and hit its neck, making it go down again.
I step on it to keep it down and pummel its skull with all my might.
Only when the pop-up comes do I stop.
[You have slain a ghoul! 2x]
[$68 added to your bank account.]
[$77 added to your bank account.]
[You have gained 1 Healing Pill.]
[You have gained 2 Healing Pills.]
[Soul Reinforcement level increased!]
That fight went fairly well, staggering them made the fight much easier than it otherwise would be, I took a serious hit to my reserves but that's better than it being on my body I would say.
I am getting tired though, so I think I'm going to leave it at this and come back tomorrow.
[Do you wish to leave the Undeath Realm? Yes/No]
Clicking 'Yes' I appear back in my apartment, I put my bat and knife to the side and take off my gear.
Looking at my jacket, I see that while it wasn't a full tear, the place where the ghoul hit me does look a bit rough. If I didn't put that on it would've gone right through my clothing and probably injured me.
Thanking my preparation, I put everything away and go shower.
After it, I cultivate for an hour or two and go to bed.
The next day I skip training in the gym and cultivate for half a day before going back in the Undead Realm.
This I do until Thursday and I get quite a bit of cash, my cultivation is a bit slower, but from this month I need to pay myself for the apartment and necessities.
[Status]
Name: William Brooks
Class: NA
Soul Realm: Red
Soul Form: Disordered / [Redacted]
Soul Attribute: Neutral
Sp. Physique: NA
Soul Force: 176
Body Force: 141
Money: $6356
I made about 2000 dollars in 4 days, making expenses for this month paid for.
Every time I fought multiple ghouls though, I stopped directly after because it was still too tiring on me and my Soul Energy.
But yesterday something changed.
Meditation leveled up to Lvl. 25.
Meditation Lvl. 25
Meditation is all about connection with something, from everything to yourself or the world around you.
Or in this case, your Soul.
Increase Soul Force gain by 25%.
While in movement and meditative state, increase Soul Force gain by 12.5%.
Can enter meditative state anytime.
I can now be always in a meditative state.
This not only makes it so I can get 25% more gain on my Soul Force, which just refills my reserves when they're not full,
it also gives me a constant state of calm and peace that I sorely needed these last few days.
Because not a few days have passed since Christmas.
A holiday you're supposed to spend with family…
Family that isn't here…
Shaking my head to get away from those thoughts, I focus back on what this means in battle.
This means that I now have to worry less about Soul Force use and don't have to meditate after every fight.
So joining the Undeath Realm, I murder my way until groups of ghouls come.
At this point they aren't even that difficult anymore.
They always jump to attack and never defend themselves, making them almost trivial.
The only difficulty is making sure only one of them attacks at a time, which requires a bit of improvisation with the Secret Soul Techniques.
It did give quite a few levels to it and Soul Manipulation when I figured out how to do two different amounts of pressure on different targets.
I took down three groups of three that way before a notification appeared in front of me.
[The Boss has appeared, and it's coming for you.]
It didn't even take five seconds before I heard a scream that made my body freeze for a second.
Immediately after, something came into my Soul Sense range from the side, and if I didn't duck to the front, it would have taken me to the ground.
Rolling and getting up as fast as I could, I look at it with wide eyes.
It was on all fours like all ghouls, but instead of the bony frame, it had a lot more muscles.
Its claws were also much longer and had a reddish-black tint to them.
Those were the only things I could observe before it yelled again and my body froze.
Seeing it sprint at me, I used my full Soul Pressure on it, and it barely slowed down.
It was just slow enough that I could roll back and kick it in its stomach when it flew over me.
Standing back up, I turned to the creature and saw its many teeth that were in a permanent smile.
Getting in my stance, I waited for it to come to me.
Seeing it running and jumping to attack me, I couldn't help but smile a bit.
Turning to smash its head in, it did something that I have seen no monster do yet.
It blocked.
With its arm, it blocked the strike and was on top of me.
Then it started tearing at my arms and biting my helmet.
Taking the kitchen knife out of my belt, I started stabbing its belly and tried to get it off me.
After what felt like an eternity, it finally jumped off me.
Scrambling back up, I saw it holding its stomach with the arm I hit with my bat.
Quickly taking out a healing pill from my pocket, I popped it into my mouth before really looking at my injuries.
I couldn't afford to have my attention away from the muscled undead.
Feeling more tired than I have ever been, I tried something desperate.
Instead of using pressure, I sharpened my Soul Energy and shot it towards the ghoul.
Suddenly it's holding its head, and without thinking, I sprint over towards it to stab it to death.
Getting on top of it, it seems to snap out of it, going back to trying to cut me with its claws and trying to bite me in the shoulder instead of my head.
But I have the advantageous position and stab it from under its jaw, turning it like I'm training to make a brain slushie.
After an uncomfortable amount of time, it slowly goes limp, and I get a notification that is followed by even more of them.
What also appears suddenly is a chest that comes straight from a fantasy game about 5ft away from me.
…
I did not scream or yelp when it appeared. Anyone who says so is a lying liar who only lies.
…
Anyway, I first looked at the notifications.
[You have slain a Nightmarish Ghoul!]
[$756 added to your bank account.]
[You have gained the 'Nightmare Ghoul' Demon Spirit.]
[Secret Soul Techniques has leveled up! 3x.]
[Soul Manipulation has leveled up! 3x.]
[Soul Reinforcement has leveled up! 2x.]
The pearl appeared next to the body; it had this black and red pattern to it that just screamed EVIL at you.
Looking at the other notifications, they were about my completed quests.
Quest: First clear!
Clear the Undeath Realm.
Reward: [Item]
Accept Reward: Yes/No
Quest: Kill your First Boss!
Kill enough monsters for the Boss to spawn, and kill it.
Reward: [Skill]
Accept Reward: Yes/No
Clicking yes to both, a book and a ring appear in my hands.
Seeing the ring, my eyes widen and an uncontrollable grin appears on my face.
Immediately putting the ring on my finger, a notification pops up and my face begins to hurt from how hard I'm smiling.
[Spatial Ring equipped.]
[Inventory Unlocked.]
[Current Inventory: 5m³.]
Putting in some Soul Energy in the ring, an empty space appears in my mind.
Picking a Healing Pill, I will it into my inventory, and it disappears from my hand into the space.
Quickly pulling everything into it, I can now be ready to fight anytime.
Looking for the Skill book, I realize that in my excitement for my inventory I also put it into it.
Taking it out, the screen to learn it appears.
[Do you wish to learn the Skill [Inscriptions: Enchanting]? Yes/No.]
Oh damn, that could massively increase my combat potential.
Also, looking at my gear, it wouldn't be amiss for the next set to be tougher.
Clicking yes, knowledge enters my mind.
[Skill Created! 'Inscriptions: Enchanting' Unlocked!]
Inscriptions: Enchanting Lvl 1
The art of inscribing something is as old as time itself. At the same time, this means the possibilities are also endless.
It's on you to find them.
Enchanting is weird. It's a language, but not.
It's a weird combination of a language like Chinese or Japanese, with different combinations of symbols meaning different things, but with a lot of math.
And between all the confusion, there is a strange amount of sense in it.
Determined to try it out later, I go to the chest that appeared.
Opening it up, there isn't a lot in it, but what's in it is great.
There is a pill bottle with 3 pills in it, some money, and another Skill book.
Taking the Skill book, it asks me if I want to learn it:
[Do you wish to learn the Skill [Divine Streaming]? Yes/No.]
Confused, because I can't remember this one, and it isn't obvious at what it does at first glance, I click yes.
[Skill Created! 'Divine Streaming' Unlocked!]
Divine Streaming Lvl. 1
The perfect escape technique, turning yourself into light and increasing your speed to match.
But this skill isn't about how fast you can be, but about how good you are at being fast.
The fuck?
AN: 150 watchers?! you guys are awesome, I'm honeslty kind of shocked we got there that fast.
As for the spacing problem in the chapters, I honeslty don't know how to completly fix it, copy/paste does weird things to it. And while I fixed it a little bit, some just refuse to be fixed or need to be deleted, which I'm hesitant to do.
Anyway, I'm grateful to all that read my story and comment on it. And they do help btw, some discussion about the story is always welcomed, I write from chapter to chapter, so any ideas or changes you'd like could actually appear in the story.
This isn't a guarantee that they will be implemented though, but I will listen at least.
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Knived
Know what you're doing yet?
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I personally loved it until they went to some different universe to study in sects and stuff. It became really generic imo and i couldn't continue. But damn the first half is really good
bloodyparty
Know what you're doing yet?
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Gotta be honest, when I read "divine streaming" i was first imagining something like patron "gods" or robs watching him for entertainment like twitch.
Kaguya_Otsutsuki
Know what you're doing yet?
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I stopped reading ToDaG around the time they started mass producing elixirs to speedrun everyones cultivation
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
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Yeah, everyone who read the story said that's the point whre the author stopped caring. doesn't help that since then updates have been... scarse.
Slycerr
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...
How am I supposed to take the skill serious now?!
*author in despair*
Xcell
Not too sore, are you?
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Personally I feel like the whole addition of the dungeon is misstep in the writing of this story. As it takes away the motive for the MC to interact with the factions of worm and get involved in the drama of the story and it's characters of worm. Other than that the gamer cultivation setup is pretty interesting.
Sirrocco
Tiny but ambitious squid
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This is a very sigma story.
Slycerr
Making the rounds.
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I can understand that, not everyone likes it. And that's okay.
The dungeon/realms are there for a reason though, could I have writing the story without them? Probably.
Would it have made writing it that much more difficult for me? Also, probably
I hope the misstep isn't enough of a bother for you to stop reading, but I can understand if it is and wish you nothing but the best otherwise