Defiant Soul

‘GLUTTONOUS PRISON’ IS DERIVED FROM ‘ENDLESS HUNGER’. DUE TO HOW MUCH FARTHER AWAY ‘GLUTTONOUS PRISON’ IS FROM ‘ENDLESS HUNGER’ IT IS CONSIDERED A BRAND NEW SKILL UNLIKE ‘DEMONIC FORM’. AS A NEW SKILL IT IS CURRENTLY IN FLUX AND MAY GAIN NEW QUALITIES AS IT IS USED BY YOU. IT CURRENTLY LACKS THE AUTOMATIC GAINS OF THE ‘ENDLESS HUNGER’ CONDITION, HOWEVER, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE FAR MORE VERSATILE THAN ‘ENDLESS HUNGER’.

I AM PLEASED. I HAVE PAID FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE CHANGES BECAUSE OF THIS.

YOU HAVE ENOUGH KARMIC BALANCE LEFT OVER FOR AN INSTANT REVIVAL.

CONVERSELY, YOU CAN ALSO SIMPLY ‘BANK’ IT FOR YOUR NEXT LIFE OR USE IT TO BOLSTER YOUR STATS. HOWEVER, USING IT TO INCREASE YOUR STATS IS INEFFICIENT. THE MAJORITY OF YOUR STATS WILL HAVE A 10 TO 1 CONVERSION RATE WHILE YOUR CHARISMA IS A 2:1 AND YOUR LUCK IS A 1:1 RATIO.

BOOSTING YOUR LUCK IS INADVISABLE AT THIS TIME AS IT ALTERS THE CHANCES FOR BOTH GOOD AND BAD EVENTS AND ENCOUNTERS. CHARISMA IS USED TO BUFFER AGAINST NEGATIVE INTERACTIONS WITH LIVING BEINGS WHILE KARMA IS USED TO BUFFER AGAINST NEGATIVE EVENTS. FOR INSTANCE WITHOUT KARMA, LIKE HOW YOU WILL BE WHEN YOU START, YOU WILL SUFFER MORE ENCOUNTERS WITH HOSTILE MONSTERS WITH EVERY INCREASE WITH YOUR LUCK STAT.

“I see… huh.” I replied and was quiet for a while until my stomach grumbled at me. I grimaced as an intense hunger made itself known to me and started to claw at my insides.

“I thought you fixed that!” I complained to the entity currently messing around with my said insides.

APOLOGIES BUT THIS IS NOT FROM ‘ENDLESS HUNGER’. IT IS FROM YOUR ‘STARVED’ STATE. I AM UNABLE TO REMOVE IT BY FORCE. IF YOU HAD CHOSEN TO BECOME A DEMON OR ANOTHER RACE ALL TOGETHER OR HAD REJECTED THE FATE I HAD OFFERED YOU, I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. AS IT IS, NEITHER OF US HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO FIX IT AT THIS TIME.

“What about this ‘Shard’? Why didn’t she do anything to fix this?” I asked them.

I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE WAS FAIRLY LEERY ABOUT ALTERING YOUR EXISTENCE FURTHER THAN SHE ALREADY HAD. WHEN I QUESTIONED HER ABOUT IT FURTHER, SHE CLAIMED THAT YOU WERE IN A ‘FRAGILE STATE OF BEING’ AT THE TIME AND WOULD NOT ELABORATE. SHE DID SAY THAT YOU WOULD STABILIZE IF GIVEN TIME HOWEVER.

AS IT IS, YOU WILL HAVE TO EAT SOON AS YOU MANIFEST OR YOUR HEALTH WILL STEADILY DECREASE. FORTUNATELY, ANY ORGANIC SUBSTANCE WILL DO IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE THE SYMPTOMS.

“Alright.” I replied before a thought came to me and I smirked.

“Does that mean I can eat shit and live?” I asked it innocently. Well, semi-innocently. I was curious about how it would react to the suggestion.

YES. PLEASE DON’T. THAT IS DISGUSTING. NOT TO MENTION NOT VERY EFFECTIVE AT ALLEVIATING YOUR HUNGER.

“Don’t worry, I won’t, even I have my boundaries but it’s nice to know it’s an option if I got nothing else.” I assured it.

SAMUEL JACKSON, DRIED LEAVES, STICKS, AND OLD BONES WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THAT. PLEASE UP YOUR LUCK AND KARMA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO YOU DO NOT FIND YOURSELF IN SUCH A PREDICAMENT.

I knew that I probably shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at the feeling of disapproval radiating from the powerful being.

PERHAPS YOU SHOULD INVEST IN WISDOM AND CHARISMA AS WELL. YOU ARE ACTING FOOLISH.

“I know but I’ve been starving for a while too. It’s probably getting to me again.” I told it before asking. “How much longer until I’m alive again?”

SOON. I AM DECIDING WHERE I SHOULD PUT YOU.

“Oh, crap. You’re going to make me pay for those ‘shit’ inquires, aren’t you?” I asked it with more than a little trepidation.

YES. YOU WILL NOT LIKE WHERE YOU END UP BUT I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE SO EASILY EITHER.

“Shit.” was all I managed to say before the not quite a place I was in twisted and warped around me.

When things began to settle, I found myself laying on the dust covered stone floor of a squared off tunnel. It was dark in there but not completely lightless as there was a softly pulsing glow that gave me just enough to see by. It came from archaic symbols and runes that lined every inch of flat surface that I could see. I sat up to stare at wonder for a moment until a familiar presence intruded in my mind.

AH, GOOD. YOU MANIFESTED SAFELY. THAT IS A RELIEF. COME NOW YOU HAVE WORK TO DO BUT FIRST WE NEED TO GET YOU SOMETHING TO EAT.

“Wait, what?… Wait a minute! You put me in one of those mana absorbing thingies didn’t you!” I protested without getting up and glared at the empty air above me.

YES, I DID. BUT TO BE MORE PRECISE, I PLACED YOU WITHIN THE FACILITY AROUND ONE. BOTH IT AND THE FACILITY ARE PROTOTYPES AND ARE THE WEAKEST ONE I KNOW OF. THERE SHOULD BE A CONTAINMENT AREA SOMEWHERE WITH IN HERE THAT YOU CAN FIND SOME ‘FOOD’ FOR YOURSELF TO HELP STAVE OFF THE EFFECT OF CONTINUED ‘STARVATION’. THERE IS AN EVER-GROWING ARRAY EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM THE FACILITY THAT IS COLLECTING THE MANA IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. MONSTERS AND DEMONIC CREATURES CONTAIN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF MANA AND THEREFORE ARE TARGETS OF COLLECTION.

YOU MAY EVEN ACQUIRE A COMPANION ONCE WE ARRIVE AT THE CONTAINMENT AREA. THIS FACILITY IS LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF WHAT WAS ONCE THE TERRITORY OF THE DEMON WOLF KING SALAZAR. HE DISAPPEARED SHORTLY AFTER THE MANA ABSORPTION OF THE AREA BEGAN SO THERE IS A CHANCE THAT HE MAY STILL BE HERE.

“Wasn’t that like thousands of – Ow!” I cried out as I was interrupted mid thought by something biting me on the leg. I grabbed it and tore it off me out reflex to fling it away from me, but my hand wouldn’t open. The aborted throw did stun the little shit that bit me, so I didn’t have to worry about it as the System distracted me from it.

WAIT! YOU CAN EAT THAT! DON’T THROW IT AWAY!

“What!?” I demanded.

YOU CAN EAT THAT! IT IS A MANA RAT. IT WON’T BE MUCH BUT IT WILL BE BETTER THAN THE NOTHING YOU HAVE NOW.

“Really?” I questioned.

YES, REALLY. OR WOULD YOU LIKE A FULL-SIZED MONSTER AS YOUR FIRST MEAL?

MANA RATS ARE CLASSIFIED AS TYPE OF ‘VERMIN’. VERMIN ARE THE WEAKEST OF THE WEAK AND ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE ON THE BAREST TRACE OF MANA. THEY WILL NOT CURE YOU OF YOUR ‘STARVATION’ STATUS BUT THEY WILL ALLEVIATE THE SYMPTOMS FOR A TIME.

“Ug. I’m in another world and I’m still reduced to eating rats to survive. Figures.” I muttered to myself as I examined my catch.

It was definitely a rat, just one that was way bigger than anything I had the misfortune of eating before. It was the size of a small cat and had a glowing pattern under its fur that pulsed in time with the markings in the tunnel, providing it with a form of camouflage. Other than its size and the glowing, it was disappointingly normal. Particularly after looking at the eldritch mark on my arm.

“I don’t suppose I could practice one of my…. ‘skills’ on this instead?” I asked.

YOU CAN. IT WOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE USE OF THE ANIMAL IF YOU USE THE INNATE SKILL OF YOUR ‘DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY’ FATE. ALL SKILLS ARE TRIGGERED BY A FOCUSED INTENT. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SHOW YOU HOW?

“That would be helpful.” I told the system with more than a bit of trepidation.

I didn’t have time to worry for very long as I felt a change come over me and I lost control of my body. I felt something unlock or connect inside of my mind and suddenly I knew what I had to do. What I needed to think. To feel.

To Consume

My mouth automatically opened as the skill activated and the space within it expanded. At the same time, the rat that I was holding got sucked into it, filling it before my jaws snapped shut behind the unfortunate creature. Something at the back of my throat crushed the life out of it when the skill had me swallow it before sending it down to my stomach for digestion. Or what I thought was my stomach. Either way, once all of that was over, I immediately leaned over to the side and dry heaved a few times as I reacted to what had happened.

“Is it always going to be like that?” I asked the system after I spat out a mouthful of bile that had eventually come up.

NO. THIS WAS YOUR FIRST TIME USING AN ACTIVE SKILL. THE FIRST TIME IS ALWAYS THE ROUGHEST AND FATE SKILLS TEND TO BE THE HARDEST HITTING WHEN THEY ARE FIRST USED. ADD TO THAT YOUR STARVED STATE AND YOU GET A RATHER MISERABLE FORM OF BACKLASH. IT WILL HOWEVER GET BETTER WITH PRACTICE.

“That’s good to hear.” I muttered before getting distracted by a blinking light in the corner of my vision. The moment I focused on it; my sight was swarmed with transparent, blue boxed messages.

WARNING! YOU ARE UNDER ATTACK!

MANA RAT HAS USED DRAIN BITE!

-10 MANA

YOU ARE WOUNDED! DUE TO YOUR WEAKENED STATE, YOU HAVE BEEN INFLICTED WITH BLEED(MINOR)

YOU HAVE CAPTURED MANA RAT!

DUE TO YOUR ACTIONS, YOU HAVE STUNNED MANA RAT FOR FIVE SECONDS!

-1 HEALTH DUE TO BLEED(MINOR)

MANA RAT HAS RECOVERED FROM STUN.

MANA RAT HAS CHOSEN TO ‘PLAY DEAD’

-1 HEALTH DUE TO BLEED(MINOR)

-1 HEALTH DUE TO BLEED(MINOR)

WOUND HAS CLOTTED. BLEED(MINOR) HAS BEEN REMOVED

YOU HAVE ACTIVATED CONSUME FOR THE FIRST TIME.

MANA RAT HAS BEEN CONSUMED

MANA RAT HAS BEEN SLAIN

NO EXPERIENCE REWARDED FOR SLAYING A LEVEL 0 VERMIN

DIGESTION OF MANA RAT CORPSE HAS BEGUN.

As I finished reading the last one, more messages popped into veiw.

DIGESTION OF MANA RAT CORPSE HAS BEEN COMPLETED

FATE OF THE DEMON LORD OF GLUTTONY HAS HEALED ALL WOUNDS DUE TO THE CONSUMPTION AND DIGESTION OF AN ENEMY.

YOUR HEALTH HAS BEEN FULLY RESTORED

YOUR MANA HAS BEEN REFILLED

PENALTIES OF THE CONDITION ‘STARVATION’ HAVE ALLEVIATED FOR ONE HOUR

NO OTHER REWARDS GIVEN DUE TO MANA RAT BEING A LEVEL 0 VERMIN

As the last message faded away, I felt better than I had in a long time and my leg no longer hurt from the bite wound.

“What was that all about? Those messages….?” I asked the System.

YOU CAN THINK OF THEM AS A TYPE OF EVENT LOG. RECORDING HARM AND ADVANCEMENTS ARE IT’S MOST BASIC FUNCTION. WHAT INFORMATION IT WILL SHOW CAN BE INCREASED VIA HIGHER CHARISMA OR SKILLS.

“Alright… I should probably get going shouldn’t I?”

THAT WOULD BE A PREFERRED ACTION.

“Fine.” I said as I got up.

I took a moment to get my bearings and noticed that the pulsing glow had a direction. There was only one and I didn’t see any splits or doors leading off the tunnel, so I decided to follow it and see what happened. The System entity didn’t say anything to nay say my choice which probably meant that it was the right way to go.

After a while, with no real change in other than the pattern of the symbols on the floor, ceiling, and walls and with the added bonus of nothing try to bite my ankles, I assumed it was safe enough to check my stats and assign the free points that I had apparently earned while I was dead.

NAME: Samuel (hidden: Jackson)

RACE: Human

AGE: 18

SOUL TRAITS: Defiant(worn), Merciful(neutral), Kind(neutral), Noble(strained)

FATE: Demon Lord of Gluttony

STATUS: System Champion

STATS:

Level: 0

Health: 50/50

Mana: 120/120

Stamina: 5/5

CP: 0/0

Strength: 3

Vitality: 5

Endurance: 5

Defense: 1

Wisdom: 3

Intelligence: 12

Agility: 3

Dexterity: 4

Charisma: 0

Luck: 0

Free Attribute Points: 30

SKILLS:

Stealth, Consume(Fate, Core ability), Gluttonous Prison(Fate, empty, in flux), Demonic Form (Fate, inactive),

Traits:

Enhanced senses(Fate, passive)

AFFLICTIONS: Starvation(suspended/50:02)

BONUSES: None

OTHER: Mark of the Eldritch (Shard)(3 acquired boons)