Ch. 5 So this is the world
With the additional mutations the world itself had changed. No longer was I limited to my sight but now I could feel the very ep in the air. Most likely a byproduct of the drainer mutation. I could practically see the worm laying there in the tunnel. The ep in its body converged on a single location. It seemed to pulse there slowly but rhythmically. It called for deliverance from the now dead host body. At this point I could practically taste the ep calling out to me. As well as feel the other worms far away moving to this location.
I felt my hand rise without my signal. And slowly almost leisurely I walked to the corpse. Placing my hand upon the creature I felt the ep surge forth. It was a golden light in the darkness of the cave and it crawled into my body. It was different from other times I absorbed ep this time it was more pure. And the taste even from my hand I could taste it. Power ambrosia the food of the gods. That was one of the ways I could describe it. But also fear and revulsion. After it entered me the worms body became black it ceased to exist to my new sense. The worms seemed to pause now. I could practically see them. Several large things each tens of feet long. I could hear them screech to one another.
My ability to sense ep only extended maybe twenty yards in all directions of me. [+150ep] I read off from my notification screen. "Well time to go." I said to myself as I ran towards one of the empty tunnels. The second I started to run the convergence of worms charged.
The tunnels were dark to my eyes but to my senses they were made up of thick strands of golden light. The light that ep emits. Along with blues, greens, and purples where the ep was most concentrated. I followed the golden ep the less condensed ep. Surely where the ep is less condensed leads to the exit. I had already seen how ep likes to congregate in the center of dead flesh. So I charged to the areas where the ep was far less concentrated. Where the air was even colder.
Eventually one by one the worms stopped charging me. Like there was an invisible line they could not cross. I kept running. I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. As I passed by tunnel after tunnel till the ep became less and less concentrated till there was hardly any ep at all. I began to walk.
I didn't want to believe that I was truly lost. That my theories about this place was wrong. So I kept going towards the end of the ep. And for once my diligence was rewarded I saw the faintest of lights at the end of the tunnel. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Shaking away my foolishness I walked forward to what I hoped was the end.
Stepping out of the tunnel I was met with a harsh gust of wind. So cold that my tattered lab coat froze over slightly. My body head went to work on thawing it out. I walked against the wind. Fighting every step of the way until I made it to the exit. And it was a sight to see.
There was trees actual trees down here it was the first thing I noticed. Their leaves produced a pale blue light like cave lichens. There were thousands of them down the mountain of flesh and surrounding it. As far as the eye could see. Far off in the distance was a large group of superstructures like buildings. They rose taller than the trees and yellow light illuminated from them. I looked down the hill and scanned the forest and compared it to the buildings. There were hundreds of miles in between there and the mountain. Then I looked down the cliff face and saw a smaller village. Just below me. It was far smaller than the city but any form of civilization would be helpful to me. I felt a buzz from my quest menu like a buzzing around my ears.
Quest – navigate through the cave [complete]
Bonus quests
kill a cave worm [completed]
purchase two mutations [completed]
scavenge a worm [completed]
kill twenty five cave worms, slay the worm queen, consume the worm queens egg sac [incomplete]
rewards
+2 agility
+2 strength
+2 purchasable mutations unlocked
+2 wisdom
? last reward unattained
When I looked at the bonus quest sheet I nearly jumped at the last quest. It itself was so much more difficult than the other quests combined that it was unreal. With a shrug I mentally closed the window to my menu.
I jumped to the side of the cliff and began the long process of climbing down. There were no hand holds to assist me so it took much longer than normal to start getting down. I gently placed a hand on one of the few purchases it was almost too cold to touch. My hand slowly melted the crusty freezer burned hunk of meat. With a firm hand hold I swung myself to the next purchase using all my strength to hold myself there.
Looking down was a mistake. It was still hundreds of feet down into a forest of trees. I could hear nothing from it with the wind constantly buffering me. My climb soon became controlled falls. When I saw a ledge I let myself drop to it. So long if it was only ten or fifteen feet down my body seemed fully capable of handling it. As I traveled down I began to sing in my head old songs I barely remembered but music all the same.
Eventually I made it the trees were only twenty or so feet away. There was a clearing with no trees at all so I took a chance and jumped down. And landed with a thud. My knees jarred by my fall felt ready to launch out of me I collapsed to my back and began to breath heavily. In and out Sam you can do it. I told myself as I rested. But soon I realized I was not alone. There was a source of ep just barely in reach of my senses. My knees were still far from being healed but I rose to my feet anyway. They ached in protest.
When I finally made it up I put my hands on my hips and stretched. "I know your there." I said casually still stretching. Slowly whoever it was walked closer. I turned to see who it was in the pale light from the trees. A woman stepped out or at least I thought it was a woman. She was tall nearing seven feet in height. Armored from head to toe. The armor was some type of ceramic plating it bent like rubber around the joints. It was a white and crimson piece a on each shoulder there was another layer of armor in the pattern of a dragon. The sides of her helmet was shaped like bat wings. On her heel there was a spike that arched down. She was armed with a great sword on her back. The blade a ridiculously large hunk of metal was held in her right hand casually resting on her shoulder.
"Halt, state your name and clan affiliation. If you are not part of a clan then you are to turn yourself in to me immediately. There is no choice in the matter." Great another setback. I thought to myself before I approached her. But she took that the wrong way.
With a swing she brought the sword down on me in a fast arc. Only my increased speed and reaction time saved me from being killed. Quickly I took out the spine of the worm I killed earlier. With a swift strike I attempted to take out the woman. Only she wasn't there when I struck. I felt cold steel under my throat. "It seems you are unaffiliated with any clan. In fact if I had to guess I would say you're a wild type. She kicked the back of my knees and forced me to the ground painfully. "You're lucky I was on duty. Most of the others would have killed you without a second thought. Now give me your name. Then march forward."
"My name is Samuel nice to meet you." The woman grunted and kicked me in the back.
Quest options obtained
Follow the woman to her village and see what happens
Or
Escape and risk being cut down and gaining a bounty at her village
On my knees kissing the dirt I made a decision. "Alright I will go with you and what is a clan?" The woman pulled out some wire and tied my hands behind my back. Then she grabbed the wire in between my hands and hoisted me up.
"So you're a wild one after all. Once of the few to survive a fall from the great maw above. I would advise you to be on your best behavior lest the church brand you a heretic the second we enter the village." That shocked me. How old could this place really be if they worshiped the grinder above us. What is the political standpoint of the village what type of leadership did they have. Were they a monarchy, theocracy, or something like a republic. The sky was the limit far as I was concerned.
"Could you tell me about this church and great maw?" I asked as we marched "Don't reveal too much Sam they can't know about me or your plans to free me." I will keep that in mind Lucy. We walked in silence for a moment I didn't think the woman would answer me at first.
"They will expect you to know things about the maw they expect you to have been judged by it and allowed passage into our lands. If they ask you about it be vague and be respectful towards it." The woman tapped me on the shoulder and I caught a glimpse into her eyes. "If you are to know then so be it. Though you have met the maw I shouldn't expect one of his chosen to know about our humble church. The church worships the divinity of the maw that forever feeds our world. Many of our great monks have made a journey into the maw to commune to it but few have made it out. Those that have claimed to have been enlightened. For it is from the Maw that that our life energy flows. When we reach the village your name shall be recorded and you will be given over to the church to become a warrior monk." The woman's eyes seemed to stare at me longingly. "It is a great honor I assure you. It is there that you will be trained by the best the church has to offer. And you will be given the mark of the great devourer a symbol that states you are a member of the church. Rejoice wild one for you shall be a hero among the people." With each passing sentence it became apparent that I was being forcefully enlisted. We marched through a forest of trees as we marched we came upon a grove of fruit baring trees with darker leaves. Thousands were picking fruit from the trees. Posted around were over a hundred like the woman escorting me.
A squad of the solders marched forward one a cavalry man riding what looked like a giant lizard with a horse like body. "Scout Bishop you are back from patrol early and with a guest. I am assuming that this man is to be presented to father Nightcore." The armored night atop the mounted lizard said.
"I fear not captain Franklin. This is a wildling who goes by the name of Samuel. I am escorting him to arch bishop Monroe as is standard for such a discovery. I request a squad for my travels through the forest." The armored woman Bishop said, I waited the wire was uncomfortable it chaffed against my skin. When I moved my wrists there was no give at all.
Neither soldier took off their helmet they remained ready to fight at any notice. I looked around many of the soldiers carried large swords and axes with the occasional shield. Many had long bows. I was quick to notice there were no riffles or pistols of any kind. So these people used simple weapons but had advanced ceramic armor that bent easily and conformed to the body. "I will have Alpha squad guide our newest member of the armored clergy back to the village. Bishop you are relieved of this duty and may return to scouting. I will be sure to mention you in my report to father Nightcore and Monroe." Said the captain, before he was curtsied by Bishop.
"Yes captain I will be going and be sure to keep an eye on this one he held one of these in his defense against me." She held out the spine that I had. Here in the light it shown with a metallic sheen it was segmented and thick.
"Interesting this looks like a spine from a festering worm. You don't see these very often outside the great mountain Fahrenheit." His voice was deep and rough from age so unlike the soft and melodic voice of Bishop. He turned his glance to me green eyes boring holes through me. I wonder what you see when you see me? I thought, as the man scanned my body over. "Son you have injuries that haven't healed yet. Numerous impalements from the teeth and spines of the festering worms. Tell me are you a warrior like the tales claim is the nature of you who pass the test. Or are you just some lucky fool who managed to survive the Maw of god. Tell me what is it that makes you so special." So you do see the grinder as a god I better be very careful.
"I survived the Maw because of my own power. That same power has kept my body going even in the state it is currently." If I didn't answer him like this I knew that there would be doubt about me. When I swapped over to my ep sense I saw what these knights truly were like. They glowed with ep layers upon layers of it. Some like the captain shined with a green hue the others held various shades. Like the soft yellow from the Bishop.
"Interesting I sense no lies coming from you though that could be just the coverings of half-truths. No matter I am not the judge of whether you are allowed into our society as a warrior monk or slave. It is for the arch bishop to decide." The man may have been sneering at my by the sound of his last words. I couldn't tell because of the helmet.
Bishop turned and went into a run leaving me here with the captain as he stopped one of his men to go get the squad he wants as my escort. Soon they came and I was led in a column formation. Two to my front, two to my back, and one on either side of me. They brought up one of those lizard horses and placed me atop it then they took out more wire and bond me to the creature. Then we moved towards the town I had formally seen. It took around six hours by my count to get there though I couldn't really tell the time exactly down here. There were roads made with heavy concrete that seemed to be regularly cared for. I could almost forget that I was underground. If not for the trees that seemed to grow on the ceiling instead of stars.
Its full of ep. This lizard is a tank full of the stuff. I placed a hand on the zorg. It didn't show any change in its movements from the act. So I changed my senses to better perceive the ep within it. The creature had reserves of its own. Not only that but its nep was far larger than my own, but of a different color. A thought pestered me at that what would happen if a gave it some of my nep. I let a tendril of my own nep slide into the creature it coiled like a snake and struck at the zorg's own green nep only for the green to fight back and consume it.
My lips pursed in frustration and I felt a pulse in my stomach. Another thought occurred to me maybe it's like games where you have to capture the animal the first step is to weaken it. I just happened to be close enough to the creature to try it. I gripped the creature's back more tightly with my legs and used drain. The effect was slow at first until I closed my eyes and concentrated on the flow.
At first the flow was little more than a trickle until I sent some of my own nep to lengthen the hole that the energy was flowing though. I then started to destroy the strands that came in and my own nep absorbed them. Then I added a large portion of my own nep to the creature. It was like my drain ability but in reverse. Soon thick golden strings burst into the creature attacking the green from behind as it was being drained away. The green seemed too preoccupied fighting off the suction to notice the gold attacking it. I formed my nep into chained linked constructs it seemed to move much faster now and attack more efficiently. Soon I was absorbing the last of the green leaving nothing left but what gold I put inside it.
When the creature stopped thrashing one of the guards chuckled. "Oh how great you must be wild one to sleep through the bucking of a zorg most don't survive the initial bucking, or the loss of entrails that follows." The change in the man's tone was palpable. When the other guards released the zorg it didn't move. When one of them yanked on the halter I felt a phantom pain in my mouth like the guard was yanking on my body. But that's is impossible I shouldn't feel that unless. I felt around my own mind scape for the zorg that may now inhabit it. It didn't take long to find it. With the addition of the zorg a small forest of tees had appeared in my mind scape.Like a great cat I pounced on the consciousness taking hold of it. The mind I now inhabited wasn't much it was simple like one would expect from an animal. It was based all on desire and hunger but when I entered it that changed. What was once the zorg became another part of myself. I was now zorg and man. I was in two bodies how my brain survived it I can't know but somehow I was now two.
[new skill unlocked subsume – poison a target with your own N.E.P. then drain their own N.E.P. in order to take over the consciousness and make it apart of your own. This skill does not work on sentients, plants, fungi, or celestial beings later upgrades may change limits.]
[new skill unlocked overminding – truly be an overmind and make use those you subsume to your will. Mental limit 5 use 2/5.]
With a thought I told the zorg to move forward. It took a step forward and charged. The knights in front were battered out of the way. I shouted in its mind to slow down it did but slowly now it walked briskly while the knights ran to catch up. I smiled a true smile one I hadn't used in a long time. Things are coming along nicely.
Stats
E.P. 244
N.E.P. 300
Hp 175
Strength 6 – Physical power and the durability of the body. A stronger body can withstand more mutations without breaking down. Strength also increases H.P. or hit points.
Agility 7 – This stat controls the speed of the user as well as how easily the user can survive a fall and works in tandem with dexterity to allow faster reaction speeds from the body.
Dexterity 2 – This controls balance and reaction time. As well as mobility in armor.
Wisdom 6 – This stat controls the use of knowledge and how much N.E.P. or natural evolution points the body can contain.
Intelligence 3 – This attribute controls how fast someone can gain knowledge from books and how quickly skills can be picked up. It also controls mental stability. This also controls how many units can be controlled by the overmind.
Skills
Alchemy 10/100,000 – reward [+5000 intelligence]
Close combat 90/1,000 – reward [+50 strength]
Throwing 2/100 – reward [+5 dexterity]
Running 45/50 – reward [+3 agility]
Stealth 35/500 – reward [+25 dexterity]
Drain 0/100 – reward [+5 wisdom]
Scavenge 60/1000 – reward [+50 intelligence]
Weapons 50/200 – reward [+10 dexterity]
Subsume 10/1000 – reward [+50 intelligence]
Overmind 2/1,000,000,000 – reward [+50,000,000 intelligence]
Passive skills
Resist acids 10/1,000 – reward [mutation major acid resistance]
Resist physical damage 12/100,000,000,000 – reward [+5,000,000,000 strength]
Mutations
Humanoid – The user won't ever forsake their human form. In return they retain a higher amount of sentience but lose a large amount of power from mutations.
Minor healing factor – The body will slowly burn through its natural ep in order to heal itself.
Gamer mind – The user is a gamer through and through. They won't lose their cool when facing a giant boss type abomination. Their psyche is safe from most inner threats.
Overmind – The user has forced every cell in their body to take on the same functions as a human brain.
Feeding pores – The pores of the users skin filter feed form the environment. Absorbing microbes that hold small amounts of Ep.
Drainer – You now feed off of the very ep of your prey. This mutation unlocks the skill drain and grants a bonus from the consumption of blood +5ep per cc.
Increased muscle density – strength+1
Harmful mutations
Viral gums – The fangs within the users mouth are coated in a horrifying flesh eating virus. If not removed the user will become consumed by the virus.
Random mutation - The user has been experimented on for too long and has his cells have changed from what they once were. They no longer hold as much resistance to radical change.
Current ep 10
Market page
[Drainer – You now feed off of the very ep of your prey. This mutation unlocks the skill drain and grants a bonus from the consumption of blood +5ep per cc.] Purchased
[Vampirism – Add the victims N.E.P. to your own when feeding if you can remain in human form you may gain greater and greater power.] $100,000,000ep
[Thermal organ – An organ that generates heat. Survive in the coldest of conditions. Cold debuffs are moderately less effective.] Purchased
[Thermal organ v2 – This upgraded version of the thermal organ creates a pathway system for heat to flow through more efficiently as well as increase resistance to the very heat generated. It also allows the user to gain the skill overheat.] $35000ep
[Increased muscle density – strength+1] Purchased
[increased muscle density v2 – strength +10] $4000ep
[Greater elasticity – agility +1] $100ep
[Shark skin – reduces bludgeon, slash, and pierce damage up to 30psi] $2000ep
[Third eye – intelligence +20%increase bonus] $8000ep]
[Sturdy – The bones of the user are much stronger than normal. [+5 dexterity] $1000ep
[Fisherman – You know the right spots to fish. Fishing spots are now open to you.] $500ep
[New product randomized] $140ep