| Congratulations! |
| Experience earned towards next milestone achieved! For embracing your inheritance you are awarded [1] level. Skill unlocked: [Further skills locked till requirements are unlocked.] |
And so the world started to make sense, she understood why this was happening, what was happening, and she could even feel her own heart starting to beat at a more sedated pace.
She didn't need to be worried, it all made sense, she could feel something within her awaken as the title settled in her [Core], and she felt her connection towards [Nyx] strengthen itself even more than ever, she only needed but to will it and she could awaken him.
He would awaken weakened yes, but she could call upon him and she was sure he would respond.
And more importantly, "Eli-Eli?" Rossalina Singh, the Saint of Healing. "Are you okay?"
Rossie, her lover, her partner, the one who brandished the title of a [Paramour].
She was looking mighty worried for her, no...Not for her, for Elizabeth. For Eli-Eli...
But who was she? She was Elizabeth, of that there was no doubt, but she also was [More], so much [MORE]. She was the one who once was an [Inheritor of the Akashik Record], in another life she was the [Inheritor] to a clan who strived to collect all the records in the world to make a library.
And right now, at this very moment. She was an [Inheritor] once more, but to what? Her own [Bloodline] had awakened, the [Vestiges] of what made her who she was.
Half of it was what her Father had left for her, the genetic material of the most powerful hero ever, one whose skill allowed him to adapt to anything and everything. That was embedded into her very [Soul], it was the reason she had survived so far with so many changes done to both her mind and soul.
The other half was of her Mother, a [Soul] capable of surviving in the most direst of situations, capable of producing the most pure [Mana], backed by generations upon generations of talents bred to produce [Genius].
The [Saintsworths] didn't produce average people, and she was the reincarnation of the biggest [Talent] they had ever produced. She may have lost the [Knowledge] since Alexanders didn't deem to leave her his knowledge, but she had kept his talent.
But all of that was in the soul and mind, what about her body?
Her body's template was produced by a woman whose only mission was to create the perfect body for the perfect soul crafted by the most powerful man in the world. Then when she took it after [Chloe] gave it to her, it changed to accommodate her.
But even after that, the base was there, the perfect body to manipulate the purest amount of mana ever, backed by the talent of the greatest minds this world ever saw.
She was born from two of the top powerhouses this plane had for over two hundred years, and then the weak spot she had, her body. Was changed to one that could bring her talent to the fullest.
"Never felt better in my life." Even her voice had an undertone of raw [Power] to it, it thrummed with the power of [Mana].
"Are you sure?" Asked Rossie, worry tinged on her face. "Because your eyes turned into one similar to those of your [Shadows]."
Her eyes had transformed?
It took but a flick of will for one of the shadows in the wall to open an [Eye] and let her see herself.
She was sitting in the bed, blouse wide open showing her chest, but she didn't feel ashamed of that, not anymore. Why would she?
She was beautiful, she should be looked upon, and adored, and she should be desired by all who gazed upon her bare body.
But that wasn't the main issue, so she focused on her [Eyes], and Rossie was right. Her eyes had turned reptilian-like, they were tinged azure blue as if they would burst into flames at the barest hint of mana.
She tried to focus some mana into her eyes and they indeed did just so.
But that wasn't the only thing that changed, for a new blue screen showed up. Only...she saw the moment the mana coalesced in front of her, she saw the making of the thing and how the words were formed guided by a golden mana inscribed into an azure slate.
| ...Are you okay? |
| Eli-Eli, it's mom...
Are you feeling all right?
We are getting all weird types of signals coming from you, mostly about something [Awakening] and it being tied to... some subroutine [The World] had wanted to use to kickstart the [System].
She is....I will be honest, I don't know what she is thinking half the time, but I think she is...happy?
Either way, most of what I'm reading says this isn't bad, not like what happened with the [Gluttony] thing you had lying around (Sorry about that, didn't though it would be [THAT] bad!)
But Papa is....NO I'M WRITTING!!!!!!!
..........................................
Elizabeth, it's your Father.
What you have awakened seems to be based upon the most primal aspect of your spirit, it is actively changing your mana signature to something closer to your [Origin].
What this means is that while your [Shadows] will be easier to use, you will be more intrinsically tied to [Dragons], temper your will Elizabeth.
For those that walk the path of a [Dragon] need to be aware of their [Desire].
While the one you got first isn't the worst to have, you may need to collect yourself and examine closer what you earned.
PD: You may want to tune down the use of the skill, your girlfriend is thinking of using her [Oracle] skill to ask for help, and she does not have [Piety] towards gods, so a [Demon] may answer the call.
We will do our best to hijack the call, but not even [Gods] can force piety upon mortals. |
Rossie was thinking of what?
She turned her sight to the pink-haired girl, in her eyes it reflected the [Delicious] figure of her girlfriend, her curves, her lips, her chest...Her [Core] bare to her eyes, a chain of golden mana decorated with azure dragon script on each link...
And at the end of it, a spell taking form, one of [Divine] mana searching for something to call upon, frayed connection towards the celestial planes. Not all were destroyed, but most of them.
And downwards? A multitude of different [Demonic] links ready to pounce upon [HER ROSSIE]. It made her sick, they [DARE COVET] what is [RIGHTFULLY HERS?].
Her shadows reacted to it, all of them looking downwards to the demonic planes, a low growl starting forming in her throat, or at least it was till "Eli-Eli?" Rossie's voice brought her back.
The skill seemed ready to use, waiting to be used, waiting to be called upon.
That made her realize, that the girl who didn't want anything to do with [Gods] was ready to pull the trigger in something she hadn't touched not even at her lowest.
Why?
Because she was acting differently. She looked back at herself, and didn't recognize the girl sitting there, so she searched for the metaphorical switch upon her soul and turned off the [Title].
Her mana suddenly turned from a raging river into a more calm flow, and the most important change, or, at least the more obvious one was her eyes.
The windows to the soul.
They turned back to her normal sky blue color, and she suddenly felt...blind, no longer could she see the mana waves, or the signals of a skill about to activate.
She wasn't even aware of the skill at the back ready to be used, so silently she grabbed her blanket and covered herself (She also was extremely embarrassed about showing the goods, even if Rossie had seen her with fewer clothes, and even nude, a few times).
"So...Did you get any interesting readouts while I activated that?" Asked Elizabeth trying to not think too much about if her face was red or not.
"...You are okay, health-wise, your body regenerated stamina and mana faster than it should be able to. It seems to have been nourished as most of the remnants of malnutrition you had are gone." Rossie said while materializing a graphic of her body with after and before information. "But you seemed...detached, different. Not like someone under the influence of the [Taint], nor anything like that. But more...Prideful?"
Prideful? She didn't have that much pride in her, she knew herself the best, if she was to be described using a word like that, she would say she was closer to [Sloth].
No actually, hadn't she unlocked something?
"Would it be this then?" Said Elizabeth while summoning one of her previous blue screens and showing the relevant information to the pink-haired girl.
| Notice: |
| Skill unlocked: -Dragonic Eyes. -Seven series dragon heart. --Gluttony's Maw |
"Hmm....Never read about those skills, I know most of the skills that affect one's behavior since I need to compensate some of those effects as a [Healer], but these..." Rossie said while reading the new skills she had. "These are unknown, but Eli-Eli...to think you would become a dragon of all things..."
...She what? She wasn't a dragon!
Her skill may be [Dragon] themed...And she may use those...And like to sleep as much as a dragon...And may have the [Hunger] of one...
And...Oh god "I'm a dragon..."
The realization wasn't as direct as what she would have thought it could be, mostly because after saying that Rossie started laughing. It was a blown-out laugh at that, she almost feared the other girl would start coughing at some point.
"Oh sorry, it's only that you said it so seriously...." Rossie apologized while sitting down at her side. "No skill can change what we are Eli-Eli, even if you now have a skill that says it gives you a dragon heart, it is mostly flourish from the [System]."
She wanted to believe that too, she so wanted to believe that. But then she remembered the feeling she got while the [Title] was active, the [Desire] for power, and more importantly... the [Hunger] that came with it.
"Trust me on this Eli-Eli, why you don't try to [Identify] the skill then," Rossie said, should she even try?
She didn't want to, but nothing would move if she didn't, so steeling her heart she focused her mana and activated the skill "[Appraisal]", of course she didn't try to use what she didn't have, and instead used her current go to for information gathering.
And so, the new segment of her skills showed up.
| Appraisal: |
| -Dragonic Eyes. Peer into the unknown, observe the true tapestry of the world for what it is, but beware, for those that stare into the abyss, should they not be ready. The Abyss may stare back. [Allows seeing the true nature of Mana] [Allows understanding of the workings mana has upon the world.] [Grants the user's innate understanding of the hidden formula behind skill application and magic application.] [Allows the user innate understandings of the true nature of the Origin of those it peers into.]
-Seven series dragon heart. Built-in the forge of a world using the beating heart of a nascent planet’s soul, this core was created by the talent of a mad scientist, designed to integrate the duality of mana as an esoteric energy and a normal energy. It was meant to be used by the scion of a dying world, but both the world and the owner died before it was finished, currently it is beating once more after having been asleep in the soul of its [Inheritor]. Strive to complete it, or let it sleep for eternity, the choice is yours. [Grants Mana purification so that no foreign mana will infect the owner.] [Grants mana regeneration.] [Increased mana weight.] [Grants the ability to transform mana into flesh and flesh into mana.] [Can assimilate others' energies into the heart.] [Note: Heart is currently assimilating 1/7 Sin mana.] --Gluttony's Maw: Devour and consume everything in your path, whatever stands in your way transform it into your nourishment, the world is your food, and you were born to eat it. Feast upon your enemies, your allies, and yourself, anything and everything is for you to feast on. [Can assimilate foreign energies into yourself.] [Assimilate energies can be used to fuel mana regeneration or to regenerate wounds.] [So long the soul can hold it, anything assimilates into the owner for later use.] [Can improve whatever is devoured so long you have enough souls to fuel the evolution.] [So long you are the one to kill a target, and then consume something of them, you will become the sole owner of that soul.] [Original Owner of this Sin: Samuel Cravix, The Hydra’s Fang Gluttony monster (Nyctophagia)] |
*bleeeeeergh*
Was it a reflex? Was she already expecting this somehow? Had a subconscious part of her already known this would happen?
She wasn't sure, of what she was sure is that she owed one of her shadow dragons for the quick reaction, since as soon as she was about to start puking a shadow dragon was at her side with a trash can ready, at the other side was another one with a glass of water.
And of course "Eli-Eli?!?" Rossie was there, already giving her back pats to help calm her down. "Are you okay?"
With each back pat the pink-haired gave, she could feel her mana flooding into her, seeking whatever was wrong and trying to fix it, of course. It was pointless, there was no fixing [This].
She...she...she was [Tainted], not in the traditional meaning of the word.
"Here-" Elizabeth did a flick with her hand sending the new status screen she got, she didn't even bother trying to hide nor change the information, and only gave Rossie the results she got. "-the [Bastard] left me something."
Rossie continued giving her back pats as she tried to calm herself down, she had already downed the glass of water and another one was at the ready, her trash can had been emptied when she wasn't paying attention.
These Shadow dragons were quite industrious, she could even feel some worry from them too, or was she giving them extra emotions they didn't have?
It was soothing either way, to think of them as that, focusing inwardly she searched for the dragon egg that she suspected was [Beato], and that one too, was giving the soothing mana, and unlike before it wasn't draining mana from Rossie, it was actually feeding mana back into her.
"It's okay...you don't have to." She whispered into the containment chamber, but that didn't stop the effort from the dragon egg.
That was cute in its own way too.
"Hmm... How does the [System] know Nyctophagia's name?" Rossie asked.
"Why does it matter?" Elizabeth answered, "The bastard is there, then it means he must be somewhere within the [Shadow Haven] waiting..."
Oh..."Oh no..." Elizabeth's face drained of color at that, "HE IS WAITING!"
She couldn't, not again, she couldn't do that again, she WOULDN'T DO THAT AGAIN.
SHE WOULD NOT GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN!
"[HEED MY CALL DWELLERS OF THE DARK, RISE. RISE AGAIN AND AGAIN, SEARCH AND DESTROY, FIND THAT WHICH SHOULDN'T BE THERE AND DEVOUR IT WHOLE!]" She activated her [Title] once more and felt the righteous fury of someone whose demesne was violated.
She felt the mana start to drain but her [Heart] started beating faster and faster, each beat giving her a new flood of mana to work with.
From within the [Shadow Haven], she saw in the sky an azure blue moon rise in the sky, and from within a thousand eyes opened, from within one by one a shadow dragon flew down to the city.
"CALM DOWN ELIZABETH, YOU WILL SUFFER MANA BACKLASH AGAIN!" And then she felt something disturb the mana circuit within her [Soulscape].
"KGH!" And felt the need to puke again as the azure moon in the [Shadow Haven] faded away.
Only this time, instead of puking bile and the remains of her dinner, she puked a blue liquid. Her [Eyes] identified that as liquefied mana, she wasn't even aware mana could look like that.
What had happened? "That shouldn't be possible." Elizabeth said as she composed herself, had [Nyctophagia]'s attack start?
How had he disrupted her mana?
She had bonus upon bonus for mana manipulation, protection from soul and mind tampering, and even protection from [Fate]'s tampering. Nothing he had should even allow him to move her like that.
Granted he could probably kill her with the difference in power they had, but this? This was too precise.
"Calm down Elizabeth, Nyctophagia's dead." Rossie said again, did she not see the signals?
Or was this another case of a problem because of the memory tampering?
She would need to address this, maybe if she accepted Mother's peeking? It would be annoying to allow Mother to see her kissing and living with Rossie, but her safety was paramount, she couldn't allow Nyctophagia from getting close to Rossie...
Could they live within her [Shadow Haven]? That was an option, both Alexanders and Alexa had lived there for 16 years, so it should be doable.
Actually, could she bribe Alexa? She hadn't seen her after the whole thing had come down, was she within her [Soulscape] still? Actually the burned meadow looked awfully similar to what the Meadow she lived in...
"NYCTOPHAGIA IS DEAD ELIZABETH!" Rossie screamed at her side while shoving her cell phone to her face.
"What?" Elizabeth said while focusing her attention on the screen, there was a picture of the deceased [Villain], they identified him from his clothing and some witness accounts. "He is dead?"
How?
"It was reported that he died in the scuffle before the [Advent of the System], killed by [The Stygian Bane] before [Framework] and [Odyssey] ascended." The article detailed how he had indeed died at the hands of the [Stygian Bane], a grainy photo of a black armor that gave her a headache as she couldn't focus on it for some reason.
"No one can perceive the figure in the picture, but every witness account refers to that as [The Stygian Bane], we think [Odyssey] is censoring it for some reason...I didn't know why before, but now..." Rossie said as it suddenly that made sense to her.
[Ethan] had stolen her body, then killed Nyctophagia?
As she read the article she felt herself calm down, Nyctophagia was dead.
Then whatever [Ethan] had done to him, had affected her [Soul], somehow she had managed to keep part of his [Skill], and that had served to awaken a part of her [Inheritance]?
"You are safe Eli-Eli, Nyctophagia can't hurt you, so please...Calm down." Rossie pleaded with her, she felt Rossie's finger interlap with hers as the other girl was trying to make her drop something.
What was she holding?
Did she want the glass of water?
She didn't mind holding hands, so she allowed herself to drop whatever she was holding, it wasn't till she heard the sound of metal hitting the floor that she looked down.
"Stabby?" It was her loyal spear, only..."What happened to you?"
It had a serrated edge, the usually simplistic design was gone, instead its edge was serrated, it looked damaged, and the spear seemed to scream for violence.
...That wasn't her stabby.
She willed it to sink into the shadows away from her perception, whatever had gone to her it seemed to have affected her loyal minion.
"[Report, no foreign mana entities within core sector of the city.]" She heard a report in her head.
"[Report, no foregeing mana entities within....]" And another.
"[Report, no foregeing mana entities within....]" And other after that.
One by one she heard a detailed report of a sector of the ruined city, then after the tenth one they moved to the area around her [Soul], then towards the immediate area around their apartment.
Then around the school...
"...Report number of Available Shadow Dragon Scouts." She spoke to her shadow.
The number of reports was too big for her ten dragons to have managed.
"[Reporting, currently 66 shadow dragon scouts have been successfully summoned to this plane. It is advised to promote some to other specialties, do you wish to proceed Mistress?]" A voice spoke back at her from within the shadow.
"Oh, that is a cute voice, when did your minions start talking?" Rossie asked back at her.
But she was too busy thinking about what she had heard, the first time she summoned five her soul was strained almost to the brink of collapse, the second time she somehow managed to do it without danger.
And now...
She had apparently summoned 56 extra minions...And while she almost suffered from mana backlash from her panic attack, as she almost emptied her mana pool.
The mana was already coming back, slowly yes, but it was coming back.
And...She had now 56 extra minions.
"...How many of you have souls?" She asked unsure if she wanted to know that.
"[All of them, do you wish to strip any of them of their soul Mistress?]" The same voice spoke back.
"I feel like I know that voice, did you model it after someone?" Rossie asked, not horrified by the fact that she not only had summoned 56 living entities with its own independent soul, but also could apparently strip them of it.
"...Oh yeah, you have heard that one before. She is [Beatrice, The Head Maid]. She is also our daughter." Elizabeth finished saying and enjoyed the face Rossie put.
First, her eyes completely dilated open, then her face blushed a deep red that made her wonder if all the blood in her body had moved there, and finally, she fell backward into the bed, unconscious.
Yeah, that had been fun...
Now...What to do with [That].
| Notice: |
| Minion Summoning Skill 10>66 Level 18 > 20 |
| Congratulations! |
| Experience earned towards next milestone achieved! For embracing your inheritance you are awarded [1] level. Skill unlocked: [Further skills locked till requirements are unlocked.] |
And so the world started to make sense, she understood why this was happening, what was happening, and she could even feel her own heart starting to beat at a more sedated pace.
She didn't need to be worried, it all made sense, she could feel something within her awaken as the title settled in her [Core], and she felt her connection towards [Nyx] strengthen itself even more than ever, she only needed but to will it and she could awaken him.
He would awaken weakened yes, but she could call upon him and she was sure he would respond.
And more importantly, "Eli-Eli?" Rossalina Singh, the Saint of Healing. "Are you okay?"
Rossie, her lover, her partner, the one who brandished the title of a [Paramour].
She was looking mighty worried for her, no...Not for her, for Elizabeth. For Eli-Eli...
But who was she? She was Elizabeth, of that there was no doubt, but she also was [More], so much [MORE]. She was the one who once was an [Inheritor of the Akashik Record], in another life she was the [Inheritor] to a clan who strived to collect all the records in the world to make a library.
And right now, at this very moment. She was an [Inheritor] once more, but to what? Her own [Bloodline] had awakened, the [Vestiges] of what made her who she was.
Half of it was what her Father had left for her, the genetic material of the most powerful hero ever, one whose skill allowed him to adapt to anything and everything. That was embedded into her very [Soul], it was the reason she had survived so far with so many changes done to both her mind and soul.
The other half was of her Mother, a [Soul] capable of surviving in the most direst of situations, capable of producing the most pure [Mana], backed by generations upon generations of talents bred to produce [Genius].
The [Saintsworths] didn't produce average people, and she was the reincarnation of the biggest [Talent] they had ever produced. She may have lost the [Knowledge] since Alexanders didn't deem to leave her his knowledge, but she had kept his talent.
But all of that was in the soul and mind, what about her body?
Her body's template was produced by a woman whose only mission was to create the perfect body for the perfect soul crafted by the most powerful man in the world. Then when she took it after [Chloe] gave it to her, it changed to accommodate her.
But even after that, the base was there, the perfect body to manipulate the purest amount of mana ever, backed by the talent of the greatest minds this world ever saw.
She was born from two of the top powerhouses this plane had for over two hundred years, and then the weak spot she had, her body. Was changed to one that could bring her talent to the fullest.
"Never felt better in my life." Even her voice had an undertone of raw [Power] to it, it thrummed with the power of [Mana].
"Are you sure?" Asked Rossie, worry tinged on her face. "Because your eyes turned into one similar to those of your [Shadows]."
Her eyes had transformed?
It took but a flick of will for one of the shadows in the wall to open an [Eye] and let her see herself.
She was sitting in the bed, blouse wide open showing her chest, but she didn't feel ashamed of that, not anymore. Why would she?
She was beautiful, she should be looked upon, and adored, and she should be desired by all who gazed upon her bare body.
But that wasn't the main issue, so she focused on her [Eyes], and Rossie was right. Her eyes had turned reptilian-like, they were tinged azure blue as if they would burst into flames at the barest hint of mana.
She tried to focus some mana into her eyes and they indeed did just so.
But that wasn't the only thing that changed, for a new blue screen showed up. Only...she saw the moment the mana coalesced in front of her, she saw the making of the thing and how the words were formed guided by a golden mana inscribed into an azure slate.
| ...Are you okay? |
| Eli-Eli, it's mom...
Are you feeling all right?
We are getting all weird types of signals coming from you, mostly about something [Awakening] and it being tied to... some subroutine [The World] had wanted to use to kickstart the [System].
She is....I will be honest, I don't know what she is thinking half the time, but I think she is...happy?
Either way, most of what I'm reading says this isn't bad, not like what happened with the [Gluttony] thing you had lying around (Sorry about that, didn't though it would be [THAT] bad!)
But Papa is....NO I'M WRITTING!!!!!!!
..........................................
Elizabeth, it's your Father.
What you have awakened seems to be based upon the most primal aspect of your spirit, it is actively changing your mana signature to something closer to your [Origin].
What this means is that while your [Shadows] will be easier to use, you will be more intrinsically tied to [Dragons], temper your will Elizabeth.
For those that walk the path of a [Dragon] need to be aware of their [Desire].
While the one you got first isn't the worst to have, you may need to collect yourself and examine closer what you earned.
PD: You may want to tune down the use of the skill, your girlfriend is thinking of using her [Oracle] skill to ask for help, and she does not have [Piety] towards gods, so a [Demon] may answer the call.
We will do our best to hijack the call, but not even [Gods] can force piety upon mortals. |
Rossie was thinking of what?
She turned her sight to the pink-haired girl, in her eyes it reflected the [Delicious] figure of her girlfriend, her curves, her lips, her chest...Her [Core] bare to her eyes, a chain of golden mana decorated with azure dragon script on each link...
And at the end of it, a spell taking form, one of [Divine] mana searching for something to call upon, frayed connection towards the celestial planes. Not all were destroyed, but most of them.
And downwards? A multitude of different [Demonic] links ready to pounce upon [HER ROSSIE]. It made her sick, they [DARE COVET] what is [RIGHTFULLY HERS?].
Her shadows reacted to it, all of them looking downwards to the demonic planes, a low growl starting forming in her throat, or at least it was till "Eli-Eli?" Rossie's voice brought her back.
The skill seemed ready to use, waiting to be used, waiting to be called upon.
That made her realize, that the girl who didn't want anything to do with [Gods] was ready to pull the trigger in something she hadn't touched not even at her lowest.
Why?
Because she was acting differently. She looked back at herself, and didn't recognize the girl sitting there, so she searched for the metaphorical switch upon her soul and turned off the [Title].
Her mana suddenly turned from a raging river into a more calm flow, and the most important change, or, at least the more obvious one was her eyes.
The windows to the soul.
They turned back to her normal sky blue color, and she suddenly felt...blind, no longer could she see the mana waves, or the signals of a skill about to activate.
She wasn't even aware of the skill at the back ready to be used, so silently she grabbed her blanket and covered herself (She also was extremely embarrassed about showing the goods, even if Rossie had seen her with fewer clothes, and even nude, a few times).
"So...Did you get any interesting readouts while I activated that?" Asked Elizabeth trying to not think too much about if her face was red or not.
"...You are okay, health-wise, your body regenerated stamina and mana faster than it should be able to. It seems to have been nourished as most of the remnants of malnutrition you had are gone." Rossie said while materializing a graphic of her body with after and before information. "But you seemed...detached, different. Not like someone under the influence of the [Taint], nor anything like that. But more...Prideful?"
Prideful? She didn't have that much pride in her, she knew herself the best, if she was to be described using a word like that, she would say she was closer to [Sloth].
No actually, hadn't she unlocked something?
"Would it be this then?" Said Elizabeth while summoning one of her previous blue screens and showing the relevant information to the pink-haired girl.
| Notice: |
| Skill unlocked: -Dragonic Eyes. -Seven series dragon heart. --Gluttony's Maw |
"Hmm....Never read about those skills, I know most of the skills that affect one's behavior since I need to compensate some of those effects as a [Healer], but these..." Rossie said while reading the new skills she had. "These are unknown, but Eli-Eli...to think you would become a dragon of all things..."
...She what? She wasn't a dragon!
Her skill may be [Dragon] themed...And she may use those...And like to sleep as much as a dragon...And may have the [Hunger] of one...
And...Oh god "I'm a dragon..."
The realization wasn't as direct as what she would have thought it could be, mostly because after saying that Rossie started laughing. It was a blown-out laugh at that, she almost feared the other girl would start coughing at some point.
"Oh sorry, it's only that you said it so seriously...." Rossie apologized while sitting down at her side. "No skill can change what we are Eli-Eli, even if you now have a skill that says it gives you a dragon heart, it is mostly flourish from the [System]."
She wanted to believe that too, she so wanted to believe that. But then she remembered the feeling she got while the [Title] was active, the [Desire] for power, and more importantly... the [Hunger] that came with it.
"Trust me on this Eli-Eli, why you don't try to [Identify] the skill then," Rossie said, should she even try?
She didn't want to, but nothing would move if she didn't, so steeling her heart she focused her mana and activated the skill "[Appraisal]", of course she didn't try to use what she didn't have, and instead used her current go to for information gathering.
And so, the new segment of her skills showed up.
| Appraisal: |
| -Dragonic Eyes. Peer into the unknown, observe the true tapestry of the world for what it is, but beware, for those that stare into the abyss, should they not be ready. The Abyss may stare back. [Allows seeing the true nature of Mana] [Allows understanding of the workings mana has upon the world.] [Grants the user's innate understanding of the hidden formula behind skill application and magic application.] [Allows the user innate understandings of the true nature of the Origin of those it peers into.]
-Seven series dragon heart. Built-in the forge of a world using the beating heart of a nascent planet’s soul, this core was created by the talent of a mad scientist, designed to integrate the duality of mana as an esoteric energy and a normal energy. It was meant to be used by the scion of a dying world, but both the world and the owner died before it was finished, currently it is beating once more after having been asleep in the soul of its [Inheritor]. Strive to complete it, or let it sleep for eternity, the choice is yours. [Grants Mana purification so that no foreign mana will infect the owner.] [Grants mana regeneration.] [Increased mana weight.] [Grants the ability to transform mana into flesh and flesh into mana.] [Can assimilate others' energies into the heart.] [Note: Heart is currently assimilating 1/7 Sin mana.] --Gluttony's Maw: Devour and consume everything in your path, whatever stands in your way transform it into your nourishment, the world is your food, and you were born to eat it. Feast upon your enemies, your allies, and yourself, anything and everything is for you to feast on. [Can assimilate foreign energies into yourself.] [Assimilate energies can be used to fuel mana regeneration or to regenerate wounds.] [So long the soul can hold it, anything assimilates into the owner for later use.] [Can improve whatever is devoured so long you have enough souls to fuel the evolution.] [So long you are the one to kill a target, and then consume something of them, you will become the sole owner of that soul.] [Original Owner of this Sin: Samuel Cravix, The Hydra’s Fang Gluttony monster (Nyctophagia)] |
*bleeeeeergh*
Was it a reflex? Was she already expecting this somehow? Had a subconscious part of her already known this would happen?
She wasn't sure, of what she was sure is that she owed one of her shadow dragons for the quick reaction, since as soon as she was about to start puking a shadow dragon was at her side with a trash can ready, at the other side was another one with a glass of water.
And of course "Eli-Eli?!?" Rossie was there, already giving her back pats to help calm her down. "Are you okay?"
With each back pat the pink-haired gave, she could feel her mana flooding into her, seeking whatever was wrong and trying to fix it, of course. It was pointless, there was no fixing [This].
She...she...she was [Tainted], not in the traditional meaning of the word.
"Here-" Elizabeth did a flick with her hand sending the new status screen she got, she didn't even bother trying to hide nor change the information, and only gave Rossie the results she got. "-the [Bastard] left me something."
Rossie continued giving her back pats as she tried to calm herself down, she had already downed the glass of water and another one was at the ready, her trash can had been emptied when she wasn't paying attention.
These Shadow dragons were quite industrious, she could even feel some worry from them too, or was she giving them extra emotions they didn't have?
It was soothing either way, to think of them as that, focusing inwardly she searched for the dragon egg that she suspected was [Beato], and that one too, was giving the soothing mana, and unlike before it wasn't draining mana from Rossie, it was actually feeding mana back into her.
"It's okay...you don't have to." She whispered into the containment chamber, but that didn't stop the effort from the dragon egg.
That was cute in its own way too.
"Hmm... How does the [System] know Nyctophagia's name?" Rossie asked.
"Why does it matter?" Elizabeth answered, "The bastard is there, then it means he must be somewhere within the [Shadow Haven] waiting..."
Oh..."Oh no..." Elizabeth's face drained of color at that, "HE IS WAITING!"
She couldn't, not again, she couldn't do that again, she WOULDN'T DO THAT AGAIN.
SHE WOULD NOT GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN!
"[HEED MY CALL DWELLERS OF THE DARK, RISE. RISE AGAIN AND AGAIN, SEARCH AND DESTROY, FIND THAT WHICH SHOULDN'T BE THERE AND DEVOUR IT WHOLE!]" She activated her [Title] once more and felt the righteous fury of someone whose demesne was violated.
She felt the mana start to drain but her [Heart] started beating faster and faster, each beat giving her a new flood of mana to work with.
From within the [Shadow Haven], she saw in the sky an azure blue moon rise in the sky, and from within a thousand eyes opened, from within one by one a shadow dragon flew down to the city.
"CALM DOWN ELIZABETH, YOU WILL SUFFER MANA BACKLASH AGAIN!" And then she felt something disturb the mana circuit within her [Soulscape].
"KGH!" And felt the need to puke again as the azure moon in the [Shadow Haven] faded away.
Only this time, instead of puking bile and the remains of her dinner, she puked a blue liquid. Her [Eyes] identified that as liquefied mana, she wasn't even aware mana could look like that.
What had happened? "That shouldn't be possible." Elizabeth said as she composed herself, had [Nyctophagia]'s attack start?
How had he disrupted her mana?
She had bonus upon bonus for mana manipulation, protection from soul and mind tampering, and even protection from [Fate]'s tampering. Nothing he had should even allow him to move her like that.
Granted he could probably kill her with the difference in power they had, but this? This was too precise.
"Calm down Elizabeth, Nyctophagia's dead." Rossie said again, did she not see the signals?
Or was this another case of a problem because of the memory tampering?
She would need to address this, maybe if she accepted Mother's peeking? It would be annoying to allow Mother to see her kissing and living with Rossie, but her safety was paramount, she couldn't allow Nyctophagia from getting close to Rossie...
Could they live within her [Shadow Haven]? That was an option, both Alexanders and Alexa had lived there for 16 years, so it should be doable.
Actually, could she bribe Alexa? She hadn't seen her after the whole thing had come down, was she within her [Soulscape] still? Actually the burned meadow looked awfully similar to what the Meadow she lived in...
"NYCTOPHAGIA IS DEAD ELIZABETH!" Rossie screamed at her side while shoving her cell phone to her face.
"What?" Elizabeth said while focusing her attention on the screen, there was a picture of the deceased [Villain], they identified him from his clothing and some witness accounts. "He is dead?"
How?
"It was reported that he died in the scuffle before the [Advent of the System], killed by [The Stygian Bane] before [Framework] and [Odyssey] ascended." The article detailed how he had indeed died at the hands of the [Stygian Bane], a grainy photo of a black armor that gave her a headache as she couldn't focus on it for some reason.
"No one can perceive the figure in the picture, but every witness account refers to that as [The Stygian Bane], we think [Odyssey] is censoring it for some reason...I didn't know why before, but now..." Rossie said as it suddenly that made sense to her.
[Ethan] had stolen her body, then killed Nyctophagia?
As she read the article she felt herself calm down, Nyctophagia was dead.
Then whatever [Ethan] had done to him, had affected her [Soul], somehow she had managed to keep part of his [Skill], and that had served to awaken a part of her [Inheritance]?
"You are safe Eli-Eli, Nyctophagia can't hurt you, so please...Calm down." Rossie pleaded with her, she felt Rossie's finger interlap with hers as the other girl was trying to make her drop something.
What was she holding?
Did she want the glass of water?
She didn't mind holding hands, so she allowed herself to drop whatever she was holding, it wasn't till she heard the sound of metal hitting the floor that she looked down.
"Stabby?" It was her loyal spear, only..."What happened to you?"
It had a serrated edge, the usually simplistic design was gone, instead its edge was serrated, it looked damaged, and the spear seemed to scream for violence.
...That wasn't her stabby.
She willed it to sink into the shadows away from her perception, whatever had gone to her it seemed to have affected her loyal minion.
"[Report, no foreign mana entities within core sector of the city.]" She heard a report in her head.
"[Report, no foregeing mana entities within....]" And another.
"[Report, no foregeing mana entities within....]" And other after that.
One by one she heard a detailed report of a sector of the ruined city, then after the tenth one they moved to the area around her [Soul], then towards the immediate area around their apartment.
Then around the school...
"...Report number of Available Shadow Dragon Scouts." She spoke to her shadow.
The number of reports was too big for her ten dragons to have managed.
"[Reporting, currently 66 shadow dragon scouts have been successfully summoned to this plane. It is advised to promote some to other specialties, do you wish to proceed Mistress?]" A voice spoke back at her from within the shadow.
"Oh, that is a cute voice, when did your minions start talking?" Rossie asked back at her.
But she was too busy thinking about what she had heard, the first time she summoned five her soul was strained almost to the brink of collapse, the second time she somehow managed to do it without danger.
And now...
She had apparently summoned 56 extra minions...And while she almost suffered from mana backlash from her panic attack, as she almost emptied her mana pool.
The mana was already coming back, slowly yes, but it was coming back.
And...She had now 56 extra minions.
"...How many of you have souls?" She asked unsure if she wanted to know that.
"[All of them, do you wish to strip any of them of their soul Mistress?]" The same voice spoke back.
"I feel like I know that voice, did you model it after someone?" Rossie asked, not horrified by the fact that she not only had summoned 56 living entities with its own independent soul, but also could apparently strip them of it.
"...Oh yeah, you have heard that one before. She is [Beatrice, The Head Maid]. She is also our daughter." Elizabeth finished saying and enjoyed the face Rossie put.
First, her eyes completely dilated open, then her face blushed a deep red that made her wonder if all the blood in her body had moved there, and finally, she fell backward into the bed, unconscious.
Yeah, that had been fun...
Now...What to do with [That].
| Notice: |
| Minion Summoning Skill 10>66 Level 18 > 20 |
