novelraw Chapter 40
Chapter 40
A/N: AND WE'RE BACK!!! So, soooooooo sorry for the super long delay. Snowstorm made my internet wonky for the past while, and then I got distracted with Terraria 1.4.5 coming out TwT
Please dont crucify me, I promise to post a bit more regularly now that my internets back up!
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I awaken slowly, eyes fluttering open with a groan. My head is pounding, my brain feeling like it's trying to escape my skull with a power drill. Something shifts next to me, a dull clatter drawing my attention as I slowly turn my head, bleary eyes struggling to focus on whatever is in front of me.
My regeneration seems to choose that very moment to finish its work as my gaze suddenly sharpens, and I'm face-to-face with a disembodied skull, eyesockets glowing dimly with a blue light. I yelp, wings flaring straight into the ground and tail lashing ineffectively as I bolt upright. Keria manifests next to me as I stumble from the sudden movement. My headache redoubles, but all I can do is stare at the skull.
“...Angelina?” I rasp, voice rusty and throat dry. The head bobbles in as close to a nod as it can get, and I get the distinct feeling that she's smiling. “...how? I saw… I saw you die…?” Keira steps in, leaning her head on my arm.
“So funny thing about skeletons and why they are annoying to kill properly. As long as the skull is intact, they will revive after an hour or so. The ‘killer’ still gains levels and gets a notification, but the skeleton just gets back up later. It's a somewhat common tactic for newbie adventurers to keep a skeleton reviving in dungeons for their first few levels, but it's honestly more worthwhile to just clear the dungeon and then move on than to do that. It's… kinda slow.”
I nod slowly, jumbled thoughts clicking into place like rusty gears as I look around. Off to the side is a pile of faintly glowing black ashes, likely what's left of the Deceiver. A few other patches of dried blood under rubble likely mark where the corpses of the other nobles are, though Bereth didn't leave anything left when he decided to supernova. The dungeon obelisk is visible now, emerging from the remains of what was once Az'Tereth's throne. The ‘outside’ world is pitch black now, the dungeon seemingly given up the pretense of there being anything out there. Despite the seeming lack of light, everything is still illuminated quite well. Much slower now, wary of my likely concussed state, I slowly bend down and pick up Angelina from the ground, holding her like I am about to start reciting Hamlet. The random thought brings a small smile to my face as I carefully make my way over to the glowing ash pile. Kneeling next to it, I look at Angelina.
“Do you want the loot from it? I have a looting skill, and am definitely going to use it, but since this fucker 'killed' you I figured you would want first dibs.”
She bobbles again, and I smile.
“Ok, now for the funny question; so my looting skill is a bit… special, shall we say. I can choose to get normal loot or horny shit, for lack of a better term. It's a skill I got from the goddess of life, so I wouldn't think too hard about it. So, want the Deceiver to be turned into sex toys or normal gear?”
The skull stares at me blankly before breaking into violent chattering, the amusement obvious as Angelina laughs as best as she can. Frowning at this, I get a sudden idea. Reaching into my storage pouch, which is a good deal more singed than before and will likely need to be replaced soon, I pull out one of the vials of Vampiric Trueblood and hold it up for Angelina to see.
“Do you know if you would be able to drink this? It might be able to give you both a new body and actual flesh again.”
Her eyes flash brightly, laughter cut off mid-clack of jawbones as her eyes narrow to pinpricks, zeroed in on the vial. She nods violently and I almost drop her, quickly steadying her before cracking the vial open. Her jaw opens wide, and I pour the vibrant blood into her nonexistent mouth. It evaporates in midair, a dull reddish glow covering her skull as vertebrae pop into existence with a series of small cracks. I quickly let go, and before long her ribcage, arms, and spine have all regrown before the red fades. Unfortunately, it seems like the small chance to change race didn't work this time, but I still have two more we can use.
Quickly grabbing the next one, I carefully pass it to her eagerly grasping hands. The vial opens with a soft pop and crack as the wax-sealed cork breaks free, and then she downs it like the first. The glow returns, even stronger this time as her pelvis and legs quickly reform, leaving a faint reddish sheen across her bones. I grab the last one, handing it over with a silent prayer that this one does its job.
She drinks the vial, but instead of evaporating the blood collects where her heart would be. A faint thud rings out, then another a second later as a heartbeat begins, the blood pulsing in time with it. Threads of red begin to spread throughout her body, pathways of veins taking form as her faux-heart beats stronger by the second. Taking a step back, I can only watch in morbid fascination as flesh sprouts like fungus, growing from now-living bones in branching lumps of red. Muscles weave into being, overlapping and tensing as her feeling slowly returns. Finally, snow-pale skin forms over raw flesh, and crimson eyes flutter open with a gasp of brand-new lungs. Silver hair drops over Angelina's new eyes, and her wide gaze meets my own. Tears form and before I can react, she slams into my chest and wraps me in a bone-cruahing hug.
I'm suddenly and uncomfortably aware of the very emotional and very naked vampire girl currently attached to me, and Keira's muffled laughter from behind me isn't helping matters. I blush, strengthening myself with mana as I gently pry her off, grabbing some clothes from my bag and handing them to her with a mumbled apology, turning my back to her as she also blushes bright red and quickly takes them and dresses. I hear a soft voice, the first time Angelina has spoken since I met her.
“Th-Thank you, Siris. For… for everything…” She sounds like she might burst into tears again at any second, and I turn back to her with a warm smile, seeing that she's now wearing the rather ill-fitting clothes.
“I'm just glad I could help you. Now, before we both have an emotional breakdown and spend the next day laying here hugging and sobbing, what do you want me to do with the Deceiver?”
She pauses, thinking over the question as her tears slowly dry. A devious smile overtakes her expression as she nods decisively.
“Use your skill. How much more embarrassing a death can it be, to be turned into sex toys for the person you tried to kill?” She chuckles darkly, and I nod, toggling Lecherous Looter on and accepting the prompt. Pulling up my logs as the skill does its thing, I get this thing's true name.
/==÷==\
Bandits [Various] Slain
Level Up x4
Echo of An Ancient Deceiver Lvl 63 Slain
Level Up x20
\==÷==/
What the actual fuck? This thing wasn't even an accurate copy of whatever it originally was?! Hooooly shit am I glad it started the fight so overconfident… but I also wonder why it couldn't break free of my shadows?
Looter finishes its work, and I identify all three items that formed. A set of ivory talon claws linked by a golden chain and each having a single ruby embedded in the back, a small black leather box, and an oddly familiar pouch, similar to what the ancient bone dust was given to me in.
/==÷==\
Deceiver's Grasp (Slashing, Heroic)
A set of ivory talons formed from an Echo of the Deceiver, these claws will never dull, never break, and will become Soulbound to their wielder.
[Sanguine Theft]: When inflicting damage on a target, the wound will bleed significantly more than normal. Creatures without blood will find themselves drained of the closest equivalent.
[Echo]: When attacking with the claws, a ghostly echo will mirror the attack from another direction.
[Deceive]: An imitation of the Signature Skill of the Ancient Deceiver. Store up to five drops of blood, one in each ruby. Allows for freely shapeshifting into each form, granting the physical body, mana signature, stats, and passive skills of the form.
[Freeform]: This item can change shape in a limited capacity to suit its wielder's will.
[Invert]: All damage can be dealt as sexual stimulation instead.
\==÷==/
I share the results with the two of them, silently reading through it for the fifth time before Angelina exclaims in shock.
“Friea’s massive milkers that's a damn good item!” Me and Keira both pause before slowly turning to the vampire, my eyebrows raised in amusement and Keira's mouth open in shock at the not-quite-blasphemy that was just yelled in a sultry voice that does NOT match the words at all. She blushes but just shrugs, slipping the talons onto her fingers, where the chain connecting them glows briefly before wrapping snugly around her wrist. She flourishes them with a grin before I move onto the next item, the leather box.
/==÷==\
Shifting Plugs (Accessory, Epic)
A pair of anal plugs that allow the wearers to temporarily swap bodies. All active non-intimate skills will be sealed for the duration of the swap, and either user can end the swap at any point.
\==÷==/
I chuckle at this one before handing it off to a now cherry red Angelina, already thinking about the mischief that those would allow someone to get up to. The pouch was last, and did not disappoint.
/==÷==\
Voidwoken Ashes (Epic)
A small pouch of void-infused ashes. Can be used for crafting or as a reagent.
\==÷==/
That one is also handed off to Angelina, her haul more than enough to deal with the loss of her rifle and almost-death. Standing from our crouched circle around the fading ash pile, I move onto the next corpse, that being the insectoid lightning mage. Disabling Looter's special effect, I just loot them normally and am not disappointed.
/==÷==\
Storm Gauntlets (Glove, Rare)
A pair of plain hardened leather gauntlets that reduce the cost of lightning-based spells or skills by 50%.
\==÷==/
“Not bad, but not particularly useful to any of us,” I say, already moving onto the tiger beastkin. She didn't fare well, with a boulder having fallen on and crushed her top half into a gory past. This one, being a felid, I can't pass up the opportunity to use Looter on her even for the chance that I can get something cat girl related. Why? No self-respecting weeb would ever turn down the chance. The bonus rarity effect triggers, and a broad grin takes over as I see a pair of black, white and orange striped thigh highs take shape from the light.
/==÷==\
Felinium Stockings (Legs, Epic)
A pair of soft thigh high stockings. Enchanted with self-repair, comfort, durability, and self-cleaning. When worn, has a 15% chance of turning the wearer into a felid female after every hour of sleep. Transformation lasts for 12 hours. Transformation proportions will be based on prior proportions.
\==÷==/
My blessing itches at the back of my head and I narrow my eyes, feeding mana into it until a new line shimmers onto view at the very bottom.
While transformed, opposing intimate personality traits will be inflamed.
So… it'll make doms subs and subs doms? I love this thing already…
Putting them on and sighing in relief at having something to put on my feet for the very first time since I entered this world (having forgotten to get boots when in town), I put the horny thoughts of becoming a catgirl out of my mind for now as I begin looting Polin, or rather what's left of him. His heart, of course, is missing and the rubble falling crushed most of his body. I can barely find a foot poking out, but that's enough to trigger my skill. Once more turning the effect off, I collect my spoils.
/==÷==\
Cryohawk's Brooch (Accessory, Rare)
A pin made from the feathers of a lesser frost phoenix. Boosts the effects of ice-based spells or skills by 20% and reduces the cost of ice-based spells or skills by 20%.
\==÷==/
Again, another not really useful to us but still good to sell.
Finally moving onto the last of the lord's that I knew to some extent, I walk over to Hulo, whose body somehow managed to survive everything that happened, his throne the only one untouched. Tapping his body, a beating heart of glowing wood forms in my hand.
/==÷==\
Oaken Core (Epic)
A beating heart formed from the core of an enchanted oak. Can be implanted to grant massive boosts to nature-aspected magic, or used as a material or powerful reagent.
\==÷==/
Also an insane find, but same as the others; good, but not really for any of us. Might see if I can use it as a base for my golem…
The next two are the other human lords which I didn't really pay attention to the names of, and their loot is just as bland; two pouches of coins, five gold apiece. Barely sparing a glance at the coins, they go onto my bag and I move onto the elf twins. One male, one female, both almost identical in every way but with subtle differences. Surprisingly, when I loot one, the other also begins to glow as they both fade into a set of six items. Not having Lecherous Looter active, I'm left laughing my ass off as I share the item descriptions with the others. It's a French maid uniform, and the effects are just what I expected from my skill.
/==÷==\
Uniform of The Dual Life (Armor, Epic)
A specialty maid uniform made from the finest drider silks and mythril clasps. Enchanted for durability, self-repair, and comfort. Will deflect weapons just as well as a suit of armor.
—
Choker of The Dual Life (Accessory, Epic)
A fine drider silk lace choker with a small silver heart clasp. Enchanted…
—
Mobcap of The Dual Life (Helm, Epic)
A frilly drider silk maid’s cap fitted to a flexible mythril headband. Enchanted…
—
Stockings of The Dual Life (Legs, Epic)
A pair of fine drider silk stockings adorned with a pair of small black bows. Enchanted…
—
Gloves of The Dual Life (Gloves, Epic)
A pair of fine drider silk long gloves that reach to the elbow. Enchanted…
—
Panties of The Dual Life (Accessory, Epic)
A pair of fine pink drider silk panties adorned with a chastity sigil. Enchanted…
—
[Set Bonus: Dual Life]
When all six parts of the set are worn by the same person simultaneously, the wearer will undergo a temporary transformation into the opposite gender, retaining or gaining effeminate traits. They can then designate a [Master]. While serving their [Master], they will be capable of turning aside all but the strongest of blows, negating hostile spells, and performing any domestic task required regardless of their knowledge on the subject. They will be unable to orgasm unless allowed by their [Master], regardless of stimulation.
This transformation persists until all six parts of the set are unequipped simultaneously. A new [Master] can be designated at any time outside of a combat scenario. The [Master] cannot supersede the wearer's will, nor command them against their will.
\==÷==/
I'm still laughing even as both Keira and Angelina light up like a pair of lightbulbs, blushing almost neon red. Keira grabs the set and shoves it into my bag, glaring at me as I slowly gather myself. Raising my hands in surrender, I shake my head with a smile.
“Wasn't intentional for once! Looter is turned off, that was one hundred percent the system, with nothing from me influencing it!” She gives me a suspicious glare before huffing and walking over to the obelisk. Angelina and I join her a second later, and all accept the prompt to leave this hellhole of a dungeon.
/==÷==\
Story Dungeon Complete: The Great Betrayal
Calculating Rewards…
ERROR: EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED-
ADMINISTRATOR OVERRIDE IN EFFECT: USER [GRIEF]
DIFFICULTY RATING UPDATED: TIER 3 RARE
RECALCULATING REWARDS…
Select One:
+10 Levels
Fuse Compatible Skills
[Name] Item
~~~~~~~~
ƁR34Ƙ ŁĮM1Ŧ: CONJURATION
~~~~~~~~
\==÷==/
Fucking. What?