-The room is ready now,- the old monk says from deeper in the building. I clean up my table and follow him back, entourage in tow. -Some people might be crushed under the weight of the flames of Resentment, but I’m sure you’ve dealt with worse.-
-Thank you for your speedy service,- I say reflexively after entering a room lit with flames, getting another elbow to the side. -What? He did a good job!-
-I’ll leave you to it,- he says, the vault like door slowly closing without him physically touching it. -And I look forward to seeing how you influence your peers.-
I whip around to ask what the fack, but the door’s already closed. And it doesn’t have a handle. I look around while wondering if the room is air tight and if the flames are burning burning or just flame lookin’.
-Imma eat one.-
Nothing. I turn to ask the others if they are okay, see they’re dying, and transfer us all to my void.
-What the actual fuck?!- I scream.
They’re unconscious. Why?! How?! Wait. How do I check them?
[Name: Kisandera, “Sandy”, Eclipsed Rainbow]
[Affiliation(s): Thousand Valleys, Seven Moons, Companion of the Sacred Phoenix Sovereign, Inner Void Productions, Wimble Sunrise, Scarlet Silk Society, Hunter’s Association, Vengeful Ghost Flame Sect]
[Race: Celestial Void Moth Queen[Shattered] (Saint)] ??
[Current Form: Hunan]
[Current Realm: Shimmering(Tier 5)]
[Master: Shimmering Steel]
[Familiar: Fuck Face (Ghostly Servant)]
[Contracts: Sweet Pea Blossom and Chrysanthemum Petal, , , , ]
[Max Will: 9579451]
[HP: 9579451]
[Current Karma: 99164032/107275977]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832461/24791008]
[Current Qi: 619390/957945100]
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +760890/-125015]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,18R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-Can I...?- I hesitantly focus on Fuck Face’s name on my Status Screen, hoping that I can access his information, and praying that I don’t accidentally delete or wipe him from existence. Or free him, ‘cause mine.
I sag in relief as my Sect window opens. Wait. No. Oh.
It’s a “my corpse” window, yes, with information from my Ghost Pot. The souls in my Ghost Pot aren’t all loose in my Inner Void, ‘cause I can see people meditating and giving me positive Karma. That I haven’t collected since I pwned the guard captain and expanded to more people can gives me shiz.
[Death Knell]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[-30 -Resentment]
[+30 Resentment]
[+10 Karma]
[Last Rites II Enhanced]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[+1000 +Resentment]
[+1000 Karma]
[Ghost Pot +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3032120/-124985]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832462/26210510]
[Current Qi: 619390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 104842042/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,18R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
...
This is boner, why? Is this just building up until I can hold onto it? Or am I getting bonuses for being a Bone Lord. Wait. Grave Lord.
I can almost go up a Realm. I’ve got so much Positive Regard. I won’t have to worry about Negative Regard for so long. Is this why the Old Monk was so friendly? Oh, my fack, monks like me! I blame Little Corpse. Thank! I thank Little Corpse for that. Shit. Was he supposed to be a “Chosen One”?
I yelp as someone coughs, jumping away from a group of people lying on the ground before I realize it’s the girls and Little Corpse. My face is burning as one girl sits up, the other stares at me blearily with a frown, and Little Corpse just grunts and stumbles to his feet.
-You guys ‘kay?- I ask, still recoiling. I cough and try to look casual, but look like I’m a narc trying not to look like I was doing something I think is illegal.
-Leave us out here, give us permission to recall you, then fuck off and play with the ghost lights, you psycho,- the girl sitting up bracing herself with her hands against the ground glares at me out of the corner of her eyes.
-Don’t know how to do that, but ‘kay,- I bounce in place, super happy that they’re okay or at least recovering.
-*She was fine,- Little Corpse rumbles, leaning forward and bracing their hands on their legs. Pretty sure they can’t puke, right? -Go. We’re fine. Thank you.*-
I’m guessing he means for pulling them into my void. I transfer back out of my void, see that the flames are still in the room, and do a quick spin.
-Right. Bite!-
There are 12 large flames the size of my head and 4 small flames the size of my fists if I pressed them together. I walk up to a small flame, take a few deep breaths to amp myself up, then lean forward, eyes squinting even though I’m usually running Third-Person UltraVision, and get my face into the freezer. The fire is cold. And angry. And sympathy pain. And regret. And empathic sorrow. Tastes like salty spoiled fruit. I stand up straight, look around, and wait for something to happen.
[Feeding (Resentment)]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[+1500 Karma]
[+1500 -Resentment]
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3032120/-166025]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832523/26227310]
[Current Qi: 559390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 104909242/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,18R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-Hello?-
Nothing.
[1 x8 Sliver of Resentment]
[+1 x8 Con. Qi]
[-1000 x8 Qi]
[+100 x8 Karma]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,0 +8 R.Sl,18R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3032120/-166025]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832561/26235723]
[Current Qi: 521390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 104942892/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,8R.Sl.,18R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
I stick my hand into the flame and try to condense it into Tears while wondering how much I managed to eat, and end up making large needle looking slivers. Slivers of Resentment? No wait! Shit. Yeah, the name sticks. Well, for me. Wonder what the others are going to call them? Time based edge lord bullshit. Thorns of Resentment? Millenium Shards?
Number do what? The big flames are 100k and the small ones are 10k, right? So, did I eat 2k? No. I ate 1000. In one bite? Who has the big mouth now? Where’s the --? Shit! My drum!
[1 x7 Sliver of Resentment]
[+1 x7 Con. Qi]
[-1000 x7 Qi]
[+100 x7 Karma]
[1 x9 Tear of Resentment]
[+10 x9 Con. Qi]
[-10000 x9 Qi]
[+1000 x9 Karma]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,8 +7 R.Sl,18 +9 R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3032120/-195680]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832673/26242254]
[Current Qi: 409390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 104969017/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,15R.Sl.,27R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
I run around shoving my hands into the flames, trying to condense them as quickly as possible. I get my hand in a biggun and a littleun at the same time, finishing off the little one, then the big one drops to a littleun.
-Shit!- I try to hold my breath and just condense as many shards from the flames as I can.
[Ghost Pot: +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3032120/-215450]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1833152/26261691]
[Current Qi: 1390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 105046767/107275977]
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,126R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-Oh, gods, so much bullshit,- I lie on my back, panting. -I think I’m gonna be sick!-
I thought I was gonna die when my Qi got below 10k. I check my Logs to find out what happened, find out I stopped condensing it, and lost all that sweet sweet Karma. From 1k to 100 Karma on almost two-thirds of the Shards I condensed from the flames. But I still got a lot of good shit for converting the flames to Tears and Slivers.
-Lemme out,- I pant. -Fuckers.-
[Death Knell]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[-30 -Resentment]
[+30 Resentment]
[+10 Karma]
[Last Rites II Enhanced]
[+1 Con. Qi]
[+1000 +Resentment]
[+1000 Karma]
|[Ghost Pot +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3035550/-215420]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832462/26210510]
[Current Qi: 619390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 105055277/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,126R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-*Kindly refrain from doing that on any grounds that you do not own,- the old monk intones, his void eyes reminding me of my stomach when it starts getting angry, and I’m suddenly very cold. -Ah... I see you’ve finished. That is... Concerning. Impressive would have been taking several days instead of weeks.
-No... Concerning would have been if it took you several hours...- He looks at me again and I think fondly of a drunk Granin. I know where I’m going if he tries anything and I can get away.
[-1 Sliver of Resentment]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113 -1 R.Sl.,126R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3035550/-215420]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832462/26210510]
[Current Qi: 619390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 105055277/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,112R.Sl.,126R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-I made a new thing!- I hold up a Sliver, my arm flopping down almost immediately, so I lie with it resting on my palm. -You can’t eat me! I’m innovating! Making new innovations all over the place!-
-Fascinating,- he says, just standing in the doorway and staring down at me.
[+1 Sliver of Resentment]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,112 +1 R.Sl.,126R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Ghost Pot +170/-0]
[Resentment: +3035550/-215420]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1832462/26210510]
[Current Qi: 619390/957945100]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
[HP: 9,579,451]
[Current Karma: 105055277/107275977]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,126R.Sh.,0D.M.R.N.]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10679St]
-Imma go now,- I transfer Little Corpse and the girls out while praying they’ve recovered enough. -Tried to eat a flame, sports drink flavored, finished converting, home now.- I pause, just trying to steady my breath before flopping a hand at the old monk. -He says I shouldn’t toll outside of grounds I own.-
The trio turn to look at where I’m indicating, stiffening as they spy the old monk. He merely chuckles, shakes his head and waits.
-Now you have my permission to carry me,- I glare tiredly at Little Corpse who sneers at me before picking me up. -None of the sass! Made a new thing! Flames gone... Halp...-
I wake up in my void to a dragon eel double-slapping the shit out of me. With claws. I flail for a bit before I finally get annoyed and it gets bit, rage eating it before I notice there’s a Little Corpse on the other end.
-Bitch, did you just slap me with a fish?- I glare while eating some very lovely sweet delicate meat.
-You collapsed in the bank and we emergency transferred into your void. You started Withdrawing and... Devouring? You were eating, kinda? Just... swallowing things whole...-
-I do that sometimes, and that doesn’t answer my question,- I sigh before frowning. -You say that like I didn’t do it every time I got really hungry.-
-I don’t normally pay attention to how you eat... And I regret noticing this time,- he quips before getting up and walking away.
- ? Still doesn’t answer my question ?, - I sing, getting up to go snack in the Soak. -Bath and then bed.-
-Manor first!- one girl and Little Corpse both bellow.
I mock them while transferring out, -- I literally dropped in the hall outside the room. Sad. -- transfer to the manor, do a quick pan around with UltraVision when I notice people cleaning up some minor vandalism, then remember I was going to see if there was a way to block people from just walking in. While there’s a ton of groaning coming through send, I flip off the trio as I wander through the manor, find the empty kitchen, and decide that’s good enough.
-Now wash, Soak and snack, then sleep!- I say loudly, heading to the basins to find that there’s a bathtub. -Not feeling like soaking in butt juice, so washing off regular style, then going to the Soak.- I go to take a step and remember that the girls were going to be buying soap.
-Thought the shop didn’t have anything special,- one of them snarks, coming out of the house to slap a bar of floral soap in my palm.
-Already conceded that I haven’t eaten enough soaps to make them,- I say as I enjoy the aroma. - ? Thank you. ? -
-And you need to bind the manor core, charge it with Qi, use Qi manipulation to --,- the girl starts listing off, waving a finger in the air before I start stripping down, scrubbing, and quickly tuning her out.
-Scrub.-
I scrub up, sniff myself and glare at my extended shoulder scales, then transfer to my hidden spa room. I enter the Soak room near the wall, planning on picking up snack ideas on my way to the water, and the water changes. There are more herbs, fruits, and nuts in the water, the water boils lightly, and the lighting changes slightly. It feels... pink. Spa-y. Is this because of my Regard or because I advanced in the Sect. Or just because I’m almost to the next Realm? I could ask, but I wanna go to sleep soon.
-Prolly gonna sleep in the Soak...- I admit, climbing in while picking a tray of jellies.
Flavored jellies, infused jellies, jellies with nuts in them, jellies with herbs, jellies with fruits. I don’t go crazy, I experiment. I’m an innovator! Ask the old monk!
-Wake up, freak.-
Excuse you? I snort, realize I’m underwater, wait to start drowning, and I’m fine. I still don’t know if this is a my void thing or a I’m safe from drowning thing. I’ll have to go fishing later...
-Widow’s Sigh wants to talk to you about accepting his master as a Patron,- Little Corpse continues. -He wants us to meet him in the Graveyards.-
-Am I awake enough? Did I eat enough?- I ask while trying to figure out if I should risk eating one of the nuts floating in the Soak while underwater. -Should I try binding this manor or are we just leaving and the people who defaced it will have some explaining to do?-
-Leave everything!- one girl sends.
-That last one would be funnier, and we can’t leave everything. We’ve left stuff in the main house,- Little Corpse admonishes them.
Oh. Right. We were gonna do the corpse manor thing. Heh.
-Not funny! Girls! Get your shit, we’re leaving!- Corpse Father shouts, the girls booing, and me silently agreeing with them. -Girls! You’re responsible for making sure he eats. Whenever he starts acting stupid, he needs to eat!-
-Implying you’re going to be busy doing what?- I get dressed quickly hoping to get to Little Corpse before he can put away what he’s doing. I’m tying my belt when I get to him as he fans a flame.
He’s squatting with a reed fan, fanning a flame he’s got a weird rack on top of, and there’s a pot. He’s literally manually cooking. So... He’ doesn’t want to come because he’s preparing a lot of home cooked foods.
-Call me Little Wife or Wife Corpse or any combination, and I will piss in your food,- he says, staring flatly at me as I try very hard not to point out that he doesn’t have a bladder, and try very hard not to think about wondering about whether or not he has a penis...
‘Cause I don’t remember if we left him a penis or if we got rid of that, too. Does he have an asshole...?
-Go away before I skin you,- he drones, turning to focus on his cooking temperature to put me out of his sight.
-Girls!- I shout. -Let’s go collect corpses for the Pot!- I yell loudly, standing right next to Little Corpse before running away as he lowers his fan.
-We’re supposed to talk to Widow’s Sigh about his Patron,- one girl says, adjusting her robes. They look new, but they’re not the ones the tailor was going to make.
-The robes are from you. Little Corspse designs and requests new ones, and we give the old ones back to you to recycle,- the other girl says. Why’d I let them can has requests? -And being a Grave Lord means you have to start doing tasks for the Sect.-
I look at her. Blink. Then walk away.
-No.-
I transfer us to the Graveyards and wander around looking for stone buildings or above ground caskets. The girls shout at me that we’re supposed to go to Widow’s Sigh, even indicating that they can tell where he is. So I go the opposite way.
-We’re supposed to talk to Widow’s Sigh!- they scream at me, and I just try to remember what Little Corpse told me to look for when I first caught him.
-He’s going to help us find a place that’s not claimed!- the other whines.
-Walk and talk, ladies,- I say as I hop up and look around. -Claims? Houses? Jobs? We care why?-
-The lands of hells have immortal Lords! Some of them are kind to hunans, others aren’t.- one girl sighs as they leap frog after me.
-Not hunan, and how do we know when we’re in someone’s claim?- I ask, noticing a dark forest of black trees in the distance. -Bug heading to forest goes whoo?-
-There’s armies.- one girl drones.
-They have uniforms.- the other pouts.
-So... we can go into the forest?- I ask, circling around the group of tress, looking for team jerseys or mass-produced armor.
-We’re in one of the hells where lost souls who don’t pass on wind up,- one girl scoffs, throwing her hands up and shaking her head at me.
-’We’re in one of the hells’. Got it,- I say before trying to sprint through the trees to see what happens.
And they swing on me. The tree. The girls I’ve gotten used to at some point. The not-tree giant tentacle swings on me.
-That’s not a tentacle! That’s an arm!-
I can hear the “idiot!” as punctuation, but I’m kinda stuck on the fact that the trees aren’t trees, and they’re trying to kill me. Unprovoked. I didn’t touch them, I just got too close.
And they’re creepy.
I thought they were those ridged trees that look like groups of vines fused together. Gross.
You want to pull one free? Nope! Nature made a pull apart candy that splinters and makes me think that I’m skinning the plant and it’s screaming, but I can’t hear it, I feel it.
No. Even better. They’re bones. Lots and lots of long bones just fused together at the joints, breaking and re-fusing over and over and over.
The movements are fast as hells. From vertical to these bones and joints shift to slam the tree horizontal, then it pivots to sweep. Listen to the screams...
-Shut up!-
I come to, realize I’ve been screaming, and stop. Then I change my mind and start screaming again, because it makes me feel better. Then continue screaming when the not-tree bone monstrosity digs into the ground and burrows at me like a living ingrown hair.
-No no no no no!-
Fucking slithery bullshit! No! Ew! Gross! Stop! Violation!
-You’re so useless!- one girl shrieks, but they’re running with me.
-I think it tastes like fried breaded shrimp!- the other girl says, and I stop. -Would it taste better with a tangy sauce or a creamy one?-
I turn and run back, because I wanna know, too.
