'I'll fall back and leave a trap of my own and bait him into,' I think as I move back and summon six two-point orbs and place them on along the walls of the hallway. Then, while standing at the end of the hallway, I shift my spear into a sword and wait. The skeleton continues to shuffle his way towards me, 'just a few more steps, and I'll be able to hit him from all sides,' I think.
The skeleton stops just before the trap and looks around at the purple orbs before him, then he slams his shield into the orb to his right. Then, getting nervous, 'Ok, let's see how you deal with this,' I think as I quickly will the remaining orbs to slam into him.
The orbs move in unison, launching at the skeleton, aiming at various parts of its body. The skeleton swings its club, trying to destroy the oncoming danger but only gets one or two of the lights and raises his shield to block another one. One slams into his leg, cracking the bones. The other shoots past him, then redirects into his back, splitting his spine and shattering his rib cage.
As he feels the necrotic energy holding him together fade, he takes one last act of defiance against the pale invader. He lets out one final roar and throws his war club at the small figure holding the purple light. As he falls to the ground, one thought flows through his mind, 'Niualtika Anacaona.'
I let out a sigh of relief as the orbs connect with the damn skeleton. I didn't ever want to know how much damage that club does. Suddenly there is a roar and a swishing sound, and out of the darkness, the club comes flying at me. I try to dodge, but it's too close, and its slams into my abdomen. I fly back as the air is forced out of my lunges and land with a heavy thud.
[30 damage recieved]
[Elite Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 40 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
As the pain in my chest throbs, I repeatedly gasp, trying to force air back into my lungs. I lay there in pain for a few minutes, just trying to breathe. It felt like ages before I started breathing normally, but eventually, I sat up. I lift my tattered shirt and see a massive black bruise just above my stomach. "Fuck that hurt," I say, getting up and walking towards the elite.
'...You were intelligent enough to recognize an improvised trap and vengeful enough to attack me with your last breath. I thought this place was a simulation. Are…Where are you sentient? Is the system so powerful it could create actual life or intelligent enough to simulate it?' Questions about the system, its power, and its purpose flow through my head as I walk towards the creature.
Looking at the pile of splintered pile of bones, I then look at his shield. The shield blocked and destroyed my ki orbs, and there isn't a scratch on it. I pick up the shield and smile.
[Legendary Chimalli's Shield- This shield was given to Chimalli by his lover Anacaona upon his promotion to Cuauhchicqueh after his instrumental part in repelling the beastspiritless invaders]
Stunned after I read the notice, "So your name was Chimalli… well rest in peace and know you struck true and I hope you find your lover in the next life," I said, feeling I have to say something since I'm taking the shield.
I put the shield in my backpack, it disappears in the bag as if nothing was put in it, and I walk down the hallway, "There have to be something good down here for an elite to be guarding it," I say as I look into the next room. The room walls were decorated with depictions of warriors fighting Grimm. A barren alter was at the other side of the room with stairs going up and behind it on either side. Carefully I step into the room, watching out for traps and mob… no, guards.
Stepping toward the alter, it's covered in depictions of a blue and feathered Fanus or a god, maybe both. Seeing no items to collect, I check the stairs for traps before walking up to them.
The stairs met at the top and led to a circler room full of faces and a pedestal in the center with a fancier-looking sword the guards had on top of it. I stop and check the floor, even with no signs of traps. Looking at the faces, they are all angry faces blowing into sticks with round rocks on the ends of the sticks. Carefully stepping into the room, I move towards the closest face. Examining it, the face and the stick are one piece while the rock, on the other hand, were embedded into the straws. Deciding to take a risk, I pull on the rock, and it comes away easily, and a red powder pours out of the hollow straw. Picking up some of the red powder and rubbing it between my fingers, it instantly ignites. "Red dust probably meant to launch the stone after the trigger is released," I say.
I walk back to the entrance and summon six ki orbs and will them knock all the wall's rocks off. They shoot forward, smacking into one stone after the other as more and more red dust pours onto the floor. 'Ok, now I just have to get the sword without getting burned alive instead of shot,' I think as I walk towards the sword. The sword is coated in gold and red paint rubies embedded for the teeth of the blade. Looking at the pedestal, I can't see any visible traps. But, not trusting it, I grab some of the red dust and carefully pour it on the edges of the brick that make up the pedestal, and lo and behold, some of the dust sinks into some of the cracks, making a complete circle around the sword.
"Nathan Drake ain't got shit on me," I say as I start to think of a way to get the sword. I decide to pour more dust into the cracks hoping to gunk up or destroy the inner mechanism once I remove the sword.
Now the moment of truth, I grab the sword, and as I leap back, I hear a click, then a crack followed by a deafened boom as the top of the pedestal sinks in, then suddenly pops back up and off the pedestal, revealing the burned and charred remains of the traps inner workings.
[Legendary Macuahuitl iuihuitzilopochtli- A blade said to once be wielded by Huitzilopochtli himself but was bestowed by him onto the first emperor of the then newly birthed Fanus Empire]
"Hmm... if I remember correctly, that's the name of an Aztec god. Maybe that's him on the mural in the other room," I say as I shove the sword into my bag. While leaving, I think about taking some of the red dust but think better of it. 'I don't have any way to store it securely, and I don't want to walk around with an armed explosive,' I think as I walk down the steps. I look over at the mural of Huitzilopochtli, and I don't know why but I felt that I should leave something to pay my respects.
I pull my ribbons out of my pocket and place them at the altar. Then I say, "These are the fruits of my trials and tribulations while in the Marine Corps. I leave them for you," I say, wondering the hell I was doing. I turn, and as I walk out of the room, I hear, "hmm...Melauak in chontaltitlamanalistli neh've okatka yeseh kuali ka inon in yankuiestli mati niixtlatilistli maluilokayotl nechnik." I spin around, and at the very edge of my vision, sitting atop the alter, I can just make out a figure with a feathered mane. I rush towards the figure, but as more light fills the room, the figure disappears. Looking at the alter, the ribbons were gone.
"Ok, I'm spooked," I say as I leave the room, then the pyramid. Outside I sat down and decided to rest as well as calm down. 'Well, it is called the godling system, so I guess it should be obvious gods exist," I say while resting against the pillars outside. 'Does that mean those gods are watching me, or was that one summoned due to my offering? What did he say? Why did he leave before I could talk to him?' My head swarms with questions about what I saw and what it means. Unfurling my tail from around my waist and rubbing it to comfort myself, as all the frustrating unanswered questions, about my situation come bearing down on me.
After what feels like an hour, I check my chest, and the bruise is completely gone. I take that as a sign that my break is over. Wrapping my tail around me, I walk back into the pyramid. Upon entering the second room, I remember the shield on the wall to my right and walk towards it. I check for traps, seeing none. So I pick up the shield.
[Legendary Shield- A reward from the system for making it this far against the horde of undead. The system applauds the User for making it this far. Notice only available up to the second attempt]
'Well, that doesn't make me feel guilty about cheesing my way here, not at all,' I think as I slide the shield into my backpack. Looking around the room, I see a doorway opposite the one I came in and head towards it.
The floor in this new hallway is made of different bricks. There is a doorway in front of me and one at the left end of the hallway. Before stepping on them, I will my ki orb into one. The orb presses against the brick then pops out of existence. 'Ok, so it's not a pressure plate,' I think, summoning a sword and stabbing it into the brick. The brick and the bricks around it give way and fall inward, revealing a thirty-foot-deep pit trap. Off to the right, I hear grunts followed by footsteps. I decide to pay close attention to their steps so that they'll reveal the safe bricks to step on.
Two skeletons rounded the corner, charging at me, completely ignoring the now crumbling bricks beneath their feet. But, Merits were earned; they made it about halfway before the floor caught up with them and pulled them into the abyss.
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
The sudden removal of half the bricks caused the rest to follow, leaving a clear path of stepping stones up the hallway. 'It's hard to take them seriously as a threat when they pull crap like this. Wait, one of the first skeletons knew to deactivate the first trap but these ones didn't know to watch their step? Are their dum and smart skeletons? Or was that one special in some way?' I think in disbelief of what I just witnessed. Then, using the steps, I head towards the doorway further down to see what they were guarding.
Turning the corner, I see another hallway with a room at the end… Sigh. "Well, better start looking for traps," I say as I head down the hallway. Upon entering the room and checking for traps ...again. The space itself is plain, save an altar with a red vase on it, atop some steps in the center. Walking up to the steps, I notice diamond-shaped black stones in equal distant patterns embedded all over the steps. Turning around and standing far from the bottom of the steps, I summon six ki orbs and will them lift the vase and bring it to me.
The orb launch forward to do my bidding, and as the vase lifts into the air, spikes shoot out from where the black-diamond stones were. "Seriously, they're not even trying at this point," I say, willing the orbs to lift the vase above the spikes and to me.
[Legendary Vase- This vase was made by a master artisan in the pottery center of the Fanus Empire, Cholula, as a gift for the last emperor]
The vase was covered in intricate designs and was truly beautiful. I promptly throw it in the bag. Then, going back up the path, I go through the doorway I ignored earlier.
The hallway it leads to has three doorways, one close one to the left, another one on the right, and lastly, one at the far end. I hear a lot of grunts in unison, followed by footsteps. I summon six ki orbs and shoot one down the hallway to see eight skeletons coming at me, the one in from putting a weird-looking whistle to its mouth. 'Ok, I'll use my new Apex skill to stun them then I'll shoot- I hear an ear-piercing scream pierce my thoughts.
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior has attempted to use a Legendary Death Whistle on the User]
[User's skill Discipline has failed to negate the effects of the Legendary Death Whistle]
[Fight or Flight will now be randomly selected]
[Fight Selected]
As my consciousness faded, all I heard was a blood-curdling Animal-like roar...
When I woke up, I was in complete darkness, I summoned an orb only to see that I was covered in dust, and my hands were covered in red and gold liquid… my blood. Around me were shattered bones and ripped jaguar uniforms. Wiping away the blood, I notice bone shards mix in. "Oh, so that's why I was bleeding," I say in an extremely annoyed voice. I'm so over this dungeon crap. I grab one of the less torn uniforms, fill it with bones, and walk to the first doorway. As I'm walking, I kick something. Looking down, I see the whistle.
I pick up the whistle, walk towards the room, and throw the bag of bones in without looking. Instantly the lights with fire as a column in the middle of the room spews four walls of flame and starts slowly spinning. Walking in between the cycles of fire, I cross the room and enter what looks like a training area. I blow the whistle, and the same ear-piercing scream fills the room, then I send twelve orbs on a search and destroy mission.
Purple light shoots across the room, veering off and hitting any living/unliving thing in their path.
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Elite Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 40 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
Moving towards the corpse of the elite, I picked up his fancy-looking club, confirmed it was legendary, and shoved it into my bag with the whistle, and promptly left. The hallway on the left was a dead end with an uncommon vase in it, and entering the next area showed three paths, one in each wall going to the right one first. The room looked like the altar room at the beginning but to stairs this time.
Four skeletons rushed me from behind the altar. I activated my apex skill, freezing them in place, and then blasted them away with orbs.
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Elite Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 40 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
The elite's weapons looked mundane, but his cape looked cool, a red net cape decorated with feathers.
[Legendary Ritual Cape- This cape was often used during important events or rituals. Usually worn by Cuauhchicqueh]
On the alter was a knife, 'hmm, what were the chances the booby-trapped the alter,' I think as I summon a spear and nudge the blade off the alter. Then, after it clatters to the ground, I pick it up.
[Legendary Tecpatl- A blade used in the sacrificial practices of the Fanus Empire. This one, in particular, was used to claim over 1,000 lives]
'So this entire dungeon is what if the Fanus lived like Aztecs or maybe in this world they were?' I think as I shove the knife in my bag.
"On to the next one," I say as I leave the room and head to the next passageway. The floor was made out of the same bricks as the last false floor hallway. I yell, "Delivery for a Mister Bag, a Mister Douchebag!" into the passageway and heard some grunts in response. After waiting a few seconds and some crumbling bricks later.
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
[Skeleton Jaguar Warrior defeated 20 Exp distributed to User and pertinent skills & abilities]
Hopping down the passage, I come to a room with four pillars filled with broken shelves, torn uniforms, and broken weaponry. A light shines on a uniform in the middle of the room. Trying not to let my frustration get to me, I decided to look for traps. Not seeing any, I pick up the uniform.
[Legendary Huey Tlatoani Uniform– The uniform worn by the commander in chief of the Fanus Empire's army]
Sight, 'Just one more, and I can leave,' I think, shoving the uniform in the bag and going back and heading to the last passageway. Thankfully, the hallway is short, and two elites stand at the end before the only doorway. Summoning a sword, I let out a roar and released my apex presence skill, and charged.
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Stats
[Level 2 Exp 0/25]
[HP: 98/98]
[Ki level: 108/108]
[Exp: 10,360]
[Stat points: 0]
[Strength 17]
[Can be increased through training]
[Dexterity 14]
[Can be increased through training]
[Constitution 15]
[Can be increased through training]
[Intelligence 14]
[Can be increased through training]
[Wisdom 16]
[Can be increased through training]
[Charisma 25]
[Can only be increased through the system]
[Luck 25]
[Can only be increased through the system]
Skills
~Craftsmanship Class F lvl 1 Exp 0/5~
Items made by the User will be stronger overall, equal to the class and level of this skill. Overall increase= 1%
~Survivalist Class F lvl 1 Exp 0/5~
The chance of User finding useful items to survive any predicament. Current chance 3.4%
~Weapons Master Class E lvl 4 Exp 460/20,480~
User has unlocked the knowledge of weapon mastery. The class and level reflect the User's effectiveness in using anything as a weapon.
~Leadership class E lvl 3 Exp 12,00/10,240~
With this skill, others will be willing to follow your guidance and have a greater chance of influencing those of higher grade/level.
~Genius Fighter Class E lvl 4 Exp 978/20,480~
To the User, simple strategies and tactics are second nature. The User shall be able to form moderately complex plans more easily.
~Persuasion/Manipulation Class F lvl 3 Exp 0/20~
User will have greater chances to persuade/manipulate others.
~Videography Class E lvl 4 0/20,480~
Users will have an increased chance of creating superior video, audio and familiarize themselves with camera equipment more easily.
~Discipline Class E lvl 2 Exp 1,238/5,120~
User will be more resistant to mentally and emotionally inhibiting effects such as rage, fatigue, and pain.
~Marksman Class E lvl 1 Exp 0/2,560~
NOTICE: User's effective range can't exceed the effective range of the weapon used. Current effective range: 457.2 meters
~Ki Techniques Class Var. lvl Var.~
Ki Orb Class F lvl Max - Ki cost: 1 or more. This skill is mastered, and due to that, orbs will only dissipate when dismissed or disrupted.
Ki Weapon Class E lvl 3 5,395/10,240 exp- Ki cost: 12 or more; the more Ki added, the stronger the weapon and the less concentration needed to maintain it.
~Presence Of An Apex Class F lvl 2 Exp 1/10~
The User has mastered the way of the predator. The User can now assert that mastery as a force when active prey or adversaries will become fearful of the User and have a chance of being stunned with fear. Allies will feel a strong presence radiating from the User and have a chance to boost courage and confidence. Chance rating: 25%
Abilities
~Genius Mind Class E lvl 3 Exp 2,739/10,240~
The User's mental ability learns, understands, and retains knowledge at 2x the rate of an ordinary person, any exp gained through training for skills will have this multiplier applied.
~Ki control Class E lvl 3 Exp 2,599/5,120~
The User has unlocked the ability to gather, manipulate, and strengthen the essence of life itself within and around the User. Techniques using this ability will be shown on the skills page
~Godling System Class S lvl Max~
The User has interfaced with the Godling System. User has access to all system functions that the user's level rates.
~Nature's Healing Presence Class D lvl 1 Exp 600/1,310,720~
Effective range and strength: 1 meter/s by 1% per min, scent: Sunflower
~Apex Predator Class E lvl 2 Exp 5,099/5,120 ~
The User's natural predatory instincts are the apex of predatory skill. Therefore, the User will naturally know how to perfectly stalk, track, and hunt prey or other predators and instinctively have an absolute inclination for sense of direction, the strength of the target, and the best hunting tactics to apply at all times.