While I was holding a 'chocolate bar' cooked up from some beyonder characteristics with my right hand, Pillar, who was held over my left hand, stretched his nose out and licked the chocolate bar.
"Wait, NO Pillar!" I panicked. "Bad puppy!"
Isn't chocolate poisonous for dogs?
I stretched my right hand away from Pillar, putting distance between him and the chocolate, then put him down on the ground.
Pillar then put both his front paws on his nose, as if he was smelling something foul and disgusting. He whimpered and gave me puppy dog eyes.
You! So cute...
I'll forgive you this time! I'll need more dog training, especially with restraint.
I then further examined the bar of chocolate in my hand. It was shaped just like a modern chocolate bar, except without the packaging.
Eh. Looks good enough for me.
So I started eating it.
It was delicious.
And satisfying.
I have dined in Michelin starred restaurants but none of their dishes could compare to this.
It was as if I found a missing piece of me.
Like experiencing my first love.
The sunshine breaking through the darkness.
A rain in the desert.
...
It was...
...all eaten up.
Whew! What a snack.
My body started to feel weak and I felt vertigo. I instinctively got down to a crosslegged position on the ground to stabilize myself.
Whispers voiced in my ears but this time, I could roughly understand what they were saying. The whispers were from a multitude of different sources, but somehow from a single place. A single area.
Hmmm...
They were whispers of desperate struggles. Of beings, trying to escape. Trying to survive. Trying. But failing.
Delicious.
As I stared at the air with a dazed face, unaware of my surroundings and lost in thoughts, unknown to me at that time, Pillar had crawled on my lap and fell asleep.
Forgotten slumberer beyond time,
Devourer of stars,
The Depths.
Once again, a phrase was whispered in my ears, yet this voice belonged to someone unique, human, yet eldritch...
...
Although different from my voice, I felt that it was spoken by me.
***
[Sequence 8. Hooded Figure.]
My jaws have grown stronger and I can at will turn my teeth sharp and jagged. In it's 'beast' form, I am able to even chew through steel and bones easily. To complement this, my stomach is also able to digest almost all materials. Consuming abberant, cursed or spiritually imbued objects actually helps to regenerate my spirituality and heal me from injuries.
My spirituality has increased, both in quantity and quality. I am able to understand whispers of cursed, godly or undescribable eldritch beings and can even choose to ignore them and their effects.
I also gained some knowledge on runes and rituals. Comparing to the knowledge that I have learned in the island, it is different than what is usually used from this universe. Even the language used is neither Hermes, Freysec, nor any other ancient languages here. (Cthulhu says hi! Wiggle wiggle~)
My skill: 'Man is an island' had been strengthened. It is still passive but I am also able to manually activate it, at a larger spirituality cost. The mental and corruption resistance is also increased.
I am also able to 'perspire' or 'breathe' out roughly about five cubic meters of black smoke that I can control freely, to be used as a stealth aid, distraction or act as poisonous vapours. (Wait... Does that make me Hitler now? D: "To the gas chambers!")
***
As I awoke from my slumber, I found Pillar happily snoozing on my laps. I scratched his head but he must be having a nice dream as he did not wake up.
Deciding not to disturb his nap, I thought to myself about my new found powers.
Damn. I finally have magic! No fireballs or chain-lightning yet but oh yeah!
I also have to think about the acting method of hooded figure. Guess I have to wear a hoodie wherever I go? I can feel that the 'potion' is partially 'digested' tho.
Probably means I have done something in the past that can be used as a reference. Eating seafood? Feels right and wrong at the same time.
Oh well! Let future me figure it out.
I decided to knock on the Furnace, and a small flame with a chibi tentacle sticking out of it appeared.
*Wiggle*
Yup! I'm promoted to sequence 8 now! Thanks Love!
*Wiggle*
Any hints about the acting method for Hooded Figure? Also the promotion materials for sequence 7?
*Spark*Wiggle*Wiggle*Spark*
Ugh. You're kidding me.
At least I know now what the next sequence is called: 'Fishmonger'. I'll probably digest that instantly from all the work I've done at Gram's stall.
*Wiggle*
And with a final good luck, Love winked out of existence.
Too bad I'm still not fit enough to accomodate her yet.
Now, guess I have to go back to the village, both to save some damsels in distress and hunt for more beyonder chateristics.
I reminded myself of what I have to collect for my next promotion:
-Sequence 9 of the Wheel of Fortune Pathway: Monster
-Sequence 8 of the Moon Pathway:
Beast Tamer
-Sequence 8 of the Error Pathway:
Swindler.
-Sequence 7 of the Tyrant pathway: Seafarer
Oh man. I'll probably long digest my potion way before I collect these four beyonder characteristics. How the heck do you find someone from the Error pathway anyway?
Eh...
Do I have to start wearing a monocle soon?
***
Pillar started to shake and soon was awake.
I gave him a head pat and he burped.
Black smoke was expelled from his mouth as he burped, before forming into the shape of a squid. Pillar then bit and sucked the smoke back in his gullet.
...
I controlled my twitching eyes and tried to ignore what I just witnessed.
I stood up and patted the dirt off my pants. Wielding a sharpened spear in my hands, I got ready once again to start hunting down whoever is assaulting the village. And hopefully get plenty of loot.
Hope there are still plenty of survivors. I can only act as support to the defenders. Not a one man army yet. But now I'm much more sure of the path to take going forward.
Apocalypse. Here I come!