"Urgh, what's that awful smell?"
"Blade."
"Blade's not a scent dummy..."
SQUELCH!
{The User has Shamelessly died.}
{Let's begin again, shall we?}
"...aaaAAAAHHHH!!!"
{Ridiculous.}
From bones, Park came into being. He was very aware of everything that was going on and felt every single bit, he wished for his very wonderful regenerative ability to kick in but he was in for a rude awakening. He tried to speak but couldn't, the reconstruction wasn't done and so, he tried to think of it.
{Remember this feeling, you'll need it.}
[The skill cannot be found]
and again...
[The skill cannot be found]
and again...
[The skill cannot be found]
What's happening?
{Would you sit still, it's not that stable as you think.}
[Mental Capability, Thought has been temporarily cancelled]
With that out of the way, there was now enough calm and quiet to itself. Its eyes were fixated on its agonized vessel but its thoughts elsewhere.
What BrEaKtHrOuGh, they only dumped more work on my head.
...
... We'll see how things go, once we're done here.
{Wow, this is taking longer than...}
"I SWEAR I CAN'T TAKE A BREAK WITH..."
[Physical Capability, Speech has been temporarily cancelled]
{I won't say too much, because this is bad as it is...}
[Two restriction decrees have been used. Decay has been hastened. The administrator has employed a failsafe.]
{Kill...}
[Failsafe is now activating.]
Ink retreated into the depths of his own creation, seeing it fit to witness the action from beyond.
[Restrictions have become undone.]
"I'll deal with you later, but first..."
A hot feeling tore through his skin.
"Yep!"
"Talk less!"
"Fight!"
"More!"
[...]
[Goblin x1 has been defeated.]
[Paltry Dagger has been obtained.]
"I don't remember goblins being this hard!"
"Hah."
He plopped on the floor.
"I don't think I can continue if it goes on..."
"..."
"...but I also don't want to experience that shitty pain."
[Regeneration has begun.]
[A new opponent will arrive shortly.]
"Up! Up! Up! Me and my rusty blade it is then!"
He got on his feet, readily grasping the cracked wooden hilt of the makeshift weapon that the goblin had. He had come to a realization that he had to take out the enemy before they were even "awake".
And so, he did. As the shifting pixels were almost done reconstructing the next opponent's torso, he leapt, moving with a determination and a drive powered by a force unlike any other.
Raw Fear.
Adrenalin channeled through his body, providing a wonderful boost, and in that moment, almost akin to an athlete, the hunter sunk his blade deep into the prey.
Or so he thought...
{Khehehe!}
That cursed laugh mocked his efforts. His senses heightened in the moment sensed danger and therefore he dodged, looking on in disbelief as his well-thought strategy was annulled in heart shattering fashion.
With the pixels frozen, halfway done with the head, the crude weapon, which he had so wholeheartedly sunk deep into and through the heart of the opponent, was rubberily ejected out. The elastic skin, without a dent, gleamed in the room's blue glow. In a menacing grin,
(No Cheating, Park.)
The Goblin said.
Park backed up, torn between the thoughts of "healing" and what to do to at the very least to give him a fighting chance. That's when the stars above heard him.
[Do you wish to absorb Goblin #1's attributes?]
He had adapted to the situation quite well.
[Congratulations, a piece has been accepted within the bottomless pit of the new creation.]
[1/??? is required to ignite the new spark.]
"Well, that's new?"
Krrrrr!!!!
The last conscious act of the newly formed amalgam before it resorted back to its characteristic barbaric behavior. Park with new light in his eyes, dived for his dear friend as they advanced towards the beast.
***
"Shadow Traders have really improved on their products."
"Talking about improvement, isn't this the greatest one?"
"Indeed, he was quite a yapper."
They inspected the red magic circle beneath, making sure that not even as much as a speck of dust disrupted the channel that was actively supplying the otherworldly energy. It was in their routine. Upgrade and maintain. Caution and precision were supposed to be similar to breathing. If they didn't "breathe", an obvious consequence would occur. This was the only downside when they "signed" up to be part of the dark forces.
"Let's see who feels like giving back to the community."
The magister pulled out a small white mouse, the rest of the group walking over to their respective circles that they were in charge of. The mouse, black bands over its eyes, began its journey. It would stop at one circle, sniff about it, if the maintenance was clear, it would let out a small squeak, if the energy channeled was purer, it would utter a short, monsterized shriek.
"Circle Seven, upgrade has been identified. #7 is clear."
"..."
"...Circle Thirteen, upgrade has been identified. #13 is clear."
Only one more stop, and this batch was clear for a week's leave among other mandatory reliefs that were provided. It was finally at its destination; its decision, the final factor that would decide the fate of this group. It started. A long tense moment ensued, coupled with its increasingly rapid paces, a basis had already been made. #14 knew that this was it. She had soiled somewhere in her calculations and at the end of it all signed the fates of the entire cast, her included and so as if telepathically linked, all shut their eyes...
Squeak!
It was jubilation. Evil had lived to see another day.
"Circle Fourteen, Maintenance has been identified. #14 is clear."
The mouse ran to the beckoning hand of the magister, the hand partly transformed.
"No maintenances next time, #14, we need to get the top prize this time, alright?"
He gently wrapped his hands around the mouse, the other hand also transformed and after a small incantation popped the tiny blood bag, as was their instructed closing ritual by their superiors. Once the tiny servant coughed up every last bit that it had, the magister opened his clawed hands.
Atop his scarlet-colored palms, rested a white marble. #14 moved over towards the magister, took it and immediately ingested it.
"May his free and unbound spirit make you anew."
"As he wills it, so it shall be."
The magister cracked a toothy grin. They knew this face all too well.
"If you would excuse me, I have a spectacle I have to witness."
Unnerved, they hurriedly took their leave. That unnatural joyous face was something that they still couldn't get over. It genuinely creeped them out and they were supposed to be the vilest creations ever seen.
#14 was the last to close the door behind her.
"Yes, please scream for me. Oh, please rightfully do so."
She could hear that amorous tone through the wooden barrier.
Of all the people that they could offer...
"...hah."
***
[Penalty: Healing Duration will be increased]
He waved the screen to a close, his hand mid-regeneration. He looked up at the quest message hovering over the field.
[In the duration of time when the boss is generated, the time dilation will fully be in effect. Please defeat the boss.]
[Rewards: Expiration of Time Dilation.]
[Penalty: Healing Duration will be increased.]
"What's the number at now?"
{31st iteration, clocking in 32nd if you fail this one.}
{...}
{You even became numb to the penalty.}
"I hope I get it this time."
His skin had fully healed.
[31,999,999,999,998th round will now commence.]
"Yay..."