Stompies

I knew my plan would work, but I didn't expect it to go this well. It was just like in the movies. They really let us just waltz right in, while not even checking if I was actually tied up.

What losers! I activated The Rabbit again while using [Wrath] to increase my attack stat, granting my excited body an intense bloodthirsty aura to both my boots and hands.

I thought of what the bat would say to me if she wasn't focused on drawing away one of the imp hoes. Probably, “Scan them. Check their stats” or something of the sort. Right now, the one with the black magic in her hand had her annoyed eyes on me, leaving her blue-eyed twin to have a good ol’ 1v1 with the bat. I had my bets on the imp winning, but I didn’t say that aloud. I backed towards the door to create some space for my assault. With grace, I leaped from the ground onto one of those very expensive-looking paintings attached to the wall before jumping at her, legs in front and fist in back.

“Are all Saviors this stupid?” she scoffed while dodging my attack. Fuck!

She released a small spark of pure dark energy that gave me no time to avoid its trajectory. It pierced through my chest, like a shotgun round. Strangely, I felt nothing.

“Aha-ha-ha-ha! Are you feeling the pain of my corruption magic? How much does it hurt? It makes my day to see the purest writhe in pain from my retribution! The purer the soul, the more afflicting and painful it is! Soon your entire soul will be nothing more than a frail little husk.”

Huh? But I feel fine. What a lame-ass attack.

She didn’t even bother to follow up with another spell, so I took this awkward time she had given me for some reason to scan her. I was so bored. I guess she thinks it might be taking its time to corrupt me or whatever? Either way, I activated my scanner.

[Name: Klara Vos]—[Class: Imperial Dark Sorceress]—[Level: 25]

[Skills: Skills: Corruption Whip (MAX), Dark Blast (MAX), Flight (MAX), Four Skills Hidden]

[Status: Satisfied]—[Attack: 500]—[Defense: 1,000]—[Magic: 5,000]

She's only ten levels higher than me, huh? Well, I might as well attack her again.

This time I used my armored fist to deliver an iron blow straight at her chest. She sidestepped it with greater speed than I could have imagined with her slutty form, though the look on her face brought me immense pleasure. I think she expected a different result than what is currently transpiring.

“What is going on?! Why are you still normal? You should have been on the floor as a broken man, drawing in your own despair. None of the other humans have ever made it past a minute.”

“I don't know, lady. I feel fine. And I'll feel even better once I cave your head in, heh-heh-heh.” I laughed, easily provoking her.

She placed one of her long fingers to her lip as if she was contemplating something for a brief moment before shaking her head as if it couldn't have been what she thought it was.

“I see…. Well, I must have not hit you with a large-enough blast. You are the Savior, after all. There's a chance you have a resistance to my unique magic.”

“I don’t. Your weak magic just really fucking sucks.”

She scowled. “You won’t be acting all high and mighty after this next attack—Corruption Whip!”

“You know you don’t need to say your spell’s name, right? It’s just something you cast from activating your Skill. Or are you just that much of a stupid bitch to understand that?”

At the same time, a large black whip manifested in her right hand. I decided to back up even closer to the door to avoid it directly. I had a slightly bad feeling about it, despite her combat capabilities appearing to be next to none.

She swung it down immediately, aiming at the spot where I stood. It sure had a lot of range, but with my goofy-ass ears and my incredible hops, I was able to easily avoid it… Or so I thought.

The moment I sprung out of the way and leaned towards my left, something cold and ticklish wrapped around my right ankle and yanked me to the ground. The ground was made of marble, so it did hurt a bit, but not enough to whine and moan about—no like I would do that anyway, though.

It seemed that that whip was a lot fucking longer than I thought. It was straight out of Raiders of The Lost Ark or that sequel to that movie about British dudes fighting with umbrellas. I slapped both my hands to the ground like I was doing a pushup and propped myself back on my feet even with the whip still coiling around my ankle like a viper. Liquid spilled from where I touched my forehead and caressed my hand. It smelled like something akin to iron; I was most definitely bleeding from the head.

“The whip is feeding negative energy directly into your soul, and yet you act the same as always. What in the world is happening with my magic?”

“It's not your magic, bitch, it's my unbreakable soul. I ain't the kind of guy to just kneel over when times get hard nor will I ever back down from a fight. Your shitty magic will never work on a strong force of nature like me.”

Her eyes grew wide while her eyebrows started stroking out by going up and down like two elevators constantly passing by each other in opposite directions.

“Disgusting. Stop doing that. Ew.” I spat directly at her.

“What the hell! Did you….just………..GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

She dropped her whip and ran at me with full force. While her strength exceeded mine at the moment, I was pretty sure I would come out victorious in this battle of brawn; she was a woman after all. However, before she could reach me, a wall of ice impeded her path. I glanced over to see the other imp sister hoe with holes in her armored dress as well as singed hair.

“Sister, don’t let this human toy with you! He has clearly been corrupted enough already! Let me take him on instead.”

“Pfft! Like that would matter,” I snorted. It appeared that the bat had been doing fairly well against the ice bitch, but I think that just had to do with her own magic.

She summoned another ice wall before the bat could hurl another fireball in her direction, before running over to the other. I took this chance to creep around the wall for a little looksie. She whipped my spit from her sister's neck and gazed into her eyes like a lover. “I will handle this troubling human, myself. Please go and corrupt that girl.”

“‘Sniffle’... Um…okay...'sniffle’...sis.”

Was she crying? This was a fucking fight! Man, I hate women. The red-eyed hoe imp, with tears still in her eye, made her way over to the bat who really appeared rather unscathed, herself.

“Sorry, my sister doesn't take kindly to others that upset her, but I do even more. I will now be your opponent.”

“Bring it, Bitch.” I formed a fighting stance with my fists, prepared to take her head on…or at least look that way. I had a plan.

I fully assessed this imp internally, from her black hair down to her pointed heels. Her breathing was ragged most likely due to the bat's tenacious battle of attrition. For once, I was mildly impressed with her. She buttered the imp right up, serving her on a platter.

But just to make sure…

I activated my scanner once again and didn't bother using a full-on hologram projection. Instead, I stared intently at it with my right eye.

[Name: Vara Vos]—[Class:Imperial Frost Sorceress]—[Level: 25]

[Skills: Skills: Ice Wall (MAX), Frostbite Missile (MAX), Flight (MAX), Four Skills Hidden]

[Status: Furious]—[Attack: 500]—[Defense: 1,000]—[Magic: 5,000]

So even her stats were identical to her sisters. Well, it's not like it will matter. My plan had already been set in motion from the start. The moment I stepped into this room, I had crafted a trail to my success—literally. One of the things I found from the charred and severed corpses of those cow people were these tiny black ball-things. I wonder what would have happened if they used them on us? Doesn't matter now, though, those fuckers will never return, heh-heh.

They were about the size of a baby orange and seemed to be made of silicon or some shit that shouldn’t exist in a fantasy setting. I had scavenged a total of six and they were all residing within my pocket until I first entered the room.

I dodged a barrage of her frostbite missiles by skillfully bending my body in the air like a gymnast. I swept my gaze over the battlefield in the few moments of grace I had earned. On the left side of the room (where I currently was), I had already dropped three of the mystery balls. The other three were split up with one at the entrance behind me, while one was near the bat, and the last had been nicely dropped near the throne. I hadn't tried detonating them yet, but I knew what they did just from a quick scan. All I needed to do was touch one to make it work.

“You are proving rather troublesome to hit. When will that rabbit Skill of yours run out, I wonder?” Vara asked, irritation seeping out from her tone.

I’m not telling, but to be honest—I had around two and a half minutes left until the ability would run out. [Wrath] was also the same. As long as I can touch even one of them on my side, the chain reaction would activate all three.

“Just like fucking dominos!” I yelled towards the heavens.

I used my air momentum to somersault over the imp, like an absolute chad, sticking the landing with ease. I then focused my gaze on the ground. Where, where, where…

“Bingo.” I smiled, ready to touch the closest black ball.

However, a wall of ice cut me off from that easy win.

“What are you scheming now, my corrupted Savior?”

“None of your fucking business,” I spat while looking around for the next of the balls. I spotted it near the long chicken legs of the imp. All I had to do was get over there.

“I don’t know why you are so infatuated with our floor, but I will not allow it to continue!” She launched another flurry of ice bullets right where I stood. I wanted to jump again, but the strain of constant propulsion, as well as the blood loss from my forehead, was finally taking its toll on my body. I wouldn't be able to dodge in time. Probably.

To remedy this. I barrel-rolled right into the ice shards, using my armored hand as well as [Wrath] to boost my defense stat and shield my vitals from any real damage. Still, it hurt like hell.

“GAAAAH! FUUUUUUCKEEEEN HEEEEEEEELLLL!!!!” I cried.

“Ha-ha. So your strength has finally wavered. I’m afraid I might not be able to give you to Archevaz alive, but I’m sure he will forgive me after what you put us through.”

Archevaz was it? That's the imp ruler's name I guess. What a stupid name. Ah… Moving around hurts like a bitch.

I had cuts all over—In my armor, on my face, and all over my arms and legs. A pussy would cry and beg for help, but I'm not some weakling you could spot shopping at the dollar store. I was a winner. You will never see me cry in pain or beg for help.

I had rolled right next to the bitch imp now—right next to what I was looking for. My big-brain plan had come to fruition at last.

“Sayonara, bitch imp hoe!” I slammed my injured fist onto the small black ball.

Nothing happened for a second, but then a large purple light was discharged that caused even the air to sizzle. It enveloped the whole room with its violet embrace before blinking out of existence. I didn't look over to what happened with the bat and baby imp, instead, I glanced up at my own “opponent”.

“It's over now, hag. There's nothing you can do.”

She retaliated by pressing her hand on my downed body. Her face was an amalgamation of confusion in anger.

“Now, what were you saying about my defeat? Whatever little plan you had seemed to have failed so I believe this is the end for you and your foolish mouth.”

She pointed her palm right on top of my head as if to secure my death. Any moment an ice spike would pierce my brain and I would once again fall into the afterlife—at least that's what this bitch probably thought.

“Huh? My magic…? Nothing is coming out! My magic...has been...sealed?!”

“You betcha. These little guys lock out magic Skills for one minute, however, it doesn't cancel out normal Skills and magic that have been cast and are still active. I think you know what. That. Means.”

I used my less injured wrist to grab onto her leg. Right before I detonated the magic sealing ball, I used [Wrath] (thank Christ for short cooldowns!) on my attack stat again, allowing me to increase my arm strength. While her defense was still higher than my attack, as long as I focused my strength on a single part of her body, it would be like grabbing onto your average teenage girl—easy as pie.

I slammed her leg to the ground, bringing the rest of her with me. With my enhanced strength, I could launch myself to my knees, while blood was still oozing out of my cuts. Then, I started doing the Raze Classic.

“Woah! Umm… Wait!! Can we talk about this! ACK! SCHOP IF….SCHOOOOOOP!”

Naturally, I ignored her. Fist after first drove into her weak body, one after the other. Even for a girl, her body was quite durable which made it tough to finish her off in a quick fashion.

I pulled myself to my feet. The injured imp hoe took notice of this and grinned, missing a few teeth.

“Hra-hra, you're too fweak to kill me! Too. Fweak! Fwat are you dwoing? Hrey schoopppp ! Don't do shaaaat!”

I landed down on her face with the amount of force to crush the spine of a fully grown elephant. It was safe to say that I had finished off my prey for sure—and with style.

After pulling out my blood-covered legs from inside of her mangled face or what remained, I caught a glimpse of the bat as well as the time limit left on [Wrath] and The Rabbit. 30 seconds? I can do that.

——————————————————————————————————————————

After nearly winning the fight against Vara Vos, a new enemy replaced her, putting me more on guard than before.

She has some sort of Corruption Magic, right? I need to avoid it if possible. Unlike Raze, I won't get off that easily.

The somewhat-sublime figure of the imp sister stared me down with a dry, blue eye. Could she have been crying? It seemed something like that had occurred. Raze, just what did you do to her?

“My dear, I am in an incredibly foul mood. Please don’t get mad if I take it out on you.” Her voice was ragged and dripping with venom.

I prepped another [Fireball]. I needed to end this quickly or who knows what else would happen. If looks could kill, I was already six feet under.

“I’m going to enjoy this.” She glared at me as if I had killed her father. What did I do to her? That was all Raze!

She expelled a ball of darkness from her palm, causing the air to groan and hiss as it traveled. I had a few options open to me. I could try to dodge it, be it with my wings or with my semi-decent reflexes, despite not being athletic in the slightest. My last option was to see if my own [Fireball] spell could match it or even overpower it.

Out of the three, I think my last option could bear the most fruit. From my battle with Vara, it was very one-sided even though she had a few levels on me. I couldn’t get cocky, though; I knew since I was a young girl that fire would always triumph over ice.

I thrust my palm out in front of myself and with it bloomed my ball of fire like a beautiful lotus of death. Time seemed to slow down as our balls of pure mana zipped towards each other, leaving a path of destruction on the floor in their wake. I could smell the scorched marble and it was the opposite of pleasant.

Then they collided.

It was as if an engulfing singularity had been birthed from the darkness, quickly and effortlessly devouring the bright flame from my spell until there was nothing left.

Then it kept coming.

It seemed I chose wrong—shit! I hope it doesn't hurt much!

Even with its quick speed, it hit me more like a small pebble than an entire boulder. It was as if my body wasn't hit, but my very soul.

It shook me to the core. My outer appearance seemed absolutely fine, but was it always this cold in the room? My clothes weren't the warmest with my choice of exposing some skin to combat the omnipresent sun, but this felt…otherworldly. Brrrrrrrr. I hugged myself for warmth, slowly shaking before dropping to the ground. The shaking got even worse. I couldn't see a foot in front of me, but I heard laughter—and lots of it. Was she laughing at my plight? My patheticness? I couldn't tell. Soon I couldn't hear anything anymore.

The world was dark—I was dark, the body I was born with blotted out from the world like a hollow silhouette. It was a black abyss of pure darkness. That's all that I could see, all that I could hear, all I could…feel. Dread coiled around my corroded soul like a serpent of evil.

Even without my body, I could feel my life—or more likely—my very soul being squeezed tighter and tighter under its constricting prowess. I tried to fight back—to pull myself up, but I couldn’t. It was impossible. Everything was futile. Why was life even worth living? I wasn't sure. I had nothing left but my tainted soul, rotting alone in the dark void of despair.

It felt like eons had passed since I last spoke. Since I last moved. Since I last breathed. Eternal death was all that awaited me. My fate was sealed; I could do nothing but wait for my demise to slowly consume my unraveling being. It was slow, but it was assured destruction. The dark embrace that would never leave until it had siphoned every last drop of life essence from my shriveled carcass. I could sense death’s presence. Isn’t that just crazy? I could see it, I could breathe it, I could be it. All I needed to do was wait and allow us to become one. We would meld and take form into something so much more divine! Yeah….that would be fine…………………………………………………….

Would it? Would it really? a voice inside me said. I wasn't sure where it came from, but it was my last line of defense. I knew that.

What's wrong with giving up? There is only a dark, endless void awaiting me, no matter what.

So you have forgotten.

It must not have been important in the first place then.

Is that so?

Images flooded into my vacant mind, slowly cleaning off the cobwebs of the gears. More and more images—images of my family, myself, and even that annoying Savior.

The gears began to churn, and churn, and churn. A meadow appeared within the seemingly endless black void, the landscape slowly getting enlarging.

You can fight this, Komoria. Just like you always have. Even if your home and your family forsake you, I will always love you. So love yourself, because we are one and the same.

I can! There is still more I have left to do! Saving the continent, going back to my village and proving to them that I am capable and worth keeping around, and maybe…finding love. Those were only a few things I wanted to do and I still had so much time left.

At least I did…

There is still time to stop the key from turning. All you have to do is fight!

I see. I can do that!

I focused on the landscape that had become my angel’s grace in this endless realm of darkness. I wanted to see more flowers, more mountains, and more trees. And then they were birthed into creation. The trees ruptured from the abyss, filling everything around them with lush nature. It spread like a plague, quickly capturing every part of the void and assimilating it into its pure nature. It was sublime. It was beautiful. It was…fantastic!

I looked down for the first time in who knows how long and saw my own tan hands once again. I was still on the ground, but the connection to my body that had been once severed, finally reformed.

I can do this. I can push past it. It's not over yet.

Brrrrrrrr. I still felt the shivers down to my core. Still, I pulled myself up. The moment I did, reality once again registered in my eyes. I was back in the opulent palace of the twin imp sisters. I didn't have time to worry about what Raze was doing, but I hoped it was going well.

“So, you were able to service one attack. That must have been a taxing ordeal. No matter, the second time's the charm.” Klara focused her gaze on my shivering body before licking her bloody lips. She seemed to be enjoying this after being humiliated by Raze. It didn't matter though. I would still take her on with every essence of my being. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how much I wanted to roll over and die—I would not give in!

Then a purple light blinded my eyes.

“My magic…” I said quickly.

“It's...gone.” Klara’s eyes had grown as wide as they could get.

It must have been those balls that Raze picked up, but he could have at least let me know that he was going to use them!

My strength stat was far lower than hers, but I raised my fists nonetheless.

“How about a little girl fight, fists vs fists, unless your race is as cowardly as they say,” I taunted with confidence. Sweat was starting to get into my eyes and making it hard to keep focus, but I kept my defiant grin up. I needed the confidence boost now more than ever.

“If you have a death wish, so be it,” Klara responded by displaying her sharp talons. They could probably rend flesh with ease. It seemed my chances were getting worse and worse, the longer this fight drove on. Still, I ran at her with my reforged spirit and everything else I could muster. I thought about shouting out a battle cry, but that sounded like something Raze would do and I still didn't want to be anything like him.

Just before I could deliver the first blow, a leg flew through my view and into the side of Klara’s head.

“KRAAAAH! AHHHH!”

Huuuuuuh? Klara dropped to the ground, a large amount of blood squirting out of the side of her head. I couldn't even process what had just happened.

“Take that, you stupid bitch! Time for a double kill! YAAAAAR”

Before either of us had time to retaliate, Raze leaped up to almost the height of the ceiling, before coming back down and sealing the fate of one unlucky imp. The blood and bones flew through the air, bathing my face red.

“Gawk! Ewwwww! It's in my moooouth! Pfft!” I spat out some blood-dyed hair before giving Raze an evil stare for that messy execution, but then….

“Raze…, what the hell happened to you?!”

He had holes in at least twenty different places. I couldn't even fathom how he was standing in front of me, sporting his usual shit-stained grin. Blood was still slowly flowing from his forehead, but it didn't look life-threatening, at least.

“I'm fine, but you can heal me, I guess. I'm in a pretty good mood now.”

I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow at his proclamation. “I didn't expect to ever see you like this, but it makes me somewhat happy for some reason...”

I slightly blushed, though I wasn't exactly sure why. My level also increased from this, even though I didn't get either kill. That probably had to do with Raze’s sudden good mood, I didn't “KS” him this time.

“This new Skill is interesting but seems next to useless. What the hell?

I activated my own scanner and peaked at my stats. It seemed I had gained more than just a single ability.