Chapter 91 (1/2)

Randidly’s eyes quickly scanned through the notifications.

Congratulations! Your Soul-Skill Spear of Rot Mastery has reached Lvl 500! Your path is long and winding, but you find yourself wandering deeper into the darker corners of the forest, where the incestuous growth and cannibalization of bacteria and fungus reigns supreme. Your feet desire direction!

You look at the dank rot. What do you see? What is Rot?

Warning, you have tread too long on the Path of the Heretic. Heretic V is now open to you. For this, you must face Judgement. Due to your affiliation with the Patron of Ash, the Judgement of the Patron of Frostbite descends. Know that even if you endure through the Judgement, more will follow. Proceed directly to the nearest Village and speak with the Spirit to repent.

Warning! In a nearby area, a Judgement of Frostbite descends! If you are not the one who caused this Judgement to descend, your life can be preserved by staying out of the way of the Judgement, and by not interfering with its quest. God Speed.

Randidly was standing in a grove of trees on a slope, and in the small area below him, between where he was and the monster horde, a large glowing circle of sigils appeared in the air. They cast a strange blue light on the area, that even attracted the attention of the monsters. As soon as they saw it, they fled, running into the hills. The light condensed into a glowing figure, standing tall on the small hill.

After a few seconds, the light faded away, revealing a tall creature covered in white hair. To Randidly’s eyes, it looked like a 3 meter tall yeti, its chest probably as wide across as the hood of a car. Judgement of Frostbite, Lvl 37 hung over its head. But in the same way that Ep-Tal had, this one’s name was glowing yellow.

And its aura reeked of danger.

Randidly leveled his spear with a grin, a manic light in his eyes, but before he could advance, another notification popped up, a repeat.

You look at the dank rot. What do you see? What is Rot?

Was it waiting for him to actually answer…?

Randidly looked at the strange Yeti, which pounded the ground, with its fists. Several small, pudgy versions of itself crawled up out of the ground, only about half as tall as a man, but the little ones began to point, spraying cones of frost that froze the nearby earth.

As the slowly spreading ring of frost began to take form, Randidly looked directly into the cold blue gaze of the Yeti. It raised its huge, furred hand and beckoned. It was, Randidly knew from the Yeti’s haughty expression, an invitation to die.

“This Rot…” Randidly whispered. “Is fertilizer. It is the means by which I will grow.”

If you crave something, take it.

“I will devour it.”

Your feet begin to move, taking you on the path of Consumption and Growth. You have learned the skill Bacterial Regeneration Lvl 1.

Bacterial Regeneration: Passive skill. Adds an additional 1 point of regeneration per hour of Health and Mana, and 1 point of regeneration per minute of Stamina, per skill level. Effect doubles for 1 hour after eating.

Grinning, Randidly removed a small roll from his satchel and began to eat. No point in wasting the extra value, even if it would amount to very little right now. Seeing that Randidly didn’t appear to be moving, the Yeti roared, another two dozen or so little Yetis popping up out of the ground.

Randidly wondered where they were coming from. And as he chewed his roll, he dearly wished he had mana right now. Putting an Incendiary Bolt through the smug face of the Yeti would give him a very profound sense of satisfaction.

Still, he would work with the tools he had. His grip on the Spine-Spear tightened.

****

Lyra gazed from Kal to Constance, who was currently being given first aid by Vivian.

“After The Ghosthound ripped out his tongue and sent his insects in to eat his vocal cords,” Kal said, glaring at Lyra, “..That’s when Babi Taka struck. She already controlled a pretty large political faction, due to her skill, and so without Constance’s skill, Kraig couldn’t handle them all alone. He’s been beaten and squirreled off somewhere too. And everyday they lock us up here, and come to cut out his tongue again, before the system can heal it. Without his voice to activate the skills….”

“What skill does Babi Taka have?” Lyra asked, a kernel of wariness rising in her chest.