One With The Abyss

After the 4th floor I took a moment to wash off, and even though I found myself unable to further cultivate abyssal energy I still used it as a means to heal the injuries I had acquired, gaining even more scars along my back and sides.

After my healing and washing I took the time to look over my spoils from the previous floors, finding my rewards pretty good.

[Magic Goblin Eye]

[The eye of a goblin imbued with stronger mana. More suitable as an alchemy ingredient]

[Shaman's Staff]

[Reduces casting speed of spells by 15%. +10% Strength when using dark-aligned spells]

[Healing potion]

[Heals a set amount of health when drunk]

The healing potions were the most appreciated, having no magic or alchemical ability I had no need for the other items, but I was getting injured quite frequently so the potions would be incredibly useful. I also took the opportunity to look at the magic crystals I had been getting from monsters and realised that what I was calling them was technically not right.

[Mana Stone]

[Stone that produces mana. Can be used as a catalyst for spell or as a material to manufacture magic items]

"Huh, seems useful. Too bad I can't make magic items." I sighed, emptying my bag and getting ready to take on the deeper floors. I found myself not needing sleep as meditation was enough to energise me, truly this process had many uses.

And so I descended, one floor after the other. Gathering treasures and talents as I went.

The 5th, 6th and 7th floors were fairly easy to clear and came in varying levels of 'fun'. Having no real challenge beyond the bosses themselves; the 5th was an ancient ruin, filled to the brim with skeletons carrying a myriad of weapons. It was truly a sight that could drive a man mad, the most magnificent ruins I had ever seen laid before me and I couldn't stop for a moment as hordes of boney freaks descended upon me one after another. The structures that sat deep within this dungeon were encased in a cavern and would put both Greek and Roman architects to shame with its design.

An archeologist would give up their very souls for the opportunity to study the civilisation that could have built such a magnificent display. Unfortunately that same civilisation was present, yet unable to talk as their dead eyes and empty chests swung to extinguish the life that had come to interfere in their eternal rest. From the mob, skeletons I gained a single talent, there was no difference between archer and swordsmen, tank and assassin as I gained only a single, but useful ability:

[Life Sight (0/3)]

[See the life energy present in every being]

It was an ability that existed both as passive and active, allowing me to activate it at will with no energy cost. However, I had only 1 opportunity to see life energy as undead had no life to see and the talent underwent an evolution soon after.

The shapeshifting was also weird, as my body didn't grow but dissolve as I wished to become like them. It even hurt as my flesh melted from my arms, leaving a horrible scar along my arm where I had attempted it.

The boss of the 5th floor was strange as it did not follow the pattern other floors had, simply put it was not a skeleton. 

Inside the boss chamber was a disgusting mass of pulsating, black flesh; covered in wide, toothy mouths that seemed as if they would shred anything apart if they were to approach. I felt disgusted looking at it but also thought it best to know my enemies and used appraisal to see what exactly it was:

[Soul Feeder]

[A creature born from the greed of man. When hubris extends beyond itself a soul feeder is formed and worlds are devoured by its endless hunger]

[Status: Ravenous Hunger<Warning: Extremely Dangerous>]

Abby had never even heard of such a monster, yet the warning put me on instant alert as no other creature had displayed such a feature, not even the shaman when it was being possessed. While it did gain a status, being possessed, it still did not gain a warning for me to beware as the soul feeder did.

The fight was incredibly difficult, not due to its power but instead the fatigue it built up. Its initial attack failed as I felt some kind of suction force, yet nothing occurred. Judging from its name I guessed it was trying to steal my soul and Abby agreed, fortunately my soul was tethered to the abyss and was mostly safe.

It was not safe from what came next as tentacles extended from the flesh and with every attack I felt myself becoming slower and weaker. contact seemed to greatly weaken me due to some kind of power the beast held, so I did not dare hold back, especially when Abby warned me of its danger.

She explained that each of its attacks 'softened' my soul, like how a butcher would tenderise meat in order for the Soul Feeder to quickly finish me off.

So while being one of the more difficult boss fights I did kill it quite quickly, not willing to risk losing my soul. Thankfully, the constant touching was enough for me to gain the talent; Abby said it was likely weakened.

"That 'ravenous hunger' status probably weakened it." She had told me after I moved to open the chest.

"If that's true, why was I given a warning?" I asked, thinking I had bested her.

"2 reasons: First, it attacked the soul. Second, a cornered beast is often the most dangerous." She bragged, causing me to sulk slightly.

I had defeated the monster, not by cutting apart its attacking tentacles but by piercing through a 'heart' it had hidden behind a mass of flesh. This was the only beast I had used [Life Sight] on, it hadn't helped as the entire beast gave off energy signals along its disgusting body, it was only when I had copied the monster's talent that I gained the insight needed to defeat it.

The talent evolved and the life energy disappeared, replaced by a single dull glowing point behind the mass of flesh I cut through. What I saw was a crystal in the image of a heart, when pierced the entire monster turned to dust, leaving only the cracked crystal behind.

[Damaged Soul Container]

[A failed product, now damaged by a brave hero. If repaired it may be able to be fixed]

I decided to ignore the beast and took at the skill and items I had received (from the boss and chest)

[Soul Sight (0/5)]

[Able to see the souls of other beings]

[Grimonian Steel Sword]

[An intricate and sturdy sword, crafted using the technology and intelligence of a fallen country]

The sword was beautiful, with engraved lines depicting vines along both sides and incredibly light, yet held a dangerous ability with its extremely sharp and durable edge. The talent put me over the moon, it was came as one of my existing talents evolved showing clearly that it was powerful. Abby believed it would hold a similar place as [Exalted Physique] and recommended I fuse all my sensory abilities, when I got them, with it as sensing a soul was incredibly difficult for most people.

The 5th floor, like the 3rd and 4th, displayed a story and I greatly enjoyed both the experience and the rewards from clearing it.

The 5th floor, from what I gathered, was a powerful city known as Grimonia that collapsed as one of its citizens attempted to defy nature and live forever. Ending up as a horrid beast that destroyed everything that once was, explaining the lack of souls in any of the skeletons who roamed the ruins - as I had taken a moment to check for anything later, after Abby told undead, do in-fact have souls.

After I took a moment to cultivate and heal my soul, gathering the abyssal energy I had lost due to the Soul Feeder's attacks, I entered the 6th floor.

The 6th floor was much more normal. It was a simple hack and slash through a group of enemies, with nothing to marvel at. No great sights, no disgusting enemies, just small lizard-like men prowling through what looked like a canyon. Until the end at least.

[Lower Kobolds]

[Blessed beasts who have squandered their ancestry. Now they prowl and hunt, nothing more than animals]

Abby told me that kobolds supposedly had dragon blood, the appraisal seemed to agree even if the 'lower kobolds' had 'squandered' this. It was simple killing and I mostly gained abilities that went straight into [Exalted Physique], which was weird since I mostly just gained [Tough Scales] from the monsters and yet all it did was increase the defence of my skin slightly. However, as only a level 3 talent, [Exalted Physique] did not gain an increase in potential.

I took a moment to ask about the (Incomplete) part of the talent, but Abby said that no record of it having ever occurred before existed so she didn't know.

"Though... If I were to take a guess..." She eventually spoke, while I was killing more kobolds, "It may have a max potential and will become 'complete' when it reaches that point."

"When do you think that will be?" I asked, cutting another kobold in half, my mantis blade now being stronger. 

(I was unable to use the Grimonian sword as it threw off my balance since I only had 1 arm, despite how light it was)

"Don't know, but from the description it's a pretty powerful talent." She said casually, neither of us taking the kobold threat that seriously, "Maybe an 8 or 9."

"Mmm. That's pretty good." I mumbled, making my way deeper into the canyon.

As I did I found that the unintelligent kobolds were much more organised, like an army of sorts. It was a peculiar sight from a race that should have been idiots, and that they were as when they saw me the meagre formation they held dissolved and they charged at me.

This trend continued until I reached a gate, blocking anyone from pressing further into the canyon: The boss room.

I pushed the door open and saw a larger kobold sat on a throne of bones, I found it rather gaudy. At its sides were 2 kobolds, I inspected all 3 and found that the 2 by its side were the same while the enthroned monster was abnormal; again displaying a deeper story within the dungeon.

[False Kobold Royal Guard]

[An above average lower kobold masquerading as a royal guard]

[False Kobold King]

[A Kobold banished from its tribe. Now it commands an army of its inferiors as their king. It has long forgotten its true standing]

"Why the hell is there such deep lore in this dungeon?" I mumbled, taking a step deeper into the arena. Abby chuckled slightly.

The false king looked up, and with an expression that I thought resembled disdain it let out a small hissing sound. The 2 lower kobold stepped forward to fight me, but that wasn't what it was.

I simply copied their talents and killed them, neither being especially strong despite being above average among lower kobolds. Before I could get a look at the talent I was interrupted by a shrieking, the 'king' was greatly enraged and threw the crude chalice at me. As it flew by I smelt a familiar scent pass me as I tilted out of the danger.

Kobold blood... I thought, feeling nothing but disgust. This thing eats its own kind, its as bad as them.

Memories of my abandonment flashed in my mind, rage engulfing me. It was only Abby's words that brought me back, feeling the abyssal energy swirling within me. I had not yet fully assimilated and was suffering backlash.

I breathed to calm myself and engaged the disgusting monster in front of me, it was not a difficult fight.

The 'king' was arrogant and never once took a small, disabled girl seriously. As a result it met its end at my blade with eyes full, not of fear, but disbelief. Like it was coming to realise its own weakness; or perhaps remembering it.

I didn't want the drops from that thing and ignored what it gave, some scales and a mana stone, but nothing of real value and instead took what was inside the chest. Using appraise as I exited the floor and looking at the 2 talents.

[Chieftain's Gems]

[Gems stolen from the Twin Drake kobold clan. If returned you may be greatly rewarded]

[Acting (0/2)] (Author // Royal Guard talent)

[Improves ability to fit roles you are not typically suited to]

[Sham Royalty (0/2)] (Author // King talent

[Easily fit into leadership roles. Increases charisma when acting as a leader]

The gem seemed useless for the time being so I threw it onto the pile of treasure I had been gathering, bringing them up each floor as I went, and the skills seemed focused on leading. So, I decided to fuse them, gaining:

[Charismatic leader (0/2)]

[Easily fit into leader positions. Seems more trustworthy to others. Increases charisma]

"What a bonus." I laughed, thinking I could now actually hold a conversation thanks to this after years of abuse and neglect.

"I doubt it'll work that well." Abby chuckled and we headed onto the next floor.

The seventh floor repeated the pattern of displaying some kind of story. What sat on this floor was a modern shopping centre, overrun with plants. I was most shocked to see a sight I had expected to never see again, shops and places that couldn't possibly exist in what I had thought was a mediaeval fantasy world.

"It is... This is abnormal." Abby added in, reciprocating my confusion.

"So this kind of place isn't in Arcadia or Gehenna?" I asked, being cautious of any enemies.

"Not to my knowledge, no." After that we were silent, nothing more to say about the impossible sight in front of us and I carried on with my dungeon conquest.

I soon found my first enemy and it left me shocked, I didn't know what to do, I just looked on and for the first time since the ogres I felt real fear (excluding the backlash from using abyssal energy).

[Bloom]

[When you fight nature, nature fights back]

What was in front of me was a rotten human corpse, from which plant life was growing. The dull look of their eyes horribly contrast the vibrant greens and yellows of the flower. I had yet to fight an enemy that reminded me so much of humanity, sure the kobolds and goblins were smart, and sure the skeletons were probably once human, but now... I was face to face with a real human.

Even if it was just the shell of one, I still felt myself draw back at the sight.

Am I scared? I wondered, scared to kill a person?

A conflicting feeling rose up within me. I was so desperate for revenge, yet when faced with a humanoid monster I couldn't do it.

"It's okay." I said to myself, "This is just a monster."

"No." Abby interjected, "That's wrong. In this world only the strong can survive; and for you to survive you're going to have to kill. Kill real people, real humans who have no real connection to you."

I shuddered at the thought, but came to the conclusion she was right. I wanted so desperately to kill my class, to kill that mage and the king, but I would have to defeat an entire army before I even got the chance to get close.

"I can do it!" I said, resolving myself. Unfortunately, I was a bit loud and the bloom noticed me, it was slow so I had time to attack.

I didn't want to get close to that thing, it looked infectious so I used my extra time to come up with a plan. What I came up with resulted in a level increase for [Shapeshifting], putting it at level 5; more than halfway to the top.

From my hand a long black tentacle extended, the soul feeder's, it grasped around the bloom and from it I copied the talent. It wasn't hard so when the copying was done I achieved what I wanted, the bloom was cut into pieces as the inside sections of the tentacles restricting the monster became covered with mantis blades, creating a mess on the floor of parts. This was the first time I had been able to combine 2 monster parts together and as a result I gained a level.

The bloom didn't actually die, and I had been shocked to see the flesh reforming ar0und the flower that had sprouted from the zombie's head. Realising their weakness I turned the tentacle on the flower and the bloom stayed dead. Being a bit of a hypochondriac I didn't want to simply undo the transformation as that may cause me to be infected with these plant things, instead I came up with a safe, but painful way.

I shapeshifted the parts of the tentacle that had touched the plant monster into a skeleton. The tentacles, which lacked any bones, simply dissolved into nothing and then I undid my transformation, no longer fearing infection.

This was how I defeated all the blooms I came across, and each gave up the same talent:

[Vine Growth (0/5)]

[Grow and extend vines at will. Able to change aspects of the vine with extra cost]

"An active skill." I said, allowing 5 vines to grow from the tips of my fingers, I soon learned this talent could fuse with [Shapeshifting] and quickly decided to let it.

The thing with the bloom's was that the vines and foliage that covered their host weren't actually their body, rather just the flowers that bloomed on the host's heads were. So, when I tried shapeshifting into them, all I got were various colourful flowers growing from me. Now however, I could also shapeshift into vines, but only from the plants I had copied.

"I wonder, if I went back to another floor and used my talent on, like a tree, if I could turn into wood?" I mumbled, mostly to myself, but Abby decided to answer.

"Likely, you would be able to. But soon enough you will get talents to do that anyway, so why bother really." Her words kind of put out the curious flame this new information had lit inside me so I went back to silently viewing the 7th floor.

For the most part I quickly cleared the 7th floor, fearing prolonged exposure to this floor would lead to me being infected, but still took the time to look around at the signs on the shops, where they weren't covered up with plants that is.

At the very least I could tell this was not Earth. It may have simply been a language I was unfamiliar with, but it seemed far too alien for that to be the case. What I did learn however, was that this and Earth's society were shockingly similar. Symbols I recognised, or ones so similar I could understand littered the shops and signs around me, it was quite freaky how much thought every floor besides the first 2 I had cleared displayed.

It even got me wondering if I had simply missed the purpose of the 1st and 2nd floors, if I had missed the story behind their conception.

However, despite my thirst to explore, I felt more fear over becoming a plant zombie and progressed quickly.

The boss was located in what looked like a food court; around me were tens of tables with corpses covering them. Right at the end of the hall was a giant corpse flower (Author // real flower, creepy looking as well) growing out of the tiled floor. 

[Blossom]

[Greater Bloom. Natures greatest warrior, humanity's greatest fear]

As soon as I stepped into the room the boss reacted, faster than any other boss I had faced, as vines extended from the ground and impaled themselves into the petrified human corpses that littered the food court. I felt a wave of disgust watching it, which only heightened as each of the vines bulged and quickly deflated, pumping something into the corpses; soon every single corpse was a bright and vibrant display of plant life.

I had been rendered still, shocked by the sight before me as almost a hundred monsters rushed at me, at the very least the risk of infection was dropped in my mind as what had transformed them was whatever the blossom had pumped into them.

So, I set off, regaining my focus and began cutting down the zombies. But, even when I destroyed the flowers it did nothing.

The blossom fight was the hardest of all 3 floors I faced by that point, as I was forced to attack with balded tentacles and not my mantis sword, not due to fear, but necessity as I risked being overwhelmed.

I pushed myself to the limits in that fight, extending even more tentacles from my arms as I cut down zombie after zombie. The only saving grace was that these creatures counted as the boss itself, allowing me to copy its talent pretty quickly. I couldn't check it at the time but I soon found the blossom's weakness.

By sheer luck I missed the headshot and cut through the vine connected to the zombie, and watched, shocked as the corpse fell to the floor; returning to its petrified state. Before I was forced to cut down each of their limbs to immobilise them, before turning to others while still needing to mind any vine attacks from their disabled bodies.

I had begun to feel my energy draining so finding their weakness was perfect. Soon enough it  was just me and the plant, it flailed its severed parts around, green goo falling from it (which I made sure to avoid) before cutting the flower into pieces, resulting in the end of the longest boss fight I had since the beginning of the dungeon; despite this being the weakest of all the bosses individually

This was another monster I didn't feel comfortable taking drops from, I hadn't eaten since the kobold floor so felt tempted when I saw a jar of what looked like honey, but remained strong as I went over to the chest that had appeared.

There were 2 items that I appraised, one big and one small:

[Bloom Mead]

[Humanity lives on, and in adversity they innovate. Bloom sap, refined into safe and delicious mead. Drinking grants immunity to bloom pollen]

[<Clean> Spell Scroll]

[By tearing allows user to learn the <Clean> spell]

"Dammit" One item was completely useless, the other was highly valuable, resulting in me drinking some immediately - just in case - but I took both anyway.

As I walked through the exit I looked at my talent, a little annoyed at what I had gotten:

[Vine Growth (0/5)]

I simply put it into [Shapeshifting] and rested before trying the next floor.