One With The Abyss

 

I quickly carried on into the dungeon and found that the 3rd and 4th floors were pretty normal. I even managed to learn more about the abyss on the 3rd floor.

When I entered onto the 3rd floor it was just a forest, regular trees like from Earth. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the forest, I had expected fancy colours or strange plants, but instead I was met with what looked like ash trees. Nothing special, nothing interesting.

Like that I walked around, went through the floor. Until, eventually, I came across an 'enemy'.

What I saw was a small green man, around 1 metre tall with a large hooked nose and crooked yellow teeth; bulging eyes and long, pointed ears. It looked quite horrible, and that was the least of their flaws: Even from the distance I chose to observe them from, I could smell the stench that wafted off of them. With my heightened senses it came much worse and I quickly felt my eyes watering.

The creature was small and had thin, boney hands so I felt no intimidation when going to attack. I simply ran at the creature and kicked it in the back, sending it toppling into the ground. It shrieked in pain, and to my displeasure I placed my hand on its back and copied the talent it held. When that had finished, I cut off its head and let it die. Thick, black, foul blood oozed from its neck and onto the green grass below, soiling it with its stench.

After the fight Abby told me the creature was called a Goblin, a creature native to forests who are exceptionally weak but considered a major threat to intelligent life. The cockroaches of this fantasy world, for one single reason: Their breeding habits.

The Goblin species is made up entirely of men that are able to copulate with any species, so long as it is large enough to contain it, and will always birth a minimum of 5 Goblins. So, they make up for their weakness with numbers and kidnap women of any species, even animals, and force them to birth children while they kill any male they find. These are 'Lesser Goblins' due to their lower intelligence, but their actions cause the entire goblin race to face severe discrimination; especially by women, though its fully justified.

Even 'Higher Goblin' species are quite lascivious. What matters in Goblin evolution is how they choose to evolve: They may stay unintelligent or gain the clarity to think. The ignorant gain more significant strength but the smart can curb their instincts and integrate into a society. The key physical difference between the 2 is their appearance, the smarter ones being significantly better looking, though they often never reach the beauty standards of the other races in the Fae Faction. 

So as my dungeon diving went on, for every goblin I met, the talent was copied and the goblin killed. Their mere existence felt insulting to me, so I killed them with extreme prejudice. I ridded this floor of any goblin I had seen and enjoyed watching their lustful eyes begin to flood with fear. Truly though, even if they did not have such a reputation I would have wiped them out anyway for daring to stain my eyes with filth. The goblins didn't wear any clothes, their little shrimps just sat on display, most being covered in putrid warts and pus, showing some kind of infection. It was disgusting, beyond belief.

Most goblins came in groups of 4, Abby said they were likely siblings, but they were of no consequence and I quickly dispatched them. They were honestly one of the weaker creatures I had come across, making up for it with their excessive numbers that even exceeded 10 during a few confrontations, but their talents were somewhat worth it.

Each gave me some kind of weapon specialisation, the sword, axes, spears, even bows. A majority of them handled swords or knives but they also had some with other talents; so much so I had 10 different talents incredibly quickly. I was pleased to find that all of these talents could be fused into [Soul Weapon], but none of them assisted in awakening the useless thing. Though I didn't really expect it, considering they were all level 1 talents, still now I had better control over the mantis blade I could shapeshift into.

Speaking of shapeshifting, the goblin shift was useless. They were small, lacked muscles and even their bones were incredibly weak, it felt as though even a horned rabbit could shatter their bones. If anything this floor only further showed that the dungeons order was weird if even horned rabbits were stronger than them.

The only real threat this floor provided was the possibility that I would be captured by the goblins. Despite not qualifying for the Fae faction, they still shared biology meaning they had affinity with nature. This affinity with nature not only improved their virility but also allowed for them to create some poisons that they had tried to use to incapacitate me during a few of our fights. This did keep me on edge throughout, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

The dungeon boss on the 3rd floor was different to the other 2 I had faced before this too. Rather than coming to a door that then opened into an arena to fight in, the boss merely stood in a clearing of the forest, guarding what looked to be the gate of a fortress.

The boss in front of me was a creature similar to a goblin, except larger. He stood at around 6 foot tall wearing nothing but a loincloth and a pair of fur boots, contrasting his lesser kin who just let everything hang around.

"Careful, that's a hobgoblin." Abby had said as I stared at him from behind a tree, "Much stronger and smarter than normal goblins, some are intelligent but not this one."

Abby clued me into its identity, and warned me of its superior strength; though I had already detected its higher strength from the greatsword that it wielded. I held concerns about its superior intelligence as I worried it may be able to form strategies to combat me effectively, since all of my other major enemies were simple animals given greater strength.

Still, I exited the safety of the treeline and entered what I assumed to be the arena. The moment I did the hobgoblin gave out a grunt, staring at me arrogantly with lustful eyes and licking its grotesque lips; it had clearly never met anyone that it considered an equal. My missing arm didn't really help intimidate it either though.

It stepped forward slowly, barely even considering this a fight; only to be shocked when I shot forward with a blade growing from my left arm. Its disgusting eyes bulged further and it fell backwards, narrowly avoiding a cut along its neck. 

"Graak! Graak! Graahk!" It yelled out, I couldn't understand it but someone else did as 5 goblins jumped down from the fortress walls and attempted to attack me.

1 with a sword; 1 with an axe; 1 with a spear; and 2 with bows. This pitiful attempt to kill me was quickly squashed as 3 of the goblins met a quick demise and the other 2 fell shortly after, only lagging behind due to their increased range as bow users. I scoffed at the attempt but soon felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise, my heightened senses allowing me to duck as the blunted edge of a greatsword swung, with enough speed to cave in my skull, overhead.

One hit from that and I doubt I'm getting back up.

"So that was your plan then." I mumbled, realising I had fallen for its trap. It knew the goblins wouldn't beat me and instead used them as a distraction to allow itself to regain its footing

The hobgoblin didn't give much time to reflect as its next attack came crashing down. I had stayed on my feet so I easily sidestepped it, placing my hand on the slightly muscular chest of the hobgoblin; the talent was easily copied and I pushed forward with force, creating distance between the 2 of us. 

[Gatekeeper (0/1)]

[High increase to all abilities when guarding the entrance to a residence. Gain respect of the ones you guard]

"GAHAHAHA! That's beyond useless!" Abby let out hysterical laughter at the sight of the new talent. My face was blank, I doubted I would ever actually use this talent, it was so specific that I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 

"I suppose this is how it became the boss then?" I sighed angrily. This only made Abby laugh harder at me, I made sure to keep dodging the hobgoblin who was looking around, frantically searching for the source of laughter.

She calmed down eventually after I had traded a few blows with the hobgoblin, annoyingly he had become more difficult to deal with. Not due to his strength or speed, but rather his technique; his sword moved with grace that I hadn't expected from such a large weapon, drawing arcs through the air and gradually picking up speed as it built momentum. 

If I don't stop it soon, it'll break through my defence. I had been able to parry the weapon or dodge around it thanks to the talents I had gathered, but this only served to increase the hobgoblin's speed. When I dodged, the sword kept moving; but when I parried, the hobgoblin spun to offset any recoil I had caused it. 

My best idea was shapeshifting, but I doubted I could easily achieve this, sure I had increased my proficiency with the talent, but it was nothing more than basic functions. I could barely maintain any shape that wasn't influenced by one of the monster's I had absorbed.

Ah! A revelation came to me at that point. The monsters I had copied, the slime! Surely with the malleable body of the slime I could reverse my situation.

The fight was becoming dire, with the hobgoblin constantly requesting reinforcements from the fort and its impeccable technique with the sword. So, I began shifting the stump where my right arm should have been.

With a second transformation my energy drain ramped up, but with an increased reserve it was manageable. The right arm became gooey, and so I waited, looking for a moment to strike; it came in the form of a spin. Once again I parried the large blade, no minions were present to harrass me and the hobgoblin's back was wide open. It seemed to happen in slow motion after that, from my right arm a long slimy tentacle extended; hitting itself against the back of the hobgoblin and knocking it forward slightly.

It wasn't what I had expected, sure, but it worked all the same. The boss's flow had been interrupted and so I swung with my sword hand, leaving a deep gash along the creature's back. What I wanted was to pierce through the body, or even dissolve it with acid, but it seemed I lacked a few steps in the transformation. I should have expected it really, slime would never have worked as a spear: It's too soft. On the acid front, it did some damage but only minor burns.

"Gruk! GRRRRAAUK!" As the hobgoblin fell, it let out 2 noises. One seemingly a grunt in pain, while the other reverberated through the surroundings.

"Careful! That shout was a skill!" Abby yelled out, putting me on guard. And soon I saw what the skill did.

The gate swung open, revealing more than 50 goblins running at me. Sure the hobgoblin was on its last breaths, but it looked like it wouldn't be the only one dying.

"I guess this is what it meant by 'respect'." I said, angrily.

In the few moments before the horde arrived, I drove my sword through the monster's back, feeling disgusted at its foul grin.

"But don't think I'll just die, you creeps." I said, a grin creeping along my face.

Cultivating abyssal energy had strengthened my body, but even that was nothing before the power [Abyss Vein] had granted. 

I had yet to use it on this floor, not feeling the exertion it placed on my body was worth the strength it gave only to kill mere goblins, but at that moment I saw no choice but to activate it.

I sent energy down to my feet and blasted forward like an unstoppable missile. Upon impact, the severed appendages of goblins flew into the air, a rain of black blood coating the flattened grass of the forest clearing. Energy entered both my arm and legs as a slaughter occurred, goblins were ripped to pieces by the mantis blades in the most painful manner possible and horrified screams shot up one after the other like a choir of carnage. I felt pure glee at killing these freaks, yet it did occur to me that my situation was abnormal. When had I so revelled in the suffering of others? Craved to wash in the blood of an enemy? What had happened to me that this... this slaughter was something to enjoy? And enjoy so vividly, that every other moment of my existence, prior to this, now felt so unbelievably dull.

"HAHAHA! I don't care!" I laughed, almost dancing over the corpses littering the ground, "The little monsters deserve it! They dared to cross me and now they suffer for it!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" 

The remaining goblins tried to flee, but there was nowhere left to go. The open gate offered no escape as a barrier blocked them, so one by one, I killed them all. 

Soon, around me were the remains of at least 70 goblins, slowly disappearing, yet leaving behind blood and guts, along with their drops. The floor so black that one would have to look for the green with a telescope, then the high I felt dropped and I looked around. Chunks of vomit flew out of my mouth, guts and viscera layed around me as tears dropped from my eyes.

I had done this. I had caused this. Why did I cause this?

"Its natural, you just-"

"IT'S NOT NATURAL!" I screamed, cutting Abby off, "I liked it... I loved it... Listening to their screams was... Euphoric"

"It's just you adjusti-" She tried to keep speaking, but I cut her off again.

"Why are you trying to act like this is normal?" My eyes became cold, yet fearful, as I looked down to the mouth that grew on the back of my hand. She stayed silent

"Why are you saying this is normal!?" I demanded, "WHAT ARE YOU HIDING!?"

Nothing, she stayed silent. She wouldn't answer, but I knew how to make her.

"Tia, calm down, you don't have to do this. Everything is fine"

The thing that had always made her talk, the little voice that was always there...

Don't. Don't. Stay alive. Don't die.

The voice that had always rang in my head. The voice that had been present since my birth, yet only now did I realise it was not my own.

"Tell me what I want to know... Now." My voice was subdued, trembling as a blade sat at my neck. Waiting for the command to cut.

"You don't have to do this. This is merely a side effect, give it a mome-"

"WHAT ARE YOU!" I cut in, tension was building within me.

"I'm Abby, you know me..." She finally let out an answer, but one I was far from satisfied with. So the blade dug deeper, blood beginning to flow from my neck. She panicked.

"TELL ME!" Spittle flew from my lips as my desperate pleas for answers continued. I could feel my heartbeat pumping through my head, fears running higher than they ever had before

She remained silent, but the mouth was moving slightly. She was trying to formulate words but couldn't; what the hell is she hiding.

Finally she let out a sigh, deciding on an answer:

"I am only here to help you. To keep you safe, please believe me."

"You're lying! You're trying to take over my body!?" adrenaline pumped through my body at rapid speeds, she was trying to take over my body. I'm just a puppet to her.

Over and over in my head a mantra of panic and fear erupted.

"I'm not. You are the one in control." Abby said, "Child, please I swear it. You are the champion and I am the guide, here to help you."

"You're changing how you speak again!" I yelled out, "How can I possibly trust you!?"

"I am merely an extension of your true self, a tool for you to use. One that develops to best suit your needs." She was calm, again I felt the creeping urge to trust her, "It is yours, the power belongs to you and you alone."

"You're messing with my head!" I responded, fighting the urge I had to trust her, my mind beginning to ache with confusion "How can I just believe that it's fine!?"

I was becoming more and more frantic over the changes occurring within me.

"Your emotions are just heightened, even now your fear is taking over, just as your joy was before." Abby spoke, "It's a side effect of abyssal energy, you have pure power flowing within you, it takes a toll on more than just your body."

"You hate goblins, and enjoy the feeling of power after having lacked it all your life. This manifests in the form of you taking pleasure in killing them, take a deep breath and allow the energy to disperse. Feel the adrenaline evaporate."

For the first time since killing the goblins I gave her the opportunity to speak, I listened to her and did as she asked. My body felt heavy for a moment and I could feel myself growing more tired, but I could feel something clearing, like a fog that had wafted over me.

"The use of abyssal energy comes with a price. It will overtake you if you cannot control it, you are merely feeling the side effects of this." Abby's words were comforting to hear. I felt better, I commanded the abyssal energy to move away from me, let it leave my system and my emotions stabilised.

"If you learn to control this, the power will be truly yours." I let Abby talk, her reassuring voice bringing me back from my panic. It was merely a side effect, nothing to worry about, she could be lying but I trusted her, the urge was there but in my calm I recognised the difference.

Malleca's control felt invasive, like a worm burrowing its way into my mind. But Abby's feels similar to confidence, something native.

"I'm okay now." I muttered, sitting down on the bloodied floor, "Thank you Abby.

"It's okay." Then we sat in silence for a while, eventually I felt fine again, back to myself and left the floor. Taking only what remained in the chest that had appeared, being a pair of fancy looking rings.