《A Fungal Dream》Chapter 9. Children.
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Angela POV:
After we prepared, the group of knights and me, descended to the sewers. We brought with us several holy magicians and flame bombs, but for safety’s sake, we also had several different magic bombs in case the information that guy gave us was false.
As we headed deeper, we saw fewer and fewer rats, which was strange considering that their breading days were around the corner.
Is there something that killing the rats faster than they can reproduce? This is worrisome.
“Captain, we are reaching the destination.”
“Alright.” I unsheathed my two swords and turned to my part members. “ we don’t know what is waiting for us there. Be prepared to run away if it seems too risky. “
The knights nodded and we continued moving together.
Once we turned around the corner, we found ourselves in an alien landscape.
The tunnel became covered in a green mold-like substance, with several vine-like appendages hanging from the ceiling. At the bottom of it a thin black cloud was floating, spores that covered anything that touched it.
Th-This is worse than I thought. No wonder he brought us here, if this thing gets up to the surface, people will be massacred.
“Prepare the bombs! Burn this shit down!”
As I said that, several round bombs flew over my head, crashing into the thing.
Soon, flames rose from the moldy construct, followed by a deadly shriek.
Something is in that thing.
As the flame roes, something crawled out from it.
It was hideous beyond word, a grotesque parody of moldy flesh and bones. It looked like a human, but it walked on its all four, its limbs lengthened to its limit, its head was nothing more than a row of teeth, made from tinny ribs belonging from small creatures.
On its back, several tentacles were wiggling each ending in a harpoon-like bone.
The creature lifted its ugly head and shrieked in an ear-piercing voice. As it did that, several small holes opened all over its body, releasing a big amount of black smoke.
“Run! Everybody run!”
While the others escaped, I brandished my sword and prepared myself.
The monster stopped exuding the spores and while still shrieking it jumped towards me.
I quickly jump backward, dogging its claws, and by twisting my body, I evaded the tentacles that came towards me.
“Holy Sword Slashes!”
Channeling some mana into my swords I cut the slowest of tentacles off, making the bastard scream. From the wounds, a sticky, black blood poured out, probably full of the spores.
This thing is a walking disease. If it gets out, who knows what it might do!
As the monster screamed, a thick black cloud emerged from its throat, floating towards me.
“Not today, you fucker!”
Grabbing a flame bomb which I prepared in advance, I threw it into the open mouth of the beast.
On contact, the bomb, exploded in the mouth of the monster, covering its ugly body in flames.
As the monster shrieked while it was hitting itself to stop the burning, I ran away at full speed.
This was a death trap! He must have known that something like this was here! I will find him and kill him!
Boom!
Not paying attention I was hit by something, making me crash into the wall left to me.
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It was another of those creatures, but this was more muscular, with a single tail-like tentacle on its back.
The bastard was hanging on the ceiling, smiling at me with its sharp teeth.
“You think this is funny? Then you will laugh your ass off by this! Holy Pierce!”
By covering one of my swords in my energy I pierced the thing on its shoulder.
Sadly, the wound was too shallow, the monster didn’t seem to be fazed by it. Wiggling its tail, it attacked again, this time I managed to push it away, albite barely, since that thing was also made from muscle!
What the hell is this thing been snacking on?!
“Die already!”
Using the last of my bombs, I threw it at the monster.
The beast easily evaded it by jumping down on the ground. The bomb exploded not far behind it, lighting up the tunnels a little bit.
No other choice.
Preparing the most taxing magic in my arsenal I throw myself on the monster.
The beast reacted by making a strange laughing sound as its tail moved towards me. Not being able to doge it entirely I allowed it to pierce my side, counting on my reduced sense of pain to allow me to do what I was planning to do.
Using the tail in me, I slide near the monster, planting my swords into the monster’s head.
“Holy Wind Combustion!”
I always was bad at using elements other than fire even though I had the skill for them especially when it came to fire, so when it came for me to use it, I always had to do it a roundabout way.
When the sword, stabbed the monster's head, I heated the metal up as much as I could. Then using a strong amount of wind to fuel the weak flames, I made it bigger, till it could be called a proper fire attack.
The strength was so great that it made me loos my swords, by pushing me away but that was fine.
I …need to get away… need to heal.
While I was running away, not carrying about the pain coming from the gaping wound in my abdomen, the Words of The World formed in my head, saying their holy words to me.
[Child of man, you have been noticed by several gods for your past exploits and future hardships.]
[Your lifespan been extended by 10 days.]
[You received the blessing of the [Goddess of the Winds]]
[You received a holy name, which the world shall know by.]
[Your new name is [Windspeed Angela]]
*****
Unknown to her, as she ran several, small, molded flesh monsters followed her behind on the walls and ceiling, observing her, not with the intelligence of an animal but that of something intelligent.
*****
It combusted.
I threw the burned sample into the garbage -barrel and cleaned the Petri dish with a piece of clothing.
Once I was done, I grabbed the feather, dipped its end in the ink bottle next to it, and wrote it into my journal.
Subject 006 reacted as expected, maybe it burned a little bit too bright. Possible usage of fuel.
I looked at the several pieces of equipment laying before me, begging me to use them.
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After the sunset, I did some shopping (read: mugging), in the nearby shops, profiting from the midnight sails (read: he mugged them. Took even the money from the registers).
Now, I possessed various materials, books, a ton of money, and a new set of cloth. I got them from the same shop I robbed for the first time, taking several sets with me. Also, and for that, I was very grateful, I found a white coat which fitted me perfectly!
True it was in the noble section of the shop, but it was perfect for the usage I was planning for it. Plus, I was missing my lab coat very much. It’s something that I thought I wouldn’t mind not having, but it just felt wrong not wearing it.
As I cut another small sample of my arm onto the container, I grabbed a potato, turned it into a bomb, and ate the small light which emerged from it.
This was sort of my midday snack.
Being a monster who doesn’t feel hunger, eating something like this somehow made me feel a tiny bit more human.
Once the warm feeling passed through me, I stood up and grabbed a bottle containing a green liquid.
Let’s see what this does!
Gently I poured a little bit onto the mold, curious of what it will do.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Soon as the liquid touched the sample, it rapidly started to grow, even forming those vine-like appendages I have seen in the sewers.
Fascinating! How much nutrients those this thing contains?!
I checked the label on the glass as I write my notes.
Mid-healing potion. Obviously, there are healing potions in this fantasy world! I wonder what this thing is made of. Those it needs every ingredient or some of its parts are enough for the mold to grow? How much can I grow this thing with this stuff?
Fueled by curiosity, I placed the sample in an empty flowerpot I bought ( stole) for a sale ( broke the window to get it) at the furthest part of the room and bathed it in the potion.
Soon the little guy started to grow and grow, the thing becoming a real-life plant coming out from somebody’s nightmare. Several green tentacles wiggling in a pot with their surface covered in black blisters, it just looked horrible.
Damn, I created a monster.
While I was laughing at myself, I casually threw a potato at it.
Probably sensing the air moving around it, it extended its tentacles to grab, and drag the vegetable into its pot.
It's like a pet. A pet born from my body but a pet.
As I turned away from it the words of the system formed in my head.
[Congratulation]
[You tamed monster: [Lesser Mold Being]]
[Your state screen been expended]
[You are now able to see the number of monsters under you.]
[Current number: [1] ]
I did what with who?
I looked at the creature closer, noticing that its tentacles weren’t moving as fast as before.
Did I tame a monster with… a potato? Are potatoes in this world magical or something? I will stock up on this shit! Potatoes for days baby!
Curious about what would happen, I touched one of its tentacles with my index finger.
The tentacle immediately wrapped around it, but it wasn’t strong or painful, it even reminded me of a handshake.
Cute…WAIT a minute! Do I have a brain injury!? Why am I considering a vase full of tentacles CUTE! Those my preferences changed with my race?! No, I don’t want to fall in love with some sort of gross monster! I refuse! If I fall in love, then it will be with a cute girl, or elf, or beast women or… or anything that looks like a cute woman! No, stop me, don’t go insane because of this! For now, just check your status now to see what changed. STATUS!
[
Name: Unknown.
Race: [Low Molded Chimera Skeleton] Lv: 10/70 (20/60)
Main Class: [Life Scholar]
Sub Class: [Runner]
HP(Health Points): 60/60
SP(Stamina Points): 70
MP(Magic Points): 20/20
TMN (Tamed Monster Numbers): 1
Blessings: [Blessing of Nergal]
Active Skills: [Basic Steady Hand] [Basic Fast Eye]
Passive Skills: [Basic Body Knowledge] [Basic Plant Knowledge] [Basic Medicine Knowledge] [Basic Stamina Enhancement] [Basic Movement Enhancement] [Basic Reflex Enhancement.] [Basic Sponge Mind
Affinities: [Basic Framing Affinity] [Basic War Affinity] [Basic Pestilence Affinity][ Basic Fire Affinity.] [Basic Life Affinity] [Basic Death Affinity]
Titles: [The One Who Saw A Thousand Worlds] [Knowledge Driven] [Chosen by Flies]
]
Nothing changed or it’s so minor that I can’t notice it. God, having a compare function would be great.
I stopped for a second, then grabbed my book and started to write in it.
This is perfect. Now once I level up or get a new skill, I can keep a record about them and write down what were the requirements to get them. Maybe in the future, I can use the same method on others to help them get the same skills as I did. Yes, and speaking about skills, it's high time I start getting some myself.
Once I was done writing, I walked to the round table filled with books and took the top one, titled “Basic Four elemental Magic Practices. Vol 1.’
It's time to do some magic.
*****
??? POV:
In a back alley, a small person covered in a thick bundle of clothes was sleeping peacefully. next to him was a half-opened sewer tile, releasing some hot steam to keep him warm.
After a while, something crawled out from it.
It was a rat, its pelt dirty and wet, with an ugly wound on its face, which was infected by a green mold. Once the rat escaped it squalled in a tinny voice, signaling something below it.
Soon a small wave of rats emerged from the sewers, scattering all around the area, not waking up the sleeping person near them.
After the last rat disappeared, something big and muscular, pushed the sewer till away, allowing it to climb up to the surface.
This monster seemed more human than the others, possessing cloth and a human face, but other than that, it was still a mass of flesh controlled by the mold.
As the monster opened its mouth a thin line of black smoke escaped its mouth, which was carried away by the wind.
“…F-Fa- Father…Whe…Where?”
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