Chapter 27

Snake Report: Day Twenty-one

I have made a terrible error.

Despite my best efforts to remedy this, I am growing concerned.

"[Voice of Gaia]: Show me my abilities."

[Level 31]

[TITLE: DIVINE BEAST, LEVIATHAN]

[BRANCH: Magic essence]

[UNIQUE TRAITS:]

[Toxic] - Toxic Flesh. Dangerous is consumed. [Omnivore] - Capable of eating non-monster food-stuffs. [Affinity of Flame] - Bonded to the Element. [Legendary] - A rare being. Not often seen, known only to Legend.

[STATUS: AFFLICTED]

[MANA-BURN] - Magic exceeding capacity. Damage inflicted.

[RESISTANCES]

[Poison resistance: Rank X] [Fire resistance: Rank II] - Affinity* [Mana resistance: Rank V]

[Skills]

[Healing:] [Passive Healing V] - Automatically being to recover from injuries. Mana drained as a result. [Heal I] - Third rank of healing. [Flame element] - Affinity* [Leviathan breath I] - Rare ability. Advanced variation of [Flame Breath] [Fireball II] - A launched ball of flame. [Earth element] [Earth Molding I] - Second rank of [Earth Manipulation] [Water element] [Water Manipulation I] - Ability to actively mold and shape water. [Knowledge element] [Voice of Gaia II] - Knowledge embodiment [Divine element] [None] - None

Maybe that will explain a little.

Well, in more ways than one, it should explain. More details at the very least.

I messed up. This is worse than the Mushrooms. It's a different kind of pain.

Imagine you ate something very spicy. It's a lot like that, only in every inch of my body. From the tip of my tail, to my snout, I am filled with a burning sensation.

"[Voice of Gaia]: What is that Giant Skeleton?"

"[Veel'Osa, Lord of the Damned]"

"[Voice of Gaia]: Who is Veel'Osa?"

"[Veel'Osa, Lord of the Damned] is the cursed and Ancient Prince of the [First Men]"

"[Voice of Gaia]: What are the First Men?"

"[First Men] are ancient beings of Magic and intelligence. They are thought to be extinct."

Questions- lots of questions. You might have noticed and begun wondering: What happened to the previous suggested caution for these things? Wasn't this dangerous?

Past tense? Yes.

Present tense? No.

The [Voice of Gaia] uses a lot of mana, and all I have to do is ask a question.

Ask a question, the magic will answer. Simple and easy.

But by a lot of mana, I mean using it three or four times normally would just empty my reserves and I'd probably pass out from some sort of mana deficit.

A quick and brutal K.O like some professional boxer snuck up on me.

Normally.

Obviously that's not working right now. The magic is still taking a ton of mana, but I'm not running out. In fact, my reserve tank of magic is brimmed to overflow. By the time I've asked one question, I need to ask another or the pain is back.

"[Voice of Gaia]: Where are we?"

"[Deep Dungeon]: A level in the Dungeon network which rests below the Bed-rock of the surface world."

Hissss...

So, I ask a question. I get an answer. Not always the most useful answer, not always the most useful question. I've gotten past the point of really thinking too heavily on my queries. I haven't been able to sleep because the moment I stop using magic, I start to burn.

Like, dying at an accelerated pace kind of "Burn."

I tried to combat this with Earth Magic, with healing, but I've come back down to this. Currently in my mentally exhausted state, after carving out another dozen feet of stone, turning the entire camp Big-foot into a human-sized bunker, and casting heal more times than I can count: It's the only thing keeping me alive.

I'm too tired to do anything else.

The sensation is similar to drinking an entire pot of coffee after an all-nighter.

I'm miserable. Everything hurts. I'm exhausted.

"[Voice of Gaia]: What is a Divine Element?"

"[Divine Element]: An element of divinity."

That's the most non-answer I think I've gotten yet. Even after it ranked up once, it still doesn't provide all that much in the way of details.

"[Voice of Gaia]: What is a an element of divinity?"

"A [Divine Element]"

Well. that's useless.

Oh, I hate everything.

I really do. Everything but the Tiny-Snake-God and his two faithful Frog Prophets. The rest of this world can go to hell. This is too difficult. It hurts so bad, I feel like I'm about to experience spontaneously-combustion.

[Mana resistance: Rank VI] [Passive Healing VI] [Voice of Gaia III]

Hissssssssss... Hysterical.

I am being mocked, I think.

[LEVEL UP]

Yes. I am being mocked. This is hell.