🙡 Chapter 6.3 🙣

The escape

One might wonder, why was I so confident that the skill would work? Have I ever used magic before? It’s hard to explain, but the moment you obtain a skill it’s a bit like asking someone if they can breathe. It’s just something you do, but when someone points it out, you get too self conscious for it to work. So a situation like this, where you are thrown into deep water, makes it easier to discover that you already have what it takes in you.

Bullshit. I had no idea it would work, but I had no other options, and my body seemingly knew what to do.

I felt a slight burning in my brain, followed by the feeling of something being drained from my heart, now beating as fast as if I was running a marathon, and finally a release. A small green ball appeared in front of me, rough and wavy like a miniature sea. And then, with a sound like that of glass armonica, it shot forward. A path of green appeared in the air filled with my life energy, until the projectile hit the scar just under my captors behind. The few snakes that were supposed to keep an eye on me panicked, when they realised something was happening, but they were too late.

> EEEK! <

I didn't need to know the language to understand that whatever the spell did, it was effective. The medusa stumbled forward, falling towards the fire, but barely avoiding it by holding onto the cauldron, which collapsed and started spilling its contents everywhere. The snakes immediately reacted, spells flying everywhere, while others just grabbed the fire mantle, trying to save their host from a bath in boiling liquid.

But I had other things to worry about—like getting out of the web. It was time for my tentacles to shine! Especially the little one that managed to avoid getting tangled. Using the “thinness” dimension of my new body was still something I was coming to grips with (I feel like I’m saying this a lot, but you know, new life), but I had no choice but to improve. “Thinner, thinner, thinner… please go through!” Squeezing as hard as I could, finally, the tip went through, after that I just had to push. I winced, as pieces of my skin got scraped off but I managed to push the whole tentacle outside- towards the nearby chopping board.. And knives.

First, I reached towards the biggest and closest cleaver, but it has quickly proven to be a mistake. It was a big thing, made of gray metal, with a well worn wooden handle—most likely used to cut bone and carapace. I was barely strong enough to move it around the table, let alone use it to cut the net. Fortunately, among all the utensils of death (your perspective on knives changes as you become one of the ingredients), there was a small, ornate paring knife. I ignored it at the beginning, since my appendage could barely reach it, but thanks to the power of suction cups, that was enough—I cusped it and “ouch!” dragged it closer. New lesson—stretching tentacles to their limit and dragging stuff with them hurts!

After but a moment of hard work, it was in front of me—and I couldn’t help but notice that it was glowing. Literally. It was especially visible now, that most of its body was covered in my shadow—the whole edge was emanating a dim white light, giving a feeling of sharpness. I was also worried about the point marker above the utensil, as it confirmed the suspicion that it should be treated with care, as it was the highest number of points I’ve seen above an object, apart from the forest warding stones.

> Shit! Ouch ouch ouch ouch! < No more than five seconds have passed since I used the spell, and the girl was still dealing with the aftermath—I got lucky, during her fall the concoction from the cauldron must have gotten into her eyes—but I didn’t believe I had more than a few seconds before she would come to get her revenge.

I tried my best first to rotate the knife —making sure not to touch its edge— and cut the net, but I just couldn’t muster enough strength with the tentacle being this thin. I tried spreading the hole with the surrounding tentacles, but it would barely budge. Fuck it , MOVE! I HAVE NO TIME! Not caring for the consequences, I put more strength into the appendage—It thickened to nearly twice its size, and I could finally move the knife. But the net didn’t give, instead cutting through my flesh, blood now dripping along its dark-wires. Thank whatever gods that put me here that adrenaline seemed to exist in this world as well, I will have time for pain later.

Finally in position, I started cutting the net surrounding my lower tentacles—the magical net just evaporating with a sizzling sound the moment the magical blade touched it! And now that I could operate it using my full-strength without worrying about hurting myself, it was only a matter of time before I would be free. Time, which I didn’t have. As I was still half stuck inside the net, I could feel something coming my way. I turned around, while moving my hundred arms to protect my face—and with these arms came the knife still attached to my suction cups.

One of the snakes, seemingly hungry for takoyaki, sent a fire spell coming my way! Unlike the net, its contact with the knife was explosive—the heat scalded my arms, but the fiery ball disappeared like a firework, with sparks flying all around after reaching the blade. The black snake hissed at me in dissatisfaction, as other snakes looked unsure as to whether they should attack me, try to help their owner, who was washing their eyes, or do something about the furniture and books catching fire from all the sparks the fireball released.

But I’m not going to wait for them to make their decision! The moment I was free enough to move, I just split! Unlike a normal net, this one was sticking to me even when it was torn in multiple spots, but I can worry about this later! And the fire? Not my problem!

Looking even more perverted than usual, a tentacle monster now covered in torn net stockings, I ran towards the closest way out of this crazy laboratory—a small chimney, just above one of the tables. I ran towards it, a sight surely disgusting enough to make a grown man cry, and climbed up, up towards freedom! Being surrounded by walls on all sides makes movement surprisingly easy in my new body… could it be that my race normally lives in this type of tight caves?

I could feel sharp pain every time my now profusely bleeding tentacle rubbed the rough stone, but I still moved forward, towards light! Towards freedom! Towards…Pop!

Like a half popped balloon, my head was out in the open air. I was sticking out of a chimney, on a roof covered with older wooden tiles, on a 2 storey house, in the middle of a bustling town, maybe even a city. Around me multiple similar houses, I could see a dozen row houses nearby, giving the general vibe of a densely populated early renaissance town. As it was around noon, the streets were full of people.. Or rather beasts walking through the streets, some wearing all kinds of clothes and armor, while others completely naked. Even air was not free of traffic, as I could see a giant mortar being pulled forward by a flying seahorse.

The fantastical beauty of this scene, was wasted on me unfortunately, as something else demanded my attention. As I trashed around, trying to squeeze my fat ass out of the chimney, I heard a loud “Booop!”. Turning around, I saw a bunch of birds, standing together on the edge of the roof, also looking at the city. Among them was a bird that I swore looked familiar. And, judging by its punchable grin, it seems to have also recognised me.

Did it.. Did it just smack it’s beak? And is that spit dropping down on its chin? As he and his companions started approaching my struggling form—but the remnants of the net got entangled in metal rods sticking out of the chimney!

> My shadow feast on my blood, thrive and do my will! <

As the flock-fellows were moving towards me, clapping their beaks, I heard a shout from below. Suddenly the remnants of the net still around me grew, this time not even a net but like a snake of shadow, popped out of the top of the chimney above me, literally scaring the shit out of the bird-gang, and swallowed me whole.