《Rising of the Battlecook》Endless Pasta Rock 2019
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The crowd cheered as Katsumi stepped out to the arena.
– Huh? Is that for me?
She struck a few poses copied from famous anime, but the crowd didn't really seem to care. As she looked up, the reason for their excitement became clear.
There he was. Liatris, dressed up as a viking, slowly descending into the arena while singing at the top of his lungs. Small baby angels circled around him, playing various musical instruments such as the harp, lyre and bells. Golden petals rained from their back and bright lights illuminated the majestic opera master.
– Hey, fuckface! – Katsumi shouted. – You want a beating on the ground or should I bring a ladder?
Liatris frowned, but didn't stop his staccato. He descended to the other side of the arena, hitting the final note as his toes touched the ground. The angels disappeared as his fabulous performance was met by roses and a standing ovation.
– What the hell did I just watch? And where are these flowers coming from?
– Jealous? Where are your fans, pretty lady? Oh wait, you don't have none!
– Tsh! We're in the arena of a murderous tribe. Is not getting cheered on really such a bad thing? Anyways, hope you had fun with that performance, because it's the last you'll ever give!
– So eager…
The ground began to shake and Katsumi fell. Her knife slashed through the air as she readied for an attack. But nothing happened. The ground violently shook, yet no enemy came.
Liatris patted his beard.
– You can still crawl here and kiss my feet. I might just forgive your sins.
– You'll be the one to kiss my feet when I stomp it through your fucking skull!
Katsumi quickly stood up and charged the man. As she did, obelisks rose from the ground. Dust rained on her head as they reached to the skies, far-far above Katsumi.
Before she could consciously react, she found herself in a maze of stone.
– W-What?
– Just so we're on the same page – Liatris yelled from the other side –, you brought this upon yourself!
Filled with killing intent, Katsumi rushed through the maze, looking to the ceiling to ensure her whereabouts. There were so many turns, so many corners, and every road led to where she began. All the while she Katsumi could hear Liatris hum a calm lullaby in the distance.
'Damn it! I once read if you stick to the wall on the right and follow that, you'll eventually find out of every maze. But this… I've done that and look where I ended up! In the beginning, just as before!'
The top of these stonewalls were greatly above her. Katsumi leaned on a wall, then tried pushing herself up from another. This seemed to work and she reached halfway to the top, when a strange grease touched her back. Even with such a smart technique, she slid to the ground.
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'Weird, these stones don't seem wet at all. No worries though, for I have my spirit pot! Let's break through this prison of stone!'
Once again, she used the same technique to reach halfway to the top. It was quite a tiresome work and she relief as the strange grease finally appeared.
'Okay, I can feel my legs slowly slipping down. It's time to use my Spirit Pot!'
Katsumi put her hand up against the wall. Blueish particles appeared in her palm, gradually equipping the shape of a pot.
'Yes, this is it! Pierce the wall! Break through the oppressive rocks!'
Particles entered the wall's fiber. Relief ran through Katsumi's smile, quickly disturbed by purple particles appearing from the wall.
'What is this? I've never seen anything like this before!'
As if it was the immune system of the wall, these anti-dusts ate up the blue Katsumi summoned. In a panic, she forced her hand through the purple and pushed against the wall.
'Come on now! Work, you damn pot!'
Snap-crackle-pop, sounds of electricity sparkled around her nails. The blue and purple went into a ferocious dance, trying to kill each other before more could come. Small bolts of lightning tickled her hand before BOOM! She fell to the ground from a magical explosion.
– Ah, fuck! My head…
Her entire body felt numb, besides pain creeping up the back of her skull. As that uncomfortable high pitch noise disappeared from her ears and she could move once again, a strange feeling formed around her right hand.
Her eyes couldn't comprehend what she saw. The skin of her right hand was chocolate brown and her veins were more visible than before, coated in a blackish tar.
– Heh? Heh. Heheheh. Heheheheh! – she nervously laughed before screaming from the burning sensation piercing through entire brain.
– Oh, there you are!
Katsumi's covered her mouth with the remaining good arm. Quietly whimpering, she could hear the lullaby of Liatris gain sound. He was approaching.
She stood up and ran in a random direction. The pot couldn't be summoned again. She tried again and again, but to no avail.
'Why? Why is this happening? Why now?!'
/// System Warning! ///
User out of Mana.
'Excuse me? Mana? Nobody told me about Mana! What the fuck is this, a shitty MOBA? Then where is the tutorial? Why didn't I get any?'
She ran as fast as she could, though always back to the start. The titan's lullaby only became clearer and louder. Tears filled Katsumi's eye as the helplessness got to her heart.
'Crap! Crap-crap-crap, the pot is the ace up my sleeves, why did it have to break now? Is it because the rock's surface was solid? But that titan I killed before… I mean, I defended myself from! It cut right through his intestines and bones, it pierced through him! What's the difference between the two? Bones can't be much denser than stone!'
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Human beings have a tendency to panic and feel extremely stressful. How they relieve such stress differs by each person. And by Momo Katsumi, it's usually to meditate next to a good tea or a coffee. But now, that she had none nearby and her and was fast approaching, she did something one may not be so proud of: she raised her fist and punched the wall. Her knuckles hurt from the impact, but she didn't care.
Such a brutal way of relieving stress. Hurting yourself and not feeling any better after that. A thing, most people would look down upon.
Fortunately for her, this revealed a secret they've long kept from her.
'Why can't people be nice and hold my hand just at least once? Why am I any lesser than another? Why, why, why?! Why won't anyone help me?'
The stones were covered in a yellow dust. Katsumi's punch blew it aside, revealing the solid yet smooth surface of the walls. In the shape of her hand, a mirror appeared.
As if she was controlled by instinct, her body moved on its own. She wiped more of the dirt away and a bigger mirror appeared. Using tears, she cleaned the surface and the mirror wasn't blurry anymore.
'It's me. Last time I've seen myself was when that spirit trapped me underground. I gained a level from that, didn't I? Haven't had time to check out what I've got.'
/// Level 4 ///
-> All stats increased by a little!
-> New ingredients can be used and summoned!
'Huh, nothing helpful. Wait… that small circle in the corner of my eye… it's still showing an exclamation mark! Why though? I haven't levelled up since.'
/// Soul Consumed ///
'Wait, what? When… what… how? What?!'
/// Soul of Minor Waterfall Spirit ///
Grant minor control over water element.
'… what the fuck?'
– – –
There was a small bar my classmates frequented. I never was an outgoing type and only ever drank any wine with Granny. Of course, when Mom wasn't watching. She probably knew about it though… never mind, that's not the important part.
So there was this bar. Small, ugly, a pretty rundown place. They served minors. That was the only reason the bar could swim afloat. Snotty brats came here during Saturday midnight and ordered whatever they pleased. Yep. Anything.
– Come on now, Katsu! No need to be scared! I invited you! If anything happens, that's on me. I'll take responsibility.
– That's… fine, but… I'm kinda scared.
– Hah, no need to be! I'm the leader of the basketball team for a reason.
– I thought that was because you like balls so much!
– …
– Sorry, it was a joke…
They had playboy images taped to the wall. They couldn't make it any more obvious who the target demographic was. By the way, who even buys those anymore?
Skinheads, kids and buncha' closeted pedophiles, all gathered around the cheapest Ikea tables you could find. In the back of this cringe place was a small corner with one of the comfiest sofas I ever saw.
– Comfortable, isn't it?
– It feels like heaven! Ahh, I'm about to feel things I'll be ashamed of!
– R-Right. Well, anyways Momo, you never had a boyfriend before, have you?
– Huh? Why?
– Just the rumors. Some people said you were a lesbo.
– …well, some people are really bored. And even if I was one, why do they care? My life, I do what I want.
– Are you still a virgin?
I remember the music that was on. Have you ever been on a long road-trip where a really catchy rock song comes up and you never get to know its name or hear about it ever again, but still remember somehow? Yeah, that's the stuff. Now imagine the opposite. Like someone taking a dump in your ears, then jackhammering it down your skull. Yeah. It was like that.
– That's not really something you ask someone.
– Come on now, Katsu! You're a human too! And we're the exact age where most people lose their virginity!
– Yeah, well… I don't really care about those stuff.
– Why are you lying?
– Tsh, I'm not lying, I just have other things I care about. Like learning how to draw or taking up an instrument. Did you know that learning music can greatly benefit your…
– Guys! Come, quick! This is my new friend, Momo!
– My… my name is Katsumi…
The 'cool kids'. Ah, how I loved to hate them. They had their bitches too. I remember feeling extremely anxious whenever we met in school, but now that we met outside that safe place, in an uncontrolled environment…
– Hey, guys! Which one of you is still a virgin? Ay-ay, come on now, only the truth!
…I was scared.
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A young man that was always cautious with his life ended up dying in the most random way possible, buried by an avalanche.As he died, within his last moments, he heard several mechanical voices resonating inside of his head, and he was granted many wishes in the form of Skills, Fortunes, and a new Body.Now, reborn as an Ice Dragon, he is thrown into a world of fantasy that seems way too much like Norse Mythology named Yggdrasil, which is also, somehow, a Cultivation World?What a weird mashup of concepts!Accompany him as he explores this world, survives against the deadly monsters that roam this world, and fights to find a place to belong to, and a purpose to this new life.However, he is not the only Reincarnated who was given wishes, and soon enough, the world he was thrown into will be engulfed in complete chaos.
8 2447A Personal Hell for A Winged Killer
Metam, a super-continent which is divided into 5 different districts, is home to a world of superpowers. The last known survivor of the sleep clan, Miya, lives in the Capital City of the Eastern District, Hinansho City, or the City of Refuge, and although she has lived for 23 years, she only remembers her life from the moment she had her first day at Eastward Social Academy, a college of mercenaries that ranges across all three cities of the Eastern District. In school, she meets a group of the strongest students in Eastward who hold her in high regard, teaching her about the history of the world around her and training her in battle techniques so that she can go on missions with them to fight “the Hole.” Eight Generals lie beneath the Sultan of the Organization, Rigkt of the Curse, as they attempt to establish a new world order, dethroning the reigning Central District Government that controls most districts. To gather her memories, Miya sets out to gain the power to protect her friends so that she can one day take back her memories. ———————————————————————————An underlying evil lurks close to her, bearing wings of pure white and an immortal body. A dead man walking who killed the most powerful alliance in Metam’s history looms around her, grooming her to become powerful. Her “friends” know much more about her than she thinks; they are not who she thinks they are.
8 148Cowboys and Wizards
Currently in queue: Episode 12 in progress. Set in the Aurora: Apocalypse universe.Updated every Wednesday. If it's not updating, I'm working on my other fictions.If nothing's updating, I ran out of whiskey. Be patient. Cowboys and Wizards is a hot mess of garbage that should not be taken seriously by anyone. It’s a vaguely-GameLit spoof of Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomoni (In Another World With My Smartphone) where the MC ends up in another world and fused with his crappy smartphone, mashed up with fantasy western elements. Dungeons & Dragons meets the Wild West in an alternate high-fantasy timeline. Guns & Goblins. Cowboys & Wizards. Locomotives & Dwarves. Don’t expect great writing, accurate numbers, or common sense. Hell, don’t expect anything — just relax and let it happen.
8 107Apocalypse? Paradise.
It's was a little cloudy on that spring morning. The day the world ended and the apocalypse started for humanity causing 80% of the population to turn into bloodthirsty deranged husks of their former selves, preying upon the remaining fifth of the population trying to survive. As for those different from the society at large? Who don't fit in with the societal rules? Who we called monsters even before the apocalypse? The broken creatures who wore human masks even before the day the world ended, now crawling out from the darkest dephts of the society to unveil themselves. Did they too witness the end of the world, or the creation of paradise? Cover from pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photo-2935144/
8 132Merciful
(18+)Ali Ahmed Sheikh is a powerful businessman and simultaneous leader of one of the biggest criminal organizations. No one questions him, and what he wants is undoubtedly his. When the opportunity of defeating his father's greatest rival- Abdul Qadeer comes, he takes a step further and captures Abdul's daughter; Anaya. Ali's world is obstructed when he comes to know of a life that is vacant of felony and hatred- all in the mind of a significant woman.Anaya Abassi Qadeer is a virtuous woman, pursuing a career in educating the youth and following the footsteps of her righteous late mother. Anaya is unknown to the fact that her father is a criminal, but by the time she gets the hint it's too late- and she's caught in the world of sinfulness, and hostility all led by a remarkable man.Please be advised. This book does not romanticize abuse or toxic relationships in any way.
8 54So What If I'm a Summoner Who Only Wants Fluffy Creatures?
A year ago, having lost the golden retriever that had accompanied him for fifteen years of his life, a retired sixty-odd years old man decided to distract himself by trying his hand at the MMORPG Elysium Online. One year later, he's now known as Aurelius, a Summoner who desires nothing else other than cute and fluffy creatures regardless of their actual strength. Due to his principle and tenacity for fluffy creature, Aurelius eventually obtained the [Holy Feathered Dragon] a high level creature that was considered inferior to it's dark counterpart, the [World Ender Dragon]. However, soon after he had obtained the Holy Dragon, it was discovered that the strongest raid boss of the latest update, the [World Breaker Behemoth] is indeed, weak to those with [Holy] attribute. And so, together with his guildmates and friends, Aurelius challenged the boss and after a difficult battle, finally defeated it and obtained the top spot of the fastest clear time for the boss. As they celebrate upon their victory, a rift opened up in the middle of the boss field and out of curiosity, Aurelius and the rest went on ahead and tried to interact with it. The result was that they were all suck into the rift and arrived in a parallel world. Separated from the other, Aurelius found himself in a kingdom of humanoid creature with animal-like features such a ears and tails and that he himself, is the hero they have summoned to fight on their behalf. Determined to find his friends and protect these fluffy animal people, Aurelius now stand against the demon invasion with his various fluffy summoned creatures at his side.
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