Gazing at the old rusted steel door that leads to the most unsanitary place inside the city.

“This sewer was one hell of an experience, but I kinda missed this place” reminiscing the events that transpired inside of it.

“Now, I just need to find and kill that creepy ghost before they find me” remembering what happened two hours ago

The professor wouldn’t let up and insisted that I let her 'Borrow' my hand for her analysis or in her own words ‘Let me analyze it for the betterment of humanity!’.

She just couldn't understand that cutting away someone’s hand is a big no-no.

As she chased me throughout the academy, jumping from one building to the other, disturbing ongoing classes and researchers alike. While I try to evade the scalpel that she haphazardly swings whenever she came close enough. People were terrified, as they ran away screaming for their lives.

A bunch of pansies right? They aren't even the ones being chased down by a lunatic and they already panic. Soft arse mofos.

It got worse, as the guards gathered and sealed off the entire campus, trying to catch me and the lunatic woman that’s swinging a scalpel shouting ‘Just a few fingers would do!’.

Over fifty guards were deployed, each carrying a sword and shield, ready to face off against a cook and a lab professor.

'Over reacting much?'

Long story short, It was a royal rumble.

Fortunately, no one died from that event. I only injured most of them, so that they won’t be able to chase me down. While she was throwing dozens of small bottles on the ground that she pulled out from her lab coats pockets, releasing gasses that either made the guards vomit or faint. Painting the whole academy grounds with a rustic brown color that goes well with the trees on the sidewalk.

It's pretty gross, but it goes along well with the surroundings

I slipped out of the academy while they were busy keeping each other company.

Not even an hour later, the academy put out a request to the guild. A bounty of 50 gold was on my head for my immediate capture, but that wasn’t the worst part. Written on the bottom of the paper, it states that It’s an ‘Open Job’.

Meaning, a fucking ‘FREE FOR ALL’! The only saving grace was that there wasn’t a picture attached to the wanted poster, otherwise I’d already be in jail.

‘I guess I can’t stay here in Lome any longer’ walking through the steel door that leads down the sewers

A very nostalgic smell enters through my nose, the scent of human feces and death with the oh-so homely cobwebs.

"Ahhh. I missed this shit hole"

I retrace my steps to where I first saw the thing, killing rats and spiders that got in my way. They weren’t a challenge anymore, as I chop off their limbs and bodies into tiny pieces before stomping on them for a few times.

Did I mention my hatred for- oh? I already did, a few times you say? Okay then.

Better to make sure they’re really dead with a few good stomps here and there. It also helps alleviate some of my hatred for the thing when I stomp on it.

After a while of searching, I finally found the ghost. It was floating near a bunch of dead rats, black smoke coming out of it and going into the corpses. Blue orbs were coming out of the bodies, moving along the black smoke and entering the gray cloak.

“Wooarrooah” it wailed as it turns itself towards my direction, cloak fluttering as it charges at me

“It’s good to see you too!” I greet it as I sharpen my knife

Activating Butchers Instinct, I saw that there were no red lines on it’s body, just like Mutatio’s before she transformed. I doubt I could do anything that has no flesh with my knife, so I deactivated it and used Void Eater while retreating for a few meters.

‘With forty-nine miasma points, let’s see how much effective my new skill can be’ as I put my left hand in front of me

Black smoke came out of my hand. It then slowly gathered, condensed, and turned into a six inch black liquid ball, floating a few centimeters on top of my hand. I felt light headed for a second while feeling like my body was getting colder.

‘So it dropped by how much stat points I have in miasma huh’ looking at my HP bar

it dropped from full to 761/810 in an instant.

With the apparition drawing closer by the second, I thought on how to use my new found skill.

‘Do I throw this thing at it? Can I even throw this thing?’ I tried normally throwing it, but it didn’t leave my hand.

‘Guess not…close contact it is then’ as I dodge the bony hands that’s trying to grab me

I extended my left hand and the black liquid ball made contact with one of the bony hands. It then bursts open like a balloon that got popped by a needle in front of me and devoured everything in front of it, covering all of the bony hands in black miasma.

“Wooarrooahhhhh!”

The cloaked apparition let out a loud wail as it backs away a few meters. It’s hands spasm inside the miasma, as it wails some more. The hands disappeared after a second.

“Hoh~ fancy!” seeing what the ball of condensed miasma can do

Not wanting to waste my chance, I used another Void Eater in my left hand while I charge at it. After it formed, I came closer to its cloak and shoved the ball, covering most of it in miasma.

“Wooarrooahhhhh!” It wailed once more and something began to change

The black smoke that was coming from its body began to spread in the surroundings, passing through me while it covers more ground. The rats that approached the black smoke screeched and flailed around on the floor before dying.

“Poisoned?” was the first thing that came into mind

Blue orbs then came out of the dead rats and made its way into the cloak.

“What is that thing doing anyway?” wondering what the blue orbs was for

A few seconds later, a large sum of blue orbs numbering in the hundreds came from the corner. It must have come from the other sewer inhabitants down here who were unfortunate enough to cross the black smokes path. Absorbing them inside its cloak.

“Wooarrooahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” it wailed louder. This time the black smoke that was covering the sewers floor retracted back into the cloak, leaving nothing behind but the dead bodies.

The cloak was now floating three feet above the ground, guttural sounds coming from it. Then a black mass of flesh suddenly dropped from inside of it. With a length and width of six feet and four feet respectively, covered with more than a hundred grotesque black arms. There was one huge vertical eye in front of it with a blue iris, looking around the place erratically. It had eyes on the palm of its black hands, opening and closing every few seconds at the same time.

“What the fuck are you?” flabbergasted at this horrible sausage looking monstrosity

I activated Butchers Instinct to see if it had any weaknesses and prepared a Void Eater. There were red lines on the eyes, but there weren’t any on the hands and body of it.

I ready my knife and left hand where the ball of miasma is, and charged at this ‘handy creature’.

Slashing at an eye on one of its hands, sending black blood flying through the air. It’s other hands and eyes look towards my direction, as it uses it’s other hands below it to propel it forward. Making squishy tapping sounds as it moves.

“That’s very disturbing in a lot of ways…” seeing it move through the walls and ceiling, defying gravity as it looks at me with its big blue eye.

The hands that were hanging extended forward, stretching like an elastic band, reaching for me. I evaded some, but two of them managed to grab ahold of my right arm holding the knife. Unbearable pain courses through my body, starting from my right arm going through my chest and spreading everywhere.

“ARAAAGHHH!” as I screamed.

I used the miasma ball in my left hand and pushed it against the arms holding my left hand, making it wriggle and disappear after a few seconds. I retreated for a couple of meters and panted, taking a deep breath.

Looking at my HP bar, it was currently at 663/810. The hands didn’t do any damage, but just sent an agonizing wave of pain.

'Good thing my body's made out of miasma now'

It crawled forward on the ceiling, stretching more of its arms towards me. I run towards the corner, evading the oncoming wave of ‘touchy-feely hands’ that's out for my body. They missed and splashed on the brown murky sewer waters, as I run to another corner. Preparing another Void Eater, this time, I fasten my knife on my belt and used both my hands to create miasma balls.

I heard it making tapping noises as it loomed out of the corner, peeking using the eyes on its hands. I used both of the miasma balls on the hands that are peeking, swallowing most of them in a black liquid. The other hands that weren’t affected retracted back, with the monstrosity making it’s way towards me.

Looking at it’s body, only about a dozen and a half we’re left, not including the hands it uses to propel itself forward.

It stopped moving from the ceiling and then a strange humming sound came from it. It’s main eye abruptly started to change color from blue to green, and the color of it’s hands changed from black to violet. The eyes on it’s palms closed and six inch thorns started jutting out of its arms and hands, looking like a rose made out of human flesh.

“Ahaha, maybe I’ll chop up a few and offer those to the professor instead of my arm. Maybe that’ll change her attention to something else” thinking of making a bouquet made of arms.

Hey, I know that she tried to chop my arm off a few hours ago, but I do still like her. If Dean was here, he would say

‘My boy is growing up’ wiping a false tear on his eye

‘Go after her or someone else might beat you to it’

He’ll then lecture me on the intricate courting methods of clubbing a woman over the head and dragging her by the hair to a cave.

He’s a very weird one, must’ve inherited it from uncle Dustin. Some of his weirdness may have rubbed off on me too, but clubbing her is out of the question…I think?

While I was having an inner monologue, its body suddenly expanded like a bloated puffer fish. Filling up half of the tunnels circumference with its flesh and started rolling towards me. It rolled like a certain blue hedgehog from way back in the 90’s.

“The fuck is this!” as I started running again.

I activate Butchers Instinct while I looked back, seeing it’s bloated body and hands were now covered with red lines. I ran for a total of three minutes before, finding a narrow tunnel that’s just enough for two people to fit in. I went inside of it and waited for the monster to come at me. Preparing my knife in my right hand and a void eater in my left.

I glanced at my HP bar and saw that it was at 516/810. Almost half of my health was gone just for using Void Eater.

A few seconds of waiting later, I see the rolling flesh of death hurtling towards me. It made a cracking sound as it went to a full stop, crashing onto the wall. Digging its hands and thorns inside the wall while sending tiny pieces of rocks towards me.

I saw my chance and went towards it, using the miasma ball in my hands first and then I started slashing at the hands and body of it. Forming another ball of miasma in my left hand, while my right was busy slicing away.

It retaliated by shooting it’s violet thorny hands, clamping onto my stomach, right shoulder and right calf. Thorns digging inside of my flesh, but it didn’t send out the wave of pain unlike when it first touched me back then.

“Hah! That just tickles me, better try something else!” laughing at its attempt, as I continue to chop and slice. Spamming Julienne as many times as I could.

Releasing two more miasma balls, I succeeded in erasing the hands that were on me and most of it’s unused hands inside the narrow tunnel.

After using one last Void Eater, the bloated body inside the tunnel was finally free of its violet hands. I take one last look at my HP bar, before I use another Void Eater. It was at a dangerously low number of 156/ 810, thinking that I needed to put more points to vit If I want to use this thing more often and the HP drain will only go up every time I put points into miasma.

Not wanting to risk using another Void Eater, I started using my knife and spammed Julienne. Littering the tunnel with violet and black flesh.

"Don't worry, sir! I'll just take a little off the top!"

A minute of continuous hacking and slashing, the bloated body now had a gaping hole at it’s center. It deflated a few seconds later, revealing it’s gigantic eye that was crying out black blood.

I drew my knife from my belt

“Now, let’s chop off some of those hands~”

As I was about to slice one of them off, the flesh of the monster started to sizzle and liquefy. Leaving nothing but a liquid puddle of dark-violet flesh. In the center of it was a blue orb, five inches in size. Reaching out and grabbing it, I went to the nearest lamp and took a few good seconds looking at it.

“Oh, more lore?” looking at its description

Incarnation of Despair – A stone filled with the regrets of men. Trapping the souls of those who participated in creating the ‘Immortal Morpher’.

“So the souls of the people who created Mutatio was trapped inside that thing? But the skills description for Miasma Body said that my race was eons old?” putting the thing inside my Inventory

“Oh, yeah! Almost forgot about that cloak” remembering the cloak that the apparition used

Going back to the tunnel where we met, I see the gray cloak lying in the murky water.

“Nice, it’s still here” picking it up and pulling out an appraisal scroll from my inventory. I identified what my new item was.

Father’s Regret – a worn out gray cloak that was used by one of the main researchers from ‘Arullo’ when he was escaping the eyes of the public. You feel as if there’s someone watching you whenever you put it on. Allows the use of ‘Stealth’, making you harder to see in the eyes of others for 30 seconds, 100 MP per use, 10 minutes cooldown. ‘Stealth’ will break if you get hit or if your attack succeeds in connecting. Does not work on certain creatures who can identify you without sight.

Def + 15, Dex + 10, Int + 5

“This is pretty good. I wonder if I’ll get my Int stat back if I wear it on” draping the cloak over my shoulders.

Opening my stat window, I saw that there wasn’t any change except for physical def and dex.

“So, I don’t benefit from other stats that I don’t have huh” as I close the window and put the cloak inside my inventory

Making my way outside, my stomach suddenly grumbled, indicating that I was hungry.

“Oh yeah, how would my Mixed Cooking work now that I don’t have Int” opening up my stat window again, and checking Mixed Cooking’s description.

Mixed Cooking - Mixes ingredients into one large pot, Food cooked using this skill will give benefits to those who consume it. Stat/Effect bonuses depends on Dex, Luk and ingredients used. 20 MP per use.

“It changed too” as I pull out a pot and some spiders meat in my inventory to cook.

Putting it all in the pot with some flour, eggs, milk and some spices. After a few seconds of waiting, a deep fried spider coated in a thin layer of batter came out. Chewing on the fried food made from arachnids, while I thought on how it would taste.

Well, the legs were crunchy while the body was a little softer, like fish when cooked correctly. It tasted good enough to make me want to cook more of it.

As I finished eating, I went to the fountain to rest up for a few minutes

“I should buy more appraisal scrolls before I leave the city, some potions might also help too” filling up my flasks with water for the journey ahead

Going to the auction house, I saw that there were tons of people outside of the large building. Chatting in groups, as they went inside and out of the building. Judging that there were too many people, I went to the apothecary first to get supplies.

Heading down the street, I see a store with an Erlenmeyer flask on its signboard. I came closer and turned the doorknob, going inside the store. Looking around, there were hundreds of bottles, plants, herbs, and some skeletal structure of monsters and humanoid beings that’s displayed.

“Welcome sonny, how can this old lady I help you?” an old feminine voice called out

“Good day, do you have anything that can heal wounds?”

I went closer and asked the old woman sitting behind the counter. She was wearing a pointy brown hat with a light brown overcoat.

Seeing the old woman

'A witch?' was the first thing that came to mind

“We do have some, but what types are you looking for and at what price range?” she stands. She wasn’t tall, might just be about four and a half feet In height I presume.

“What types are there?” expecting only potions with blue or red liquid inside of it

“There’s antidotes, healing balms, salves, gels and potions” while she setup a small array of goods in front of me

“Antidotes are pills that heal certain kinds of status ailments, ranging from diseases to poisons. Healing balms are ointments applied to the wound and sore muscles, the wound will recover by time and will ease your muscles, making stamina recovery faster. Salves are ointments too but they penetrate the skin more deeply, making the healing process faster.” pointing at the pills and tin cans while explaining each ones uses

“Gels are applied on severe wounds, closing them up to prevent bleeding out, while they also slowly heal it. Potions on the other hand, have an immediate effect on the body, with a high class potion being able to heal most severe injuries in a matter of seconds” as she takes out a small bottle with red liquid inside of it.

“Healing balms, antidotes, and salves are fairy affordable my the masses, while potions cost a lot more since they cost a lot more to produce”

“How much does each potion cost?” choosing the option where it might help me immediately in battle

“I only have low to mid-tier ones here. A low-tier one would cost you 3 gold per bottle, a mid-tier one is 8 gold”

“Do you have potions that can restore MP?”

“Mana potions? I only have low-tier ones, for 3 gold each” bringing out a transparent small bottle with a blue liquid

“I’ll buy three low-tier and one mid-tier health potions. Oh, and also one mana potion please” taking out 20 gold coins from my pouch, almost emptying most of its contents.

'This is for my survival. It's not a waste' a little regretful at parting with the stack of coins

“Thank you for buying sonny, please come again when you need anything else” as she hands me the potions

“Yeah, thank you too” going outside the store

When I was walking towards the auction house, I heard someone yelling.

“Guys, there he is! The one with the red coat on!” a man holding a short sword and shield was pointing towards me

“Huh?” I was puzzled at why the man was pointing at me

“Form a circle around him. We’ll split the rewards after” as a group of five people surrounded me

“Oh shit! How did they even know what I looked like…” realizing they were here to capture me

“Give up now kid, we completely outnumber you. This way there’s no need for anyone to get hurt” a person holding a battle-axe tried to persuade me to surrender without putting up a fight.

A lot of people started to crowd the streets and watched our little play. With people whispering here and there on what was going on.

My mind immediately went into an alert state, as it was wavering on whether to fight or to run away. It was tipping on the ‘run away’ side, but a certain part of me was itching for blood.

Weird how I didn’t even imagine myself as a blood lusting or battle hungry person. I was more of a 'Let's strive for world peace!' type of person.

“Ah, fuck it. If it gets bad, I still got the cloak to rely on” I said, while sharpening my knife and activating Butchers Instinct

"You fuckers want me? Then come and take me"

Be gentle though.

Seeing that I wasn’t willing to give up without a fight, three people immediately charged at me while two of them started chanting. One person who was charging said something under his breath, making him go four times faster, brandishing his zweihander to the side.

“We gave you a chance kid, don’t hold any grudges for what we’re about to do” as he swings his zweihander like it was just a stick in his hands.

I evaded his first swing and retaliated by using Julienne at the red lines on his torso, spraying red blood on the ground and myself.

“ARGGH!” he screams as I deliver two more Juliennes to his neck and chest.

The other two arrive before I could deliver another one.

I retreat a few meters back, keeping an eye on what they were going to do next. One of them went in front of the injured man and raised his shield, while the other kept charging at me. Raising his battle-axe and swinging it to the ground, creating a fissure, sending out pieces of stones at a remarkable speed.

I cover my face, while four pieces of rocks hit my body, bruising my flesh with some piercing it. I looked at my HP bar and saw that it went down by a hundred.

“Heh~” amused at what the man just did

As I was about to use Void Eater, I saw in my peripheral vision an incoming ball of fire.

I ducked and the flaming ball of fire went past me. I immediately turned my head to where it came from and saw a black robed male with a staff chanting again.

'An easy target~'

I smiled while I ran towards him, ignoring the others while readying a miasma ball in my left hand.

“Too bad that didn’t hit” appearing in front of him

“I have a present for you~ I’m such a nice person right?” shoving the miasma ball in his chest, enveloping most of his upper body in a thick layer of miasma.

He fell down and started to scream, writhing on the ground, squirming like a worm that’s been sprinkled with salt.

I slice off his hands while his companions were still faraway, busy trying to fix up the man holding the large sword.

“Ahahaha! No hard feelings right~?” as I chop away the head of the magician. His head rolling on the floor and turning into particles a second later.

“You fucker!” shouted the man holding the battle-axe

“You’re going to make me cry for hurting my feelings sir” I faked looking hurt at the man’s insult, while wiping away a false tear on my eye.

After the short comedic show, I charged towards the other magician in their group, getting another miasma ball ready.

The man holding a sword and shield intercepted me. Bashing the shield on my body, making me stumble a few feet. The two other front liners didn’t waste their chance as they swung their weapons at me.

I evaded the battle-axe but the zweihander made a grazing blow on my shoulder, spraying some of my blood on the wielders face.

“Arghhh, it burns and I can’t move my body! What is this!”

He stumbles and falls to the ground, while using his hands to wipe the blood off his eyes.

“You just gave me a great idea!” coating my knife with my blood.

“I need to thank you for that sudden inspiration” as I used Julienne on the fallen warrior, inflicting more status ailments on him.

While I was busy slicing at the man, something hits me from behind. Shocking my entire body, making it sizzle with smoke rising from it after.

I look at my HP and MP, it was at 394/810 and 118/394. Dealing more than 300 damage to me.

As I was looking at my HP, another blow came, sending me flying eight meters to the side, while spraying blood all over. I look at my body and saw that there was a large wound on my left flank.

Looking at my HP again, this time it was at 113/810.

“Oh, this is getting bad” taking out a small red and blue potion in my inventory and chugging the contents down. I looked and saw that my HP went up by 500, but my MP didn’t go up at all.

“What the fuck, did the old woman just scam me? Why didn’t it work?” I didn’t have the time to think, as a shard of ice was hurtling towards me.

I evaded it and used another Void Eater, charging towards the magician, but the man wielding a shield didn’t let me come close.

“Come at me arsehole!” a blue wave came out, making me go towards him.

“Then you get to have his present instead!” as I slide below his shield. Shoving the miasma ball on his groin, covering most of his nether region. I dished out a couple of Juliennes to his knee joints, while I was still sliding.

He dropped down and started to writhe too. I didn’t give him a second glance as I saw the man wielding the battle-axe coming after me.

I ignored him and went straight towards the magician, while he was still chanting his next spell. His eyes turned wide as I appeared in front of him in a matter of seconds. Appreciating that I invested a lot of points into Agi, allowing me to move faster.

“Hello!” grinning in front of him. I then started a barrage of slashes towards his body, inflicting cuts and status ailments on him.

When he fell down, I turned my attention to the last man standing.

“Remember~ No hard feelings right?” while I was grinning, taunting the man. He roared and his body started to gain a rend tint, as his eye color started to change to red too.

He moved a lot faster now, charging towards me. Using his momentum, he kicked off the ground going five meters up in the air. I tumbled to the side, moving away from where he was going to land.

Almost reaching the ground, he then smashed his battle-axe towards it. Creating a small crater where he landed and sending large rocks to every direction, hitting some pedestrians and onlookers. He then threw his battle-axe at me with a shocking speed and force, chopping away my left knee.

“Oh, now this is bad...Medic!” taking out a mid-tier health potion and chugging it down. My leg from the knee down regrew at an astonishing rate, fully grown in a matter of seconds.

“Wasting precious potions a few minutes after buying them…hah...” sighing, as I get up

The man was a few meters from me now, with nothing to use except his bare fist to fight. I form another miasma ball in my hand while readying my knife. He made a straight jab, while I used this chance to use my Void Eater at him, swallowing one of his arms whole. He didn’t stop as he used his other hand to swing at me. It connected, sending me flying for a few feet, before using my feet and one hand to balance myself to a stop, skidding across the ground.

“The fuck was that” looking at my HP going down by 71 points

He still charged at me, with a mad look plastered on his face. One of his arms was slowly disintegrating inside the miasma. I form another one in my left hand, this time I was careful of receiving his unarmed blows.

He swung his arm to the right, sending a wave of air in front of me, brushing my hair up when I evaded it. I pushed my left hand towards his still working arm, enveloping it in miasma.

“How about I give you a facial mask” going behind the man and slicing at his knee joints making him kneel to the ground.

“I’ll remember this! You better be prepared the next time we meet!” he said with saliva falling out of his mouth, looking at me with his bloodshot red eyes.

“I thought no hard feelings though? But, I’m sure we will remember this day together~” using Void Eater one last time and putting it on his head

“ARGHHH!” he screamed as I kicked his body, making him fall face first

“Now, how about the others~” going to the fallen magician.

“Don’t worry, you two are next after I’m done with him” looking at both men lying on the ground

“Hello again~ it’s been a while since we last met…well it’s been a few minutes” squatting in front of him while I sharpen my knife

“S-Stop I give up!” shaking his head from side to side

“Oh you give up huh…in that case, you’re good to go” I got up and strapped my knife onto my belt while I was forming a miasma ball behind my back.

He looked relieved for a second, before I shoved the miasma ball in his face. Eyes going wide before getting covered by black liquid.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My hand slipped~” holding down a giggle, while I make my way towards the two men lying on the ground

I form another Void Eater on my hand

"I'm such a clutz, don't you think so too?"

Before I could get closer to one of them, thirty guards appeared on the scene. Wearing red uniforms with their halberds ready and pointed at me.

“Stay your hand! Surrender now or we will be forced to use violent means” said a person wearing a bronze helmet with a few badges on his left chest.

“Heh, I guess you guys won’t get your turn” winking at the men on the ground

“It’s time to disappear~” pulling the cloak out of my inventory and draping it over my shoulder. I then used Stealth to vanish from the eyes of the public.

“Spread out and find him! Relay to the guards near the entrance of his name and appearance. Go now!” as they marched out in all directions

You have now been branded with the ‘Murderer’ status The eyes of the ‘Damned’ are watching you. A ‘Judge’ will now appear in your room of consciousness NPC’s that have a positive affinity will likely be more wary of you. Making it harder to interact with them A new door will now appear in your room of consciousness. You are now eligible to go inside the ‘Endless Nightmare’ Save point has been updated: Sinners Shrine: Loam

“What? It was clearly self-defense!” shouting out while I was invisible

Contemplating what would have happened otherwise

“Hah...Maybe I should've let her borrowed my hand instead”