《Night Gaunt》Chapter 5
Advertisement
And as soon as she thought the word a blue screen popped up in her face showing two tabs settings and character sheet.
"Let's deal with the settings first," Vanessa said aloud, she was beginning to hope that won't become a habit.
The first thing she did was find the notification sub-tab and selected the custom setting this gave her an example of a notification with some sliders to alter it. The example was this wide opaque blue screen in front of her that seemed to follow her faces location wherever she moved it and came with this unreasonably annoying 'ding' sound.
'Yeah ... no this would be a stupid thing to die over hilarious but stupid' she thought.
First, she disabling the notifications face tracking, as well as the annoying ding sound she was pretty sure, could be heard by other people due to its echo. Then she decided to minimize all notifications to these little-colored dots on the side of her vision; by the time she was done fiddling with the controls she could look at them and if she focused with an intent to open them they would pop up as a moderately smaller and more transparent blue screen that took up a much smaller amount of her vision. She also made sure to disable the ability to look at notifications entirely in combat unless she concentrated really hard on it but Vanessa believed she wouldn't have to deal with a kind of scenario where that would be needed unless it was a very complicated one.
'Ok know its time to look at my character sheet' thought Vanessa as she exited out of settings and selected character sheet.
Name: Vanessa Blight
Age: 32 years old
Gender: Female
Race: Night Gaunt(Female Variant)
Titles:
The Last: (You are the last of your kind fertility is possible with all races and genders as well as an increase to your races regeneration ability) (can only affect gods as long as the god agrees)
Progenitor: (Due to being the sole survivor of your kind your ability to pass on traits has evolved to affect the spouse as well as the child) (can only affect gods as long as the god agrees)
Voids Scion: (Your soul has been exposed to the void for a considerable amount of time a fate feared by even the gods resulting in the mental resilience skill)
Mistress of the Gods: ( You have become the mistress of one of the gods a feat that is ... difficult to say the least you are able to visit any one of the gods who has become your submissive at their respective shrine)
Abilities:
True Identify(inheritance): a gift from the gods allowing you to observe the status sheet of anyone and anything due to this being the true version only granted to gods and their most trusted friends this ability cannot be countered by status cloaking abilities and comes with its own built-in status cloaking
Advertisement
Flight (racial): due to you being one of the few races born with wings you have the ability to fly
Regeneration(level 2): you are able to regenerate minor wounds as well as stamina slightly faster than normal
Telepathy(level max): your kind has no eyes or mouth in your armored form you naturally communicate through a basic form of telepathy this also gives you a slight boost in learning telepathic abilities
Language Comprehension(level 3): your race has been living in this world almost since the beginning you understand and interpret languages moderately faster
Immortality(racial): due to you being a creature originating from the void itself you are able to continue to live without dying of old age death
Battle armor (racial): you are naturally able to encase yourself in a battle carapace this 'armor' that provides varying bonuses and detriments
Mental resilience(max): you are completely impervious to all forms of mind attacks ranging from illusions to mental persuasions such as enslavement collars and brands as well as mental curses
" Wow they said my race was unique but damn" Vanessa was dumbfounded not only by her titles but also her abilities. Vanessa knows she isn't the most experienced person when it comes to games or anything like that she was just a casual player in her old world but... even she could see the potential of the titles and abilities she had even if she was considered weak in this world there where some things in her character sheet that might as well be broken. The most obvious example being immortality because well never aging and only dying by 'other' means seemed controversial in her head and then there was the gift or more specifically the 'inheritance' the gods gave her, Vanessa didn't even need to think too hard about that ability after reading its description.
'This is literally a stereotypical ability given to heroes in fantasy RPG novels isn't it?'
'At least know I won't have to worry about not knowing about poisonous foods, dangerous animals, sketchy perverts disguised as a gentleman and it would be a great asset in any altercation' thought Vanessa
After thinking of all those bonuses especially the perverts disguised as gentleman part Vanessa silently thanked the gods for this ability she will definitely need this if she was going to live in this world considering it seemed to be a fantasy middle ages stereotype time period so unless she was wrong she will probably have to deal with a lot of sexist idiots and perverts that just won't take no for an answer in abundance.
Then there where some of the more subtle things such as the void scion giving her a maxed ability that pretty much nullified an entire school of magic if you think about it as well as any and all charms against her not to mention some would be mental curses or titles that could negatively affect her mentally where know just for show.
Advertisement
"Ok now to address the elephant in the ... cave?" Vanessa said aloud.
And finally there were the other titles, 'the last' was a pretty good title it increased her natural healing, stamina recovery, and endurance but it also made it to where she could literally impregnate anyone or be impregnated by anyone she wasn't complaining although she hopes she won't have to test out its effects later although the addition concerning the gods was quite a surprise.
'So if I wanted to, me and Vix could have a child if she agreed ... wow, I better make sure to have a talk with my cute little kitten next time we decide to 'play'.'
'Which could be very soon considering 'that' title 'Mistress of the Gods' I mean yeah I can be very dominating when it comes to sex and especially with those I really care about I realize that after my little playtime with Vix but to be considered her mistress by the system itself is kind of surprising.'
'But the title's bonus is actually kind of nice considering it will allow me to get in touch with them, not to mention It will allow me to give my kitten her reward and her punishment a lot sooner then she expects' Thought Vanessa; but then she remembered 'that' title.
"Progenitor sounds cool...but why does it make it sound like I need to impregnate a woman instead of me being impregnated for it to work I guess the system seems to know my sexuality which is kind of a relief ... and don't get me wrong I would be happy to have a kid ... but them being permanently affected by my race throughout their lives as well as my partner sounds like I have an STD in the form of a curse," stated Vanessa out loud.
And then there were the abilities.
'Flight seems cool but I have a feeling that I'm going to need to practice a lot for it to be effective and right now I can't afford to get an injury from testing out an ability in the scenario I'm in right now; I have no idea were I am or how hostile the environment of this forest and its inhabitants are right now so I'll have to keep that on hold for now unless I don't have a choice'
'Language comprehension is self-explanatory as well as the regeneration since it came with one of my titles as well as Battle armor because it is literally apart of my body' thought Vanessa
'And then there are the other two Telepathy is actually really practical if I'm in battle mode it would be kind of stupid to have to disengage my armor just so I could talk which would leave me vulnerable, but then there was Immortality ... yeah, I don't really want to think about that right now but I have a feeling that I'm going to have to study that ability later.'
After a more in-depth look at her character sheet, Vanessa decided she had one more thing to do and that was to look at the more in-depth description of her race.
'I already have to deal with my titles so I might as well get my races description over with' Vanesa thought while proceeding to focus on the race section of her character sheet
Race: Night Gaunt
Description: Humanoid beings created from the void have the ability to control a shell made from an unknown material that completely surrounds their bodies but inhibits none of their senses. Thought to be closely related to demons or dragons due to extra limbs but due to multiple ancient cases of both draconic and demonic limbs as well as parts from other beings been recorded with Night Gaunts it is thought to be ... something else
Strengths: unknown
Weaknesses: unknown
Diet: omnivores Night Gaunts seem to be able to live solely on meat alone if needed although it is possible for them to eat other food groups. There is also a legend stating their favorite food is actually chocolate?
After reading the information Vanessa was nonplussed.
'Even the system doesn't know certain things, strengths and weaknesses are a blunt unknown, the description seems accurate then disproves itself near the end and diet just seems like the system can't decide between carnivore or omnivore ... although the chocolate tidbit was good to know' know that Vanessa knows there is chocolate in this world ...
"haa ... oops" said Vanessa drooling with an almost vacant look in her eyes.
'Ok know that I've done everything I needed to concerning my status and stuff its time to get a look at my new world, this caves nice and all but I do want to explore a little.
' Vanessa thought as she began to walk toward the entrance of the cave until she was blinded by the entrance light until her eyes finally adjusted and when they did what she saw dumbfounded her.'
A vast open forest extended for as far as her eyes could see the sheer beauty of this forest, as well as its seemingly tranquil aura, seemed to increase Vanessa's focus of things around her. But that wasn't what truly surprised her what really did was the creatures she saw, until that point it hadn't really set home that Vanessa had been transmigrated to a fantasy world but now it seemed to practically be punching Vanessa in the face at this point and that is because the creatures she saw in front of her where definitely not normal.
What was she looking at you may ask well..... it was a goblin camp.
Advertisement
Wildling
Blurb: Silas--a scavenger living off the ruins of humanity--has spent his entire life fighting tooth and nail to provide for himself and his crew. But when a scavenging run goes awry and he's snatched up by an android patrol, he finds himself thrown into a cage and priced to sell as a pet. And when a suitor comes calling, he fears the worst: that he'll be turned into a Domestic, a human lapdog brainwashed into total obedience. Instead, he discovers an equally disturbing truth: that the creatures who stole his world have created a videogame the likes of which Earth has never seen; a sprawling, game-like theme park where humans are the Avatars and androids are the players who control them. And to make matters worse, his android guide is as hopeless as they come, having gotten all of her previous Avatars killed in record time. So if Silas wants to regain his freedom, he'll not only have to fight his way through a world that was specifically designed to murder him in brutal fashion--he'll also have to convince his android guide that he should be the one calling the shots. FAQS: Q: Who are you, handsome stranger? A: I'm Kyle Kirrin, the author of Shadeslinger, book 1 of The Ripple System, published by Portal Books, and I write crunchy LitRPG. Q: What is Wildling? And is it complete? A: Wildling is a crunchy LitRPG mash up of Fantasy and Science Fiction. And yup, Wildling is already complete at 64 chapters, or about 120,000 thousand words. You're looking at something like a third draft here--it's fairly polished, but it hasn't been picked over by a copy editor yet nor has my developmental editor seen it. Q: Upload schedule? A: 5 initial chapters today (2/15/2021) and one chapter a day for the next month. After that I'll probably slow down to 2 or 3 chapters a week until the story is complete. Q: How crunchy is it? A: It's pretty crunchy. I'd put it on the same tier as Ascend/The Land/RSSG, but it might be a bit crunchier than those three? Q: Is this the first book in a series or a web novel or what? And what are your plans for it? A: It's currently a standalone with series potential. Full disclosure: this story may head the way of my publisher eventually, but will be available on RR for quite a while no matter what. Likely several months after it's complete with plenty of warning before/if it's taken down. Q: What kind of build does the MC create? A: Sword and board! Q: Crafting? A: Plenty! Crafting isn't as center stage as it is in The Way of the Shaman, but it's close. Q: Base building? A: Two fully separate, distinct bases, both of which play a major role in the story. Q: VRMMO? Portal? Reincarnation or what? A: This one's a bit tricky. Basically an advanced race has created a game-like world that closely resembles a theme park. Think Westworld but with copious amounts of loot. And the MC has to fight his way through that to earn his freedom. Q: Permadeath? A: Nope! The MC gets 3 lives to play through the entirety of the game world, and death is extremely punishing, but not fatal. Q: Harem? Or romance? A: No and no. Q: Cursing? Blood? A: Quite a bit of cursing, yeah. There's blood, too, but it's not a gory book by any means. Q: How can I support? A: Instead of a Patreon/donations etc, I'd ask that you consider giving my debut LitRPG Shadeslinger a chance. It's free on Kindle Unlimited and the audio is already out narrated by Travis Baldree. It's an epic fantasy VRMMO where the main character gets 3 days of exclusive access to a new game plus a snarky, talking axe to guide him through it in exchange for agreeing to become the target of a serverwide manhunt once the Head Start period ends. Q: How's it similar to Wildling? And how's it different? A. The crunch level is very similar, but Shadeslinger is a much lighter, epic fantasy take on the genre. It's also VRMMO, but without any real world components aside from the first chapter. The MC is very different--he comes off as a bit of a jerk early on and can take a bit to warm up to, especially before his backstory is revealed--but he's also got a talking axe that constantly puts him in his place. Shadeslinger's a much more humorous story in general, and it's a great deal more polished as well. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy Wildling!
8 319Time & Tied
A war in the future is spilling into our present. Enter Carrie Waterson, a teenage girl who ends up with a time machine. In using it, she learns that she is tied to a future destiny. What does that mean for her now? Who in her high school can be trusted to help out, given how some of her friends have their own agendas and mystic connections? Most importantly, how might Carrie fight against the future, when the future is herself? (ASIDE: Cover was an old commission from Sabrnyan.)
8 76Twisted Creation – Wicked World
In the beginning there was pain; unending and unbelievable pain. Tough there were also happy memories mixed together with the pain. Memories of her only friend and caretaker happily laughing at her misery. When he stopped visiting her in her small dark room, she decided to search and explore the outside world, trusting that she will reunite with him again.This is the story of a twisted, wicked girl and her very first steps in a new world.
8 114The Lucky One
When opportunity is coupled with luck, success is achieved.An unfortunate event reversed by luck, creates miracles.A joyful event added with luck, brings greater happiness.An extremely talented person filled with luck, gives birth to legends.Simply experiencing luck, leads to great changes.But does luck really exist? Some says luck doesn't exist, and everything is decided by our actions and decisions.But Shin believes otherwise, and that it exist!And that it can change his fate forever!
8 138Silver Sky
Yuha princess of the avian fiends is forced to flee when an unknown force attacks her people. Forced by her sister to use their ancestor's contingency plan, she is sent to another world to escape the horrifying foe that was assaulting her people. She finds herself in the land of silver sky where the sky is sealed in metal the suns are godlike beasts and a massive wall of light that reaches to the sky that none know what is beyond. Yuha must uncover the secrets of the land and herself to reunite with her people.
8 118The Errant Otherworlder Watanabe
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and trucks whom transport men to other worlds.” Meet our titular protagonist Haruto Watanabe, a man who has all the markings of a good protagonist for a generic portal fantasy story. As an overworked office worker, to escape from the grips of crippling capitalist alienation, he had taken up to reading many stories where young men like him were transported to other worlds and enjoyed their lives at a most leisurely pace. Armed with genre-awareness and (what he believes to be) a marketable personality which would make him an easy audience self-insert, he longed for the day the isekai express would take him to his long-awaited adventure to another world. When the fateful day came, where the fair yet harsh mistress that is the fabled truck took Watanabe on one last date to the other side, he was most ready to escape his previous life, ready to embark on an errant so great he’d be most overpowered, his heroics so exceptional and his harem so vast that they would barely fit ten or twenty volumes of an overly long novel made by a desperate author looking for quick cash. Lo and behold however, Watanabe instead found himself in a low fantasy world which lacked severely in the department of any game-like systems, cheat skills or easily charmed damsels in distress. In a setting so antithetical to his established genre savviness or any attempts at power fantasy, how will a man like Watanabe, lacking in strength, wits and courage, manage to survive in a land most foreign to him? This is my first time trying to share to the wider world what I’ve written, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading the errantry of Watanabe as much as I enjoy writing about them. I'll be posting one chapter per week on Sundays, along with extra chapters whenever I get the chance to write more than usual.
8 160