C96: End to it all Pt3, Ode to the Beginning
Quick warning: while writing this chapter, I got inspiration for the next chapter. This means I gave this one a proper set up it needs for a….grand finale. I bid you adieu.
9/1/26
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Swish swish Crack.
I wave around the newly modified hunters axe, even letting it cut into the stone of the wall in the cave around me. It was a smooth cut and retraction from the cut with no damage to the axe. It is completely possible for me to expand the whole cave with just my axe at this rate than it was for the villagers to snap it open with pickaxes.
This was possible thanks to me being able to fit up to 5 gemstones before the system warns me about energy overflow and potential destruction of the axe. Granted it also said this when I reached four gemstones but my own knowledge as a Pseudo Life Creator grade craftsman allowed me to surpass this limit by one.
I could have technically gone for more but it would require me to take out the [Grand] gemstone. While the system only told me that it had a 15.9% increase in physical damage and a 11.3x modifier against beasts. I learned not long after inserting it that this is not all that makes up this type of gemstone.
Truthfully, Grand Gemstones have a hidden feature which makes them 'adaptable' to the weapon they are put into. While I hadnt tested this with my other weapons. But it's a theory, a game theory. Except not since this my life now. Regardless, when I inserted it onto my axe. It gained an additional: 12.5x multiplier against Kin and another +14.5% for slashing damage.
Since this weapon is a hunters axe and it's only damage type is slashing. Then I essentially have a 30.4% damage modifier, as well as bonus damage against both kin and beast. Higher bonuses than what a cursed gemstone could provide. All in one gemstone that is locked to only usable on +10 weapons.
Of which, I had three such weapons. My original hunters axe which was already +10 when I bought it from the messengers. The second was the moonlight greatsword which I used my first blood rock on. The third was the newly reforged Null. Upon waking up, I found that I got another bloodrock from somewhere near here. So i proceeded to the final iteration of Null after unleashing the sealed state once more on Magical Creator which threw me back into peak Life Creator mode.
( [DLC bloodrock - Obtained near where the two winter lanterns are] )
The newly reforged chainsword has a higher capacity bolt engine for greater inherent damage in that department. Greater sharpness due to reinforcing the saw blades with the bloodrock while also enhancing durability so it doesnt suffer from the same issue as the original Tontritus.
'Im finally ready' I take the first step into the beach. I feel the path behind me be blocked off as the slime women rush up and climb over each other to act as a physical barrier rather than the typical misty barrier.
"Coo…" I am about to remark before a dense pressure falls upon me, cutting off my words as my gaze focuses on the entity before me. Granted, even turning my neck at this moment was strainful and thus I could only watch in my peripheral vision, how the corpse on the swash zone[1] begins to wiggle as if something was buried underneath.
It takes quite some effort but I'm able to turn my head completely as I see a pale hand streak out from underneath the flaps of the Eldritch creature. All this effort, all these nightmares, only to have the Old one finally give birth.
Bit by bit, the pale white and blue creature emerges from within, crawling a bit before standing up and gazing onto the nearby sea, or perhaps it was at the white shining moon which was reflected onto the sea surface.
Crack…Click
I feel a shiver down my spine as I see the orphan twist his neck backwards, its pale aged face faces me but upside down. It's foggy eyes lock onto me as my stand presses down while my axe clicks into it's two-handed state as I 'charge up' a heavy strike.
BOOOM SCRAAAGHHHHHH Boom
I only see a dustcloud where the Orphan of Kos where it used to be before hearing a soul shattering shriek in my ear which causes me to instinctively swing my axe. My axe collides with….something that is attached to the other hand of the Orphan.
The words 'Sharpened Placenta' flow through my head in the most disgusting but amusing chatter that I recognize not as my own voice. I have not the mind to pay attention to whatever I heard as i just attribute it to my max 100 insight and that true madness is to think too much which im an expert in.
Not that thinking is at all prevalent in the current situation as my body moves on survival instinct alone to anticipate the aggressive actions of the Orphan.
I initially try to sense the boss with my wind manipulation skills but he seems to sense the moment my mana would interact with him and escapes in a series of sand spilling dashes.
Thus, I change my motus aperirandi to make a bubble around myself so that I can react better once he charges at me rather than try to tell at all times where he is. That would be a waste of energy, not even considering whether the Orphan too has his own arcane abilities that I don't know about that it could have gotten from its parent, the corrupted system that set it to NG+100 or some other reason such as a feature of this nightmare realm.
CLANG CLANG CLANG
My axe collides with the pink bloody blade, reflecting the incoming strike as I dash to the side while my blade comes down and grants a thin cut on the veil like substance from its back before being forced to block another blow from him which sends me rocketing backwards.
Only reason im not outright sent flying away is due to some of the pits the Orphan is creating as he moves around, some of these pits in close proximity makes towering sand hills that I crash into, allowing me to survive but just barely.
The sand damage is negated by physical damage resistance which had leveled up to level 9 which means im at 49% damage resistance but with the sand knockback damage being so little, it's outright negated. It's not the same with the knockback effect itself as that is considered an extension of fall damage which silver cat reflexes are working overtime to deal with.
Shhh--ink.
I jam a blood vial into myself as I refocus on my enemy which charges at me once again with a maddened screech.
CLANG CLANG CLANG
As I continue to block, deflect and counterattack, the injuries on us both have accumulated. Im relatively fine as I have vials now which no longer have issues. Though a few moments ago I realized that I am actually running out of vials. I don't know if they were automatically used when I became a beast but there is a point where I will run out. I'd prefer to not depend on the store to restock as the system has already dulled my senses up till now.
"HUP" I suddenly have to 'dolphin dive' ahead of time as the Orphan charges at my back to smash me in half. I've gotten pretty good at reading its movements at this point, being able to 'see' in all directions thanks to my wind bubble.
Of course, just because I can adjust to it's physical movements, doesnt mean I don't keep an eye out for…fuck.
The Orphan of Kos pauses and let's out a terrifying shriek like never before as it's veil which I had torn apart in my attempts to hit the boss in any way become even more tattered from the shriek as the pressure on my body increases further while a deadly red energy flows all over the Orphan's body.
I see that pieces of the flowing energy breaks off like bubbles that then hover in the air before shooting towards me. I dive once more to the side but the Orphan suddenly appeared there midswing with it's club glowing brighter.
I use my hands to stop myself against a piece of rubble and hold myself upside down in a hand stand before flipping and thus getting above the boss for a moment as I swing my axe down onto his head which he just shakes in response as another bubble hits his own back. While a separate one slips off him around the same time.
BOOM.
I know it's a separate bubble because when the bubble struck his back. His aura pulsed around him before gathering into his chest which exploded out into an energy burst. I am sent flying away against the wall of the beach.
"Kagh" I vomit a phlegm of blood as the shockwave fully rolls over my body and I fall to the floor. I take a tentative breath before having to dodge to the side as another bubble shoots towards me.
Orphan is simply sitting there as the bubbles shoot at me which is all well and good until I realize that multiple bubbles gathering causes a 1.5x on them a they gather up and then split apart. Two becomes three, five becomes seven. I don't wish to test their power so I dodge them all alike.
But dodging like this will eventually cause my stamina to properly run out from lack of rest. I can only resort to my superpower in hopes of evening the playing field.
Magic.
I first start off waving out a miniature blade of wind made with a single point of mana, in hopes of splitting the attack so it outright misses me. Expectedly, the magical attack is outright devoured by the aura bubble shooting at me. I try again with ten, then 50, and stop there as any more tests prove useless. Instead I switch to different elements like fire, water, ice and then finally earth.
Doing Earth last was a mistake as it was the only one that had even a shred of being viable in this situation. Committing to all my previous tests caused me to lose out on 305 of my precious 795 mana, leaving me with only 490. When all I needed was a ball of mud and sand made of 5 mana to counter the bubbles.
"Haaah" I sigh as I rush towards Orphan who sees me rushing at him also gets riled up as more bubbles sprout from it before dashing at me himself.
I summoned a slab of sand to counter the dozens of bubbles that were hovering above him while I for once accelerated, moving far faster than him for a moment. The aged face showcases plenty of shock as I disappear from his sight.
Setup behind the Orphan of Kos. I crouch down with my extended axe in my hands as I apply the effect of my accelerated state combined with my two buff skills, Power Boost and Greater Rage, which have now finally merged into a single skill.
[Rage of the gods level MAX: 500 stamina cost. For the next 15 seconds, Gain accelerated movement, body function and a 30x boost in all attacks. 20 second cooldown from effect ending.]
Combined with a momentary usage of Chaos Shift, heat oozed off me. I unleash the perfect heavy swing at his defenseless back.
SWISH PLURGH
The first strike lands and gives a hefty slice into the skin but mostly cuts the veils, the second is far worse as it digs deep into flesh and bone, only to come back out, shredding all it touched from the sheer force of it. My attack too causes the Orphan of Kos to go flying, slamming into the wall like i did not too long ago.
'Rooo"
I was about to charge forward when I got a chill down my spine like never before upon hearing a whimper from the orphan.
"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHH"
A low whimper rises into a loud cry for help as the boss feels agony from his injury. It's the type of cry that a mother knows best. The type of cry that causes them to come to their child's rescue even against all the odds.
'Why is it so bright all the sudden?' I cant help but think as I turn my head.
I nervously turn to the corpse of Kosm and see a small seed of moonlight sprout above her lying corpse. Granted I don't see much for long as a sprout flashes quickly with such intensity, it feels as though I could see my own…everything. Before everything turns dark.
"AGHH, fuck my eyes" I fall over on my side as my hands hold against my face, covering my eyes. Thankfully im in my rage state, so I recover faster than normal. Not that im prepared for anything when I open my eyes again with clarity.
The Orphan of Kos had somehow bypassed my own magic bubble around me and returned to its mother's body, hugging it tightly while still crying. I try to get up as I watch this happen, fearing for my life should I try to do anything here and now.
As its tears collide with the corpse, it glows brighter and brighter until it reaches its peak and releases a wave of blue that sweeps out in all directions.
I feel a new sense of weakness covering me as my sight disappears once more but this time due to the thick fog of blue around me that then shifts red as the released wave of blue returns bloody red and filled to the brink with energy.
The return the wave also released a shockwave of energy that sends me flying. I land at the entrance of the beach where the dried up corpses of all the snail women lie. They no longer block the way out with the sole exception of having to walk on top of their corpses to do so. A feeling of wrongness falls on me as I feel my mind stretch upon witnessing what I shouldn't.
What I see on the beachhead is the Orphan of Kos. Its body wrapped in layers of fleshy cloth that came from its mother. Hand like appendages stick out cupping the chin of the now 'younger'-looking Orphan of Kos(m).
A gentle expression on the lonely child's face. No, not gentle. Happy. Finally reunited with its parents, locked in their embrace. A cocoon for their entrance into reality.
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Word Count = 2560
[1] So a swash zone is the portion of the beach where the tide covers as it 'sways' back and forth, in and out. This is also referred to as the Foreshore.