A figure approached the crags, human, it dragged itself across the floor on two barely functioning legs. And it stunk. A zombie, flesh rotted almost clean off and barely functional muscles pulsed, though they barely did anything but the minimum. She ducked down and crept away from the edge. They're slow, they can't climb, no problem.
She crept back across, quietly as she could. For zombies, sometimes it was smell, other times sound, and most of the time sight. She had to do her best, and she'd be able to relax and adjust to her life here if relaxation were possible. Granted, if she had a weapon, this would be easier than having to barehand an undead creature that would infect her by biting.
Hello Nullshade, what happens if I get infected by the undead?
Death and Renewal.
Good to know.
The sound of more zombies made her leap up and run to the edge to see what the hell was happening. Beneath her, at the bottom of the mesa she resided upon, a pile of flesh with empty eyes and malformed human heads formed into large lumps and bubbled. When the eyes fixed on her, they loosed a low growl that curdled her stomach acids. She ran as the gelatinous mass of flesh surged up the rock.
Halfway across, she looked back to see the biomass had managed to upward waterfall itself up the rock and came in a downpour toward her. She increased the strength of her leg muscles to outrun the bloody thing.
This world sucks!
And she ran for dear life and limb, though what's the point? If she can just respawn and go again? She wondered how far she could push her body. She increased the mass further, something felt like it would give way within her if she went for any more. So she kept it at that, but this was not sustainable. At the edge of the mesa, she leapt for another rock; she guessed it was a good fifteen meters away. She made it, with ground to spare and kept up her dead run, but had to reduce the strain on her body.
Behind her, the undead fleshbag rocketed up the landform again and continued its chase. She slipped down a set of rocks, one jump at a time and past a cave that would be an easy death trap, that thing could force itself into. She had no answer, just had to run and keep running. But her stamina was not infinite like in video games. Across the cracked ground, she pressed herself forward and ducked under a sharp object, tumbled forward, and grazed and scratched herself. She winced at the pain, scrambled to her feet, but found herself set to ice by what she saw approaching her.
It breathed in a strange, low bass, footsteps silent against the ground.
A weapon, Nullshade!
The demonic creature swung its bladed arm at her. Amelia stepped back and tumbled into a dead run. She massed herself up to move faster than before, but her knees buckled under the strain. She landed face-first. The blade pierced her back and tore through her chest. She looked down to see her entrails being torn out as more blades sprouted like branches and directly targeted them.
The dry laughter of the creature was all she could hear when the next arm came down on the back of her neck.
Nullshade System
Active renewal: Carbyne
She opened her eyes again, in her clothes were back to mint condition when she had just arrived. Then the vision of herself being decapitated after being skewered by that creature returned, and she keeled over with revulsion.
Location: Vallun Village - Fallen To Sukkal, The Scourge Demonlord of South Raha
Objective: Flee South toward Salem Kingdom and establish contact with the military to reach Tolmyr Nullshade, the creator of the Nullshade spell and squad.
"Fuck you." She forced herself to stand up, die and die again, and it's always- she shoved the sound of her head getting severed out of her mind. A few pants for breath to steady herself, shufti her surroundings. Ruined old buildings from the medieval age, they all felt like a mix of baroque and gothic, with some being a bit fanciful. The fancies were strikingly different, curves and keyhole shapes, almost like ankhs. Amelia decided to approach what looked to be some kind of temple in the past.
When she got close, her hand shrank back when whispers of malice emanated from the building to her mind. Another step back for good measure and-
"Holy Hamala!" a woman screeched and thrust a knife at her.
Amelia's training kicked off before she could think, take control of her arm. Remove her footing and snap her elbow the wrong way. She felt a small pang of regret at being rough- when did she use her powers? Are they already integrated with my thoughts and actions? Maybe it's that transfiguration-
"Why did you try to kill me!?"
The woman looked at her incredulously, her pissed off look ebbed away with something like a sweet smile. "You are not of Salem? Child, you can come embrace Hamala."
Amelia took the knife when she remembered the things that roam the land and stepped away from the crazy bitch, "Holy Hamala, bringer of peace and eternal night. He is no malevolent as they would tell you, here, I can show you where we gather." She clambered to her feet, "Never mind the arm, come, child. Come see how we worship."
Amelia was uncertain, but she clutched the knife and remembered she could respawn. But every death had to be worth it if she was going to survive; she needed information, weapons and armour. Perhaps she could spawn with them to survive better in this world. Outsiders summoned in Isekai have unique affinities for the arcane, so perhaps she could learn some sorcery or learn of types of sorcery that are not demonic. She took a deep breath and gave the woman a stout nod with a universe of courage she raked up with bravado.
Think of this as a game. It's a game, Amelia, and you're a player. It could be like Log Horizon, where she's the first adventurer sent to stifle the monsters.
The woman guided her into the malevolent ruined temple. Their footsteps echoed too much, and the air felt like it was full of tiny metal particles. Past a broken statue of a... a cross? Here? They ducked into a small booth that had strange languages carved into it. Some of it looked Arabic, others looked like something related; most of it was images out of some nightmare. Beasts with too many limbs, appendages, some of them seemed to be morphing into different forms, and others ate themselves, ate spheres- planets, stars and other stellar objects.
Down a dank tunnel that smelled of sweet oils and cooking meat, she followed the woman. Amelia now noted that the woman's skin was clear. Despite her rags, she was well kept, and her arm already healed!? When!?
"Excuse me?" Amelia said more meekly than she intended, "Your arm?"
"Hamala heals within his temples," she said sweetly, "Come, come."
Something about the woman's eyes, like they had lost too much life. Something she'd given up and was lost on, the women you see after they're abused, the deadness in them. But she swallowed her concerns for now. She'd just take a look against her better instinct and see what she could glean and claim, then she'd nip right back out and run for her life. That's right, Ammy, this is not the best idea, but the first idea she got on contacting other humans.
And when they arrived, the first thing she observed was a massive orgy between men and women, same sex and hetero. She stopped dead at the sight, her brain confused as to whether she should be shocked at the open sex acts between so many outside of when she flicked it to porn or whether she should be aroused. This is not specifically what she wanted, but some of the men here were as big in muscles as they were down there, tall, some taller than Todd and God... damn he's...
Ammy shoved the degen thoughts down, "This is what Hamala offers?" she whispered.
"Protection, pleasure, so long as we kill all his enemies," she said, "Hamala has guided you here."
There's nothing wrong with sex, but... her eyes drifted to a man who approached, stark, bloody naked and too effeminate in the face to be as handsome in the body as he is.
"Greetings," he said, "How are we doing, Salwa?"
"Look, Hamala brought a new girl to us to join in the ceremony," she said excitedly as if Amelia was a new disciple to their cult already...
Ceremony?
"The question in your eyes, girl," he said, "Yes, we breed armies down here to liberate Raha from Salem."
"Salem, like they're witches?"
"Yes," he said, "You speak strangely, like some of the city folk, are you one of them?" he arched a perfect eyebrow.
Too perfect, "Yes," she said.
His face lit up and he stepped closer, "I'd show you a fantastic time, we have wine, liquor, food and a beauty that comes after you are given to Lord Hamala. You are, quite beautiful, more beautiful than any woman here."
The woman Amelia had broken the arm of, Salwa, scowled.
Nullshade, is Hamala a demon?
Hamala
Firstborn of Sahim Elyonfil
Hamala, bringer of death and eternal night
Hamala, creator of deathfog
Hamala, Elder demon of death magic
ERROR. LOCATION COMPROMISED. FLEE.
How do I level up?
Killing.
I need a good excuse, a good reason- no, it's too late. "I need time to think."
He lunged to hold her down and found her knee to his chin; he tumbled down. The woman hissed, and everyone, busy fucking dashed after her. Amelia spun on her heel and legged it up the cave. The idiots behind her had bundled into each other and blocked the entrance to the cavern.
Up through the booth and out of the church, she was out in the street again on a run, but she stopped by a few of the larger houses while the idiots started to fan out in the street and search. She had claimed some old maces and managed to shove herself into some ancient leather that seemed serviceable with a few plates stuck on. She grit her teeth and took a few swings.
Nullshade, combat skills? Any implanted muscle memory?
Your brains say you are an idiot.
Yes, yes, I know.
Objective: Flee South toward Salem Kingdom and establish contact with the military to reach Tolmyr Nullshade, the creator of the Nullshade spell and squad.
What are the odds of me killing all of these people?
Your brains say don't be a pussy.
She kicked down the panic in her gut and took long breaths. It's a game, you can do this. It's a game, you can do this. You could've outrun them, but now there's no choice. Who am I wanking? This is real. She remembered the taste of blood when she had the blades tear through her stomach—the sound of her body crumpling.
Someone entered the building, loud footsteps and a louder mouth smacking lips on what smelled like... a strange meat... Cannibals?
Ammy-Mel had gotten herself into the shit-sty, people that probably eat people like it's eating crumpets on Sunday evening. She gritted her teeth. Okay, they're NPCs and you've got a minion-mace to bonk their heads and despawn them. You're farming creeps in Dota, Ammy, you're-- she shut her eyes tightly. They're just bad people who worship demons.
"You!"