[ How is depth of character a grading metric? Whatever, this game is ridiculous—at least they got through this trial, even if their clown managed to penalize himself with his antics. Seduction was the answer after all, apparently.
He's equally unamused about this injury, which he grips with a faint shiver, his expression schooled into something steady. ]
System, open glossary and show "Without a Cure" entry.
[ He has no qualms with going along with the easier path, meanwhile. ]
Nnnnn? [What a weird little noise - its like Limbo is a displeased cat. He frowns deeply just as the System starts talking.] Minus a hundred points? For stealing a wife? Haha!! Hahahaha!!! We were asked to please her, were we not! She was never off limits! Not at all my business if that Luo Binghe wasn't good enough for a powerful demon like her!!
[LUO BINGHE SUCKS WE ALL HATE LUO BINGHE]
[But he supposes he has a wife, now! Nice. After a bit of gnashing his teeth, he collects himself. Well, he's not out of the running...yet. Though Lucilius being poisoned may be a problem! Not his problem, though.]
Whatever. Easier it is, poisoning and all! Hm! Let's get this over with.
anyway. lucilius asked a question, and so, the system, helpfully, responds! the glossary pops up in front of the group. ]
【 GLOSSARY: "Without a Cure": A poison used by the demon clan to coat weapons and blades. In chapter 35 of Proud Immortal Demon Way, a cute little jiejie contracts the demonic poison. Protagonist sought out the cure to the poison and eventually won her heart because he saved her. The original attempt to cure it was with a thousand year miracle flower, but that failed. However, the protagonist is able to find the actual cure.
The cure that was finally found was the act of PAPAPA. It will then be cured naturally!
It takes approximately three days to kill the affected individual, during which they will become weaker, unless it is healed. 】
[ congrats on your sex poison lucilius!!
with choices chosen, however, you get your next prompt as the scenery begins to change, a now familiar downloading bar in the background. ]
Destination: Endless Abyss. Critical Mission: The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Sky Filled with Crystal Frost and Tears of Blood. Total B-points available to gain: 1000+ Mission Level: ★★★★★★ (Easier Mode)
DOWNLOAD: 100%. NOW LOADING.... ]
[ when the system windows disappear, the third mission starts, and all three of you have been shoved off of a cliff.
You're not the only one - falling near you is luo binghe, straight downwards, bleeding from the chest; and all four of you slam into the ground after what feels like an eternity, creating an instant crater with your arrival. It seems you're all fine, despite it - though binghe is gone. Gather yourself and check yourself over for injuries, and maybe look around? It seems you've all kept your clothing from before, as well as your weapons. That's nice! Thanks system.
The area around you is bleak; there are flames licking the sides of a completely barren landscape, the ground scorched black and miserable. In the distance, there's what looks like a tall building, looming even among the smoke, but the surroundings are otherwise empty, and if any of you have a danger sense, you will be able to feel the energy of this place - it is truly, truly wicked.
Black qi whips off of the trees, and the surface of the crater you've all left.
Suddenly, from behind the group comes a large, ominous, rattling growl. Turning around will show the biggest beast you have ever seen in your life - a massive, towering hydra of a creature with seven slobbering heads and the sharp tail of a scorpion. It looks at the three of you like you are its next meal, snarls, lets out an earth shattering roar that breaks the closest piece of stone into pieces...
And immediately lunges at you all..
The system, helpfully, pings - ]
Levels of demonic beasts are high in the Demonic Abyss. Choose your fights wisely!
[ Fun! This is like one of his night terrors! He hates this.
Once the disorientation period ends, Chang Geng moves to start getting his feet under him, freezing partway up as he gets a feel for this place. While he typically isn't magically inclined, one doesn't survive the life he has without honing a danger sense - and he looks back in the direction of the growl before reaching for an arrow slowly. He doesn't completely get up, but instead pivots carefully in a crouch so his back is no longer to the giant beast.
The roar doesn't make him flinch, but he does go tense, bristling while adjusting his grip on his bow. ]
System, how many demonic beasts are there for us to face? [ Not that he expects a useful answer!!! but it's worth a shot as he nocks the arrow. At least they still have weapons.
Also he's not paying attention to the cure for Lucilius' poison. Not his problem, now. ]
[ Lucilius also ignores the cure for Lucilius' poison. Perhaps he will simply choose death.
But for him to even have the opportunity to die of abstinence, they have to clear through this mission first. For now, he just moves to get some distance from this creature, glancing around this dour landscape for anything that might stand out—are they supposed to be going somewhere? ]
Papapa...papapa... [Ohhhh. OHHHHHH. He just. Looks over at Luclilius and smiles.] Mmmm. You know, if you don't want to die, I could help with that, make it quick...
[god]
[Anyways! They're here now. Their dear protagonist isn't here. This giant scorpion creature is! Limbo instantly twists to face it, moving backwards as he dives into his robes to pull out his stack of papers.]
Nnnn! System! Is my darling demonic wife here? [THE ONE HE STOLE FROM THE PROTAGONIST? YES THAT ONE. HE EARNED THAT WIFE FAIR AND SQUARE] Anyways, nnnn! This will do!
[He throws a piece of paper down, sending a sharp pillar of earth up to attempt to deliver a blow to the creature, all while jumping backwards, readying another piece of paper.]
[ the system doesn't give an immediate answer. the first thing the group hears is a voice. it's not one they recognize - a low, booming voice. ]
You've been down here for weeks, haven't you? Will you give up?
[ followed by harsh panting. that same voice chuckles. ]
No? Why do you stay? Why are you still alive?
[ silence. and then... a second voice, this one more familiar, now. luo binghe's. ] I want revenge.
Revenge?
Destroy him. [ binghe's voice comes again, this time boiling with fury. ] Destroy him for the way he tormented me, I want him to feel every suffering I felt!
[ and if there's more to that conversation, it stops there, because the system pings to chang geng's question... and sort of limbo's, i guess? ]
【 The Endless Abyss is the home of all demons. They seek prey. Please choose your fights wisely to ensure the best experience. 】
[ or.. not. that's all you get, apparently.
of course, there's the monster to contend with!! it screams, this time, the noise horrible and loud, and snaps forward at both limbo and chang geng, who are in striking rage. limbo's strike manages to slam directly into one of its heads, which is forced off in a fantastic spray of disgusting black blood, which coats the both of them - however, when the monster twitches backwards, writhing and screaming, two more heads grow from where the first was (Proud Immortal Demon Way isn't the most original work, hey, at least plagiarize from the right cultural icon,) -
but while they're watching that horror, one of the creature's gigantic, clawed forelegs grabs chang geng, picks him up, and slams him into the ground with an unholy amount of strength, squeezing its disgusting, almost slimy hand around his torso. it then picks him up again, and starts lifting him up to one of its many mouths in an attempt to eat him. tasty human morsel! better do something about that!
lucy, who lost ten b-points from being poisoned but otherwise is not fighting or getting covered in disgusting black blood, may notice the distant, large, looming building. it's very big, and is the only thing in sight that isn't destroyed. weird. ]
No pained noise comes out, even with the impact. He bites it back as he finds himself winded and jostled, instead, and tries to brace against that disgusting, slimy hand so that it can't just crush him to death. This is not how he's going to go, thank you!
While there's still sense in that head of his, he sees red - if not literally, for once, his vision still swims and something shifts just so in him - and pulls on that qi to power up for getting his arms free. Go ahead, put him in your mouth, chucklefuck! He'll wedge the bow in the monster's jaws the second he's even close enough. ]
[ He does what he's learned is the best way to deal with nuisances like Limbo: he ignores him. Instead, he's watching as this monster slams Chang Geng around, then glances back to the building on the horizon. ]
It isn't saying we have to fight, necessarily—
[ The mission guidelines are vague this time, but the system prompts don't seem to be encouraging battle. Besides, when he tries to summon up more magic, it doesn't respond, his fingers too chill to spin together any energy before it fizzles away.
So instead he just docks a regular arrow at the beast and aims for its eye. ]
Mmmmmmm! What a horrific beast! Alas, now is not the time to add you to my repertoire...and ah, Saintess, abandoned me in my time of need, so sad.
[How sad. And there goes Chang Geng. At least he's having an alright time? Probably? Limbo just smiles, even as he's coated in beast blood. Terrible.]
This is true! Fighting may not be the answer, but-! Now...this!
[And another paper thrown down - this time, he draws his hand back, and a large hard ball of earth comes out of the ground where the paper was, which he tosses at the scorpion tail as hard as he can. Hope it hits!]
first, limbo's earth ball slams into the scorpion tail. the monster screeches, and the tail looks hurt pretty badly! nice job. the monster is not happy about this, so it immediately lashes right back out at limbo with another one of its head, full force headbutting limbo right in the ribcage and sending him flying backwards towards that mysterious building.
secondly, the head currently holding chang geng in its mouth... does get stuck with the bow. it tries to snap its teeth and fails. less fortunately for him, the head right next to the one he is currently dangling over leans over to take a chomping bite out of his shoulder with its big, nasty teeth. chomp. it is still holding onto him with its gross claw because i got a 20 so you don't get to break my grapple because i said so.
thirdly, yet another head rears backwards and spits out a wide arc of what looks like more poison at lucilius! however, nu was finally blessed by the dice gods, so lucilius is not hit by any of the spray, especially if he happens to go backwards, towards that mysterious building!
the monster's tail is pretty smushed, but it's got nine heads still, one of which looks very much like it's going to eat chang geng. i guess you better deal with that. ]
[ Whatever is happening outside of these mouths is Limbo and Lucilius' problem, so, Chang Geng has no attention for what they're up to. It does sound like the monster is in pain, though. That's progress towards - something. Not that he actually has any lofty ideas of what that something is at the moment besides getting out of the monster's slimy clutches, but, you know, one step at a time.
He does hiss out in pain, this time, biting down on his tongue to keep from doing more than that. While he can't break free of the grapple, he does at least have his hands free, so. He pulls back on the bowstring as far as he can get it in his current position, and shoots the rest of his ""gifted"" spiritual energy down the monster's throat.
Give him wars and steampunk mini-mecha armor back, please, this path of cultivation is just pissing him off. ]
[ The poison splashes by his feet, but he backpedals and manages to avoid the worst of it, eyes narrowed on this hydra beast. Even if they find the solution to this puzzle of a monster (how do they gut the belly of the beast—maybe Chang Geng will manage it, considering how close he is to being eaten entirely), he assumes another will be quick to take its place.
So they beat this thing, then run towards the only visible shelter here. Hopefully that's in-line with the mission parameters, though he'd really like to figure out how to break this system to pieces instead.
He entertains ideas of how to kill the writers of these scenarios as he takes his anger out on the demon, magic still refusing to answer his summons before he shoots an arrow at its body, where a heart might be. ]
[And there he goes flying! If only Sha Hualiang could see him now. And Shen Qingqiu. Would the man pour tea over his head? He wonders, even as he goes tumbling back over the ground. Gritting his teeth, he moves to stand, though wincing from the pain - ouch. He probably broke a few ribs.]
Haha! As if you could keep this Dou- I mean, Seimei down! Haha! I only get stronger from your vain attempts to vanquish me! Hahahahaha! Just like Binghe, I will live on!
[His eyes alight with rabid anger, he tosses a couple more papers on the ground as he backs away to the building - the papers summon forth a large sharp crystal-like thing of hard earth above the monster, and Limbo attempts to move it so it'll fall from the earth to hopefully impale the thing directly in the body.]
[ well! starting with lucilius - a head of the monster spots the arrow, opens its mouth, and screams, promptly incinerating the arrow in a blast of fire that licks over lucilius's front, though he's far enough away that he can probably get away from being turned to ashes. that's good!
meanwhile, chang geng's eight means that his shot fires straight, and true.
however, the monster finally manages to snap the bow in half and snap its jaws shut right around him, ready to eat his squirming meal. the monster's teeth gnash, taking another bite out of anything that's not immediately falling down its throat, and for a moment, it seems like your compatriot is lost, vored by this monster...
...but apparently limbo the clown is taking this monster to clowntown. the crystalline hard structure lifts, and drops, striking through the monster. not only that, but it hits against chang geng's arrow loaded with spiritual energy -- and with that, it detonates. there is a huge explosion, as the monster is literally blown apart, and chang geng comes out completely intact as the entire group is thrown backwards, now within walking distance of this gigantic building. chang geng is absolutely covered in blood, viscera, and slobber, and one of the monster's eyeballs falls in his lap with an anticlimactic splat.
it continues to rain monster guts for a couple seconds. the system says - ]
【 Final Blow! +10 B-points, Limbo 】
[ it seems you've earned some peace!
...for about a minute. coming from the side, there is another low, ominous growl, sounding exactly like the creature they just fought, and sounding very, very close.
the large building within running distance is now easier to see, as some of the smoke clears when they get close. it looks to be a gigantic temple, with smooth white marble pillars and columns, and a wide open door.
there's another growl. is the next monster getting closer? this growl is coming from the side. not in the temple.
[ Considering his inherent nature, he's more than willing to be vored at this point, since he still has arrows. Yes, Chang Geng was but five seconds from stabbing his way out of this thing's throat if he had to, to the point that he was about to go down easy instead of struggling.
But Limbo thankfully rolled a nat 20, so here we are in the end. In a pile of viscera and goo, with an eyeball in his lap. He's a little dazed, considering the explosion and being slammed around, but his movements are automatic, as he just picks up the eyeball in his hands like this isn't a big deal and pushes himself up to standing again. Because his ears are ringing a little, but there's no interest in sticking around when he can hear that growl. Is he hearing things?
Hallucinations haven't stopped him before. ]
Thank you, ah, Seimei. [ Nope, fuck this. He's going to beat a direct line towards the temple. ]
[ The flame singes his robes, so he's mostly busy putting that fire out when the monster erupts into viscera and gore. Lucilius just. Slowly wipes away a splotch of demon guts that splattered on his cheek.
Okay then.
Seeing poor Chang Geng in this state does summon up the first, tiny (and mean) smile he's shown this entire adventure, because it's all a little funny. Dry as a bone: ]
An excellent showing.
[ They're one weapon and one mage down, so it's best they hustle to this building. Off he goes, quickly. ]
[Limbo may be covered in guts! They may be covered in blood, and gore, and god knows what else.]
[And yet, the grin on their face is nothing short of pleased.]
Hahahaha! HahahahAHAHAHA! Yes! Yes!!
[What pure delight, over an...exploded monster.]
[Anyways, time to go! Limbo might have enjoyed his little victory, but he won't stick around for seconds, especially not at full power. With a sweeping of his stained robes, and wincing from his bruises, he runs after the others up the temple towards that open door.]
[ a wise choice! the system thinks so. by which i mean i think so.
anyway!! once all three of them are inside, the door slams shut behind them, and a line of red torches light up, one by one by one down a long hallway ending in a door.
something will pull them to walk forward, and as they do, they'll hear the rising echoes of another voice. ]
I've mastered demonic cultivation. [ binghe, again. ] I've planned everything. I'll take Huanhua Palace, and I'll make every person who laughed at me pay, I'll... I'll show them that I deserve to be the strongest. Because I am the strongest.
Have you embraced your demonic heritage? [ asks the deep voice from before. ]
Yes. --Yes! This blood of mine - It's no curse, it's a curse on them. I am Luo Binghe - I'll kill every monster in this realm and prove that it's mine to own!
[ the deep voice chuckles, then. ] Good. Find the blade, then. Take it, child. Use it to take this world and make it your own.
[ before they know it, the group will be standing at the end of the hallway, in another doorway.
the hall in front of them is simple, with large pillars reaching up to the ceiling, and a plush red carpet on the floor. there are a few tables - seemingly, it's some kind of dining hall - and painted on the wall directly facing them is... a woman's face! what a nice piece of artwork. she looks nice and happy, her mouth curved up in a smile.
beside the painting is a little crystal box. it's clear; there is a key inside.
and to the right, there's a door! seems to be how to get to the next room.
find the blade says the deep voice again. they are, as always, welcome to check in with the system! in fact... ]
[ A sardonic smile is the only thing that Lucilius gets in response, pleasant except for the fact that his eyes are dark and his teeth are a little bared. Why is he still carrying the eyeball? Because his bow is broken, and he's more than willing to use the gore as a distraction in the event that they get attacked yet again. (Who throws a giant eyeball at people? A Chang Geng that has let his mental state slip into unhinged for a bit.)
The temptation to throw it into Limbo's face is brief, but he ignores it as he cocks his head at the deep voice, assessing the woman's face on the wall.
Sure. Let someone else check out the key and door. ]
[Ohhh? Maybe Binghe isn't as much of a terrible uninteresting boring person as Limbo once thought. It definitely tickles his sensibilities, hearing someone wanting to give themselves to demonic power.]
Mmm, System? Who is that lady in the picture?
[How pretty she is. He'll go to check out the key along with Lucilius, peering in.]
【 KEY ITEM QUEST! 】 [ the system brings up a picture of a black sword with a red jewel in its handle. ]
THE XIN MO SWORD. Luo Binghe's weapon. Can be used to open dimensional portals.
[ chang geng's question is answered first. limbo's just gets a noise. ]
【 No answer found. 】
[ somebody unimportant, i guess.
anyway, the box isn't locked or anything. the top comes off easily! the key inside is fairly large, but not weird looking - just an iron key with a red ribbon on the handle.
curiously, the woman's smile seems... to grow? and grow, and grow, and grow, and suddenly, her mouth is wide open.
a high pitched, shrieking laughter echoes through the room, acutely, immediately painful, enough to cause some damage... and more importantly, something else?
everyone in the room will start to feel... odd, afterwards. heartbeats start increasing, ears are ringing, and vision swimming with stars, each member of the party may start to feel a little...
...giggly? almost like you've been drinking, way, way, way too much? the room seems to spin and sway, and suddenly, everything's really, really funny.
the laughter is continuing, shrieking and mirthful and loud and horrible, and not stopping anytime soon.
well, you've got the key, right? so all you have to do is get to the door?
[ Looking the sword up and down as the System displays it to him, he doesn't notice right away when the woman starts to smile more and more. But his gaze slides off past the mission goal, as he notices something just off in his peripheral. It gives him a bit of a cold chill, actually, thinking of Xiu Niang's beautiful but uncanny face, and he's about to say something or move to get them to leave -
But Chang Geng's already shifted vision spins, and he wobbles with dizziness before hitting a knee. Both hands come up to cover his ears, the eyeball momentarily abandoned as he tries to find some sort of grounding. There's something more manic than mirthful bubbling in the back of his head, accompanied by the ever present scratching just waiting to break out.
Joining his fellow Lucifer in bad rolls for this round. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He's equally unamused about this injury, which he grips with a faint shiver, his expression schooled into something steady. ]
System, open glossary and show "Without a Cure" entry.
[ He has no qualms with going along with the easier path, meanwhile. ]
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[LUO BINGHE SUCKS WE ALL HATE LUO BINGHE]
[But he supposes he has a wife, now! Nice. After a bit of gnashing his teeth, he collects himself. Well, he's not out of the running...yet. Though Lucilius being poisoned may be a problem! Not his problem, though.]
Whatever. Easier it is, poisoning and all! Hm! Let's get this over with.
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anyway. lucilius asked a question, and so, the system, helpfully, responds! the glossary pops up in front of the group. ]
【 GLOSSARY:
"Without a Cure": A poison used by the demon clan to coat weapons and blades. In chapter 35 of Proud Immortal Demon Way, a cute little jiejie contracts the demonic poison. Protagonist sought out the cure to the poison and eventually won her heart because he saved her. The original attempt to cure it was with a thousand year miracle flower, but that failed. However, the protagonist is able to find the actual cure.
The cure that was finally found was the act of PAPAPA. It will then be cured naturally!
It takes approximately three days to kill the affected individual, during which they will become weaker, unless it is healed. 】
[ congrats on your sex poison lucilius!!
with choices chosen, however, you get your next prompt as the scenery begins to change, a now familiar downloading bar in the background. ]
Destination: Endless Abyss.
Critical Mission: The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Sky Filled with Crystal Frost and Tears of Blood.
Total B-points available to gain: 1000+
Mission Level: ★★★★★★ (Easier Mode)
DOWNLOAD: 100%. NOW LOADING.... ]
[ when the system windows disappear, the third mission starts, and all three of you have been shoved off of a cliff.
You're not the only one - falling near you is luo binghe, straight downwards, bleeding from the chest; and all four of you slam into the ground after what feels like an eternity, creating an instant crater with your arrival. It seems you're all fine, despite it - though binghe is gone. Gather yourself and check yourself over for injuries, and maybe look around? It seems you've all kept your clothing from before, as well as your weapons. That's nice! Thanks system.
The area around you is bleak; there are flames licking the sides of a completely barren landscape, the ground scorched black and miserable. In the distance, there's what looks like a tall building, looming even among the smoke, but the surroundings are otherwise empty, and if any of you have a danger sense, you will be able to feel the energy of this place - it is truly, truly wicked.
Black qi whips off of the trees, and the surface of the crater you've all left.
Suddenly, from behind the group comes a large, ominous, rattling growl. Turning around will show the biggest beast you have ever seen in your life - a massive, towering hydra of a creature with seven slobbering heads and the sharp tail of a scorpion. It looks at the three of you like you are its next meal, snarls, lets out an earth shattering roar that breaks the closest piece of stone into pieces...
And immediately lunges at you all..
The system, helpfully, pings - ]
Levels of demonic beasts are high in the Demonic Abyss. Choose your fights wisely!
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Once the disorientation period ends, Chang Geng moves to start getting his feet under him, freezing partway up as he gets a feel for this place. While he typically isn't magically inclined, one doesn't survive the life he has without honing a danger sense - and he looks back in the direction of the growl before reaching for an arrow slowly. He doesn't completely get up, but instead pivots carefully in a crouch so his back is no longer to the giant beast.
The roar doesn't make him flinch, but he does go tense, bristling while adjusting his grip on his bow. ]
System, how many demonic beasts are there for us to face? [ Not that he expects a useful answer!!! but it's worth a shot as he nocks the arrow. At least they still have weapons.
Also he's not paying attention to the cure for Lucilius' poison. Not his problem, now. ]
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[ Lucilius also ignores the cure for Lucilius' poison. Perhaps he will simply choose death.
But for him to even have the opportunity to die of abstinence, they have to clear through this mission first. For now, he just moves to get some distance from this creature, glancing around this dour landscape for anything that might stand out—are they supposed to be going somewhere? ]
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[god]
[Anyways! They're here now. Their dear protagonist isn't here. This giant scorpion creature is! Limbo instantly twists to face it, moving backwards as he dives into his robes to pull out his stack of papers.]
Nnnn! System! Is my darling demonic wife here? [THE ONE HE STOLE FROM THE PROTAGONIST? YES THAT ONE. HE EARNED THAT WIFE FAIR AND SQUARE] Anyways, nnnn! This will do!
[He throws a piece of paper down, sending a sharp pillar of earth up to attempt to deliver a blow to the creature, all while jumping backwards, readying another piece of paper.]
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You've been down here for weeks, haven't you? Will you give up?
[ followed by harsh panting. that same voice chuckles. ]
No? Why do you stay? Why are you still alive?
[ silence. and then... a second voice, this one more familiar, now. luo binghe's. ] I want revenge.
Revenge?
Destroy him. [ binghe's voice comes again, this time boiling with fury. ] Destroy him for the way he tormented me, I want him to feel every suffering I felt!
[ and if there's more to that conversation, it stops there, because the system pings to chang geng's question... and sort of limbo's, i guess? ]
【 The Endless Abyss is the home of all demons. They seek prey. Please choose your fights wisely to ensure the best experience. 】
[ or.. not. that's all you get, apparently.
of course, there's the monster to contend with!! it screams, this time, the noise horrible and loud, and snaps forward at both limbo and chang geng, who are in striking rage. limbo's strike manages to slam directly into one of its heads, which is forced off in a fantastic spray of disgusting black blood, which coats the both of them - however, when the monster twitches backwards, writhing and screaming, two more heads grow from where the first was (Proud Immortal Demon Way isn't the most original work, hey, at least plagiarize from the right cultural icon,) -
but while they're watching that horror, one of the creature's gigantic, clawed forelegs grabs chang geng, picks him up, and slams him into the ground with an unholy amount of strength, squeezing its disgusting, almost slimy hand around his torso. it then picks him up again, and starts lifting him up to one of its many mouths in an attempt to eat him. tasty human morsel! better do something about that!
lucy, who lost ten b-points from being poisoned but otherwise is not fighting or getting covered in disgusting black blood, may notice the distant, large, looming building. it's very big, and is the only thing in sight that isn't destroyed. weird. ]
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No pained noise comes out, even with the impact. He bites it back as he finds himself winded and jostled, instead, and tries to brace against that disgusting, slimy hand so that it can't just crush him to death. This is not how he's going to go, thank you!
While there's still sense in that head of his, he sees red - if not literally, for once, his vision still swims and something shifts just so in him - and pulls on that qi to power up for getting his arms free. Go ahead, put him in your mouth, chucklefuck! He'll wedge the bow in the monster's jaws the second he's even close enough. ]
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It isn't saying we have to fight, necessarily—
[ The mission guidelines are vague this time, but the system prompts don't seem to be encouraging battle. Besides, when he tries to summon up more magic, it doesn't respond, his fingers too chill to spin together any energy before it fizzles away.
So instead he just docks a regular arrow at the beast and aims for its eye. ]
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[How sad. And there goes Chang Geng. At least he's having an alright time? Probably? Limbo just smiles, even as he's coated in beast blood. Terrible.]
This is true! Fighting may not be the answer, but-! Now...this!
[And another paper thrown down - this time, he draws his hand back, and a large hard ball of earth comes out of the ground where the paper was, which he tosses at the scorpion tail as hard as he can. Hope it hits!]
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a few things happen.
first, limbo's earth ball slams into the scorpion tail. the monster screeches, and the tail looks hurt pretty badly! nice job. the monster is not happy about this, so it immediately lashes right back out at limbo with another one of its head, full force headbutting limbo right in the ribcage and sending him flying backwards towards that mysterious building.
secondly, the head currently holding chang geng in its mouth... does get stuck with the bow. it tries to snap its teeth and fails. less fortunately for him, the head right next to the one he is currently dangling over leans over to take a chomping bite out of his shoulder with its big, nasty teeth. chomp. it is still holding onto him with its gross claw because i got a 20 so you don't get to break my grapple because i said so.
thirdly, yet another head rears backwards and spits out a wide arc of what looks like more poison at lucilius! however, nu was finally blessed by the dice gods, so lucilius is not hit by any of the spray, especially if he happens to go backwards, towards that mysterious building!
the monster's tail is pretty smushed, but it's got nine heads still, one of which looks very much like it's going to eat chang geng. i guess you better deal with that. ]
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He does hiss out in pain, this time, biting down on his tongue to keep from doing more than that. While he can't break free of the grapple, he does at least have his hands free, so. He pulls back on the bowstring as far as he can get it in his current position, and shoots the rest of his ""gifted"" spiritual energy down the monster's throat.
Give him wars and steampunk mini-mecha armor back, please, this path of cultivation is just pissing him off. ]
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So they beat this thing, then run towards the only visible shelter here. Hopefully that's in-line with the mission parameters, though he'd really like to figure out how to break this system to pieces instead.
He entertains ideas of how to kill the writers of these scenarios as he takes his anger out on the demon, magic still refusing to answer his summons before he shoots an arrow at its body, where a heart might be. ]
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[And there he goes flying! If only Sha Hualiang could see him now. And Shen Qingqiu. Would the man pour tea over his head? He wonders, even as he goes tumbling back over the ground. Gritting his teeth, he moves to stand, though wincing from the pain - ouch. He probably broke a few ribs.]
Haha! As if you could keep this Dou- I mean, Seimei down! Haha! I only get stronger from your vain attempts to vanquish me! Hahahahaha! Just like Binghe, I will live on!
[His eyes alight with rabid anger, he tosses a couple more papers on the ground as he backs away to the building - the papers summon forth a large sharp crystal-like thing of hard earth above the monster, and Limbo attempts to move it so it'll fall from the earth to hopefully impale the thing directly in the body.]
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meanwhile, chang geng's eight means that his shot fires straight, and true.
however, the monster finally manages to snap the bow in half and snap its jaws shut right around him, ready to eat his squirming meal. the monster's teeth gnash, taking another bite out of anything that's not immediately falling down its throat, and for a moment, it seems like your compatriot is lost, vored by this monster...
...but apparently limbo the clown is taking this monster to clowntown. the crystalline hard structure lifts, and drops, striking through the monster. not only that, but it hits against chang geng's arrow loaded with spiritual energy -- and with that, it detonates. there is a huge explosion, as the monster is literally blown apart, and chang geng comes out completely intact as the entire group is thrown backwards, now within walking distance of this gigantic building. chang geng is absolutely covered in blood, viscera, and slobber, and one of the monster's eyeballs falls in his lap with an anticlimactic splat.
it continues to rain monster guts for a couple seconds. the system says - ]
【 Final Blow! +10 B-points, Limbo 】
[ it seems you've earned some peace!
...for about a minute. coming from the side, there is another low, ominous growl, sounding exactly like the creature they just fought, and sounding very, very close.
the large building within running distance is now easier to see, as some of the smoke clears when they get close. it looks to be a gigantic temple, with smooth white marble pillars and columns, and a wide open door.
there's another growl. is the next monster getting closer? this growl is coming from the side. not in the temple.
what now? ]
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But Limbo thankfully rolled a nat 20, so here we are in the end. In a pile of viscera and goo, with an eyeball in his lap. He's a little dazed, considering the explosion and being slammed around, but his movements are automatic, as he just picks up the eyeball in his hands like this isn't a big deal and pushes himself up to standing again. Because his ears are ringing a little, but there's no interest in sticking around when he can hear that growl. Is he hearing things?
Hallucinations haven't stopped him before. ]
Thank you, ah, Seimei. [ Nope, fuck this. He's going to beat a direct line towards the temple. ]
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Okay then.
Seeing poor Chang Geng in this state does summon up the first, tiny (and mean) smile he's shown this entire adventure, because it's all a little funny. Dry as a bone: ]
An excellent showing.
[ They're one weapon and one mage down, so it's best they hustle to this building. Off he goes, quickly. ]
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[And yet, the grin on their face is nothing short of pleased.]
Hahahaha! HahahahAHAHAHA! Yes! Yes!!
[What pure delight, over an...exploded monster.]
[Anyways, time to go! Limbo might have enjoyed his little victory, but he won't stick around for seconds, especially not at full power. With a sweeping of his stained robes, and wincing from his bruises, he runs after the others up the temple towards that open door.]
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anyway!! once all three of them are inside, the door slams shut behind them, and a line of red torches light up, one by one by one down a long hallway ending in a door.
something will pull them to walk forward, and as they do, they'll hear the rising echoes of another voice. ]
I've mastered demonic cultivation. [ binghe, again. ] I've planned everything. I'll take Huanhua Palace, and I'll make every person who laughed at me pay, I'll... I'll show them that I deserve to be the strongest. Because I am the strongest.
Have you embraced your demonic heritage? [ asks the deep voice from before. ]
Yes. --Yes! This blood of mine - It's no curse, it's a curse on them. I am Luo Binghe - I'll kill every monster in this realm and prove that it's mine to own!
[ the deep voice chuckles, then. ] Good. Find the blade, then. Take it, child. Use it to take this world and make it your own.
[ before they know it, the group will be standing at the end of the hallway, in another doorway.
the hall in front of them is simple, with large pillars reaching up to the ceiling, and a plush red carpet on the floor. there are a few tables - seemingly, it's some kind of dining hall - and painted on the wall directly facing them is... a woman's face! what a nice piece of artwork. she looks nice and happy, her mouth curved up in a smile.
beside the painting is a little crystal box. it's clear; there is a key inside.
and to the right, there's a door! seems to be how to get to the next room.
find the blade says the deep voice again. they are, as always, welcome to check in with the system! in fact... ]
CHECKPOINT REACHED: HOLY MAUSEOLEUM!
+ 10 B-Points.
Fighting an Unnecessary Battle:
-30 B-Points to Chang Geng
Character Development: Edgy but Intelligent
+10 Points to Lucilius
Please continue making choices.
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The temptation to throw it into Limbo's face is brief, but he ignores it as he cocks his head at the deep voice, assessing the woman's face on the wall.
Sure. Let someone else check out the key and door. ]
System, what blade is this?
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Instead, he lets a Less than Okay Chang Geng deal with it for now, looking over the box instead. Can he retrieve the key? ]
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Mmm, System? Who is that lady in the picture?
[How pretty she is. He'll go to check out the key along with Lucilius, peering in.]
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[ the system brings up a picture of a black sword with a red jewel in its handle. ]
THE XIN MO SWORD. Luo Binghe's weapon. Can be used to open dimensional portals.
[ chang geng's question is answered first. limbo's just gets a noise. ]
【 No answer found. 】
[ somebody unimportant, i guess.
anyway, the box isn't locked or anything. the top comes off easily! the key inside is fairly large, but not weird looking - just an iron key with a red ribbon on the handle.
curiously, the woman's smile seems... to grow? and grow, and grow, and grow, and suddenly, her mouth is wide open.
a high pitched, shrieking laughter echoes through the room, acutely, immediately painful, enough to cause some damage... and more importantly, something else?
everyone in the room will start to feel... odd, afterwards. heartbeats start increasing, ears are ringing, and vision swimming with stars, each member of the party may start to feel a little...
...giggly? almost like you've been drinking, way, way, way too much? the room seems to spin and sway, and suddenly, everything's really, really funny.
the laughter is continuing, shrieking and mirthful and loud and horrible, and not stopping anytime soon.
well, you've got the key, right? so all you have to do is get to the door?
good luck! ]
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But Chang Geng's already shifted vision spins, and he wobbles with dizziness before hitting a knee. Both hands come up to cover his ears, the eyeball momentarily abandoned as he tries to find some sort of grounding. There's something more manic than mirthful bubbling in the back of his head, accompanied by the ever present scratching just waiting to break out.
Joining his fellow Lucifer in bad rolls for this round. ]
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