The wheel began to spin. Round and round it went at an impossible speed. An arrow at the top of the wheel made a little clicking noise as it passed each selection. After an age, it began to slow. Slower, slower, and slower still. Finally, it clicked towards its final selection. [Skill: sword-master level 1]… [Biotrait: Drake blood]… [Level boost +10]… finally it teetered on a final selection. [Skill: Skill Absorption]. Well, almost a final selection. In one final moment of chaotic, random selection, it clicked once more and stopped. A gold [Biotrait: Boiling Blood] rested at the top. Almost reluctantly, Daggat’s statistics changed.

  True Name: Daggat

  Soul: Monster

  Genseed: gremlin

  Monster Level: 1

  Attributes:

  Strength: 3

  Dexterity: 4

  Constitution: 3

  Intelligence: 2

  Will: 3

  Charm: 3

  Feats:

  None

  Biotraits:

  Base size: Tiny [Source: Gremlin]

  Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]

  Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]

  Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]

  Boiling Blood [Source: Varriant]

  Other:

  Variant: Boiling Blood

  “Oof. Well. This will at least be entertaining for a moment or two.”

  —

  “Murderers! All of you. Goblins are too weak to satisfy my revenge… but I will still cull you from the forest like the rot you are!” There was another inverse burst of energy like before. Both the human and Rika disappeared and reappeared a few steps from where the human began. A gust of wind followed. They had moved too fast to see. The humans’s fist was solidly jammed into her gut. There was a moment where Daggat could see the shock on her face. Then, Rika fell over. The human looked shocked.

  “You bastard!” Someone yelled.

  “Do you get off on beating up old ladies?” Another goblin yelled.

  “I didn’t-” The human began.

  “Did that man just kill Granny Rika?!” A distraught voice screamed.

  “Boo!” Someone called.

  “Hold on, I thought-” The human tried.

  “BOO!” Shouted the crowd.

  “Get out of here you vile man!” A goblin threw a rock at him.

  “I’m sorry!” Yelled the human as more and more rocks were hurled at him. A rotten tomato smacked into his face. He ran like a coward.

  —

  The spider pulled her up the wall, and she let it. Looking out, the boy had returned. He waved at her, smiling. She smiled back. He wrote another message on a piece of cloth this time and wrapped it around the rock. He motioned to throw it.

  She ducked out of the way. He managed to hit the target on his first try. After scrambling to read the letter, her heart sank.

  “U play fortnite?”

  She still had charcoal from her worksheets. On the back of the cloth, she wrote “Yes”. Then she wrapped it in the stone and threw it back. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

  A few minutes later, and after a few attempts, another stone came through the window. Then there was shouting, her father was telling him off. Afraid that she wouldn’t see him again, she read the cloth message. “Haha lsr ur moms ded. 1v1 me. U wont” Fire seemed to erupt from within her soul. Anath loaded up her Xbox.

  —

  Elyndris felt the potential flow into her. Her strength was raised to 5. This covered the requirement for her two skills, burst of strength and pounce. Then a new biotrait, enhanced touch. She had plans for her new body forming already, ones that might not be achieved for months or years.

  Elyndris felt the vibrations of the earth and the scuttling of the lesser vermin which prowled at the edge of her senses. With newfound power, the worm crawled from the hiding place. Soon, it found a stone to sit upon. Then, she stretched herself high, standing as tall as she could.

  Her mind quieted as she focused on feeling. The sturdy stone beneath her. The gentle, cold wind. Heat from the sun. Then, a rush of wind and a change of pressure. NOW! She activated pounce. She flicked the stone with enough force to kick her up a foot. With a single snap of its beak, the bird caught her. While she was being carried off, Elyndris couldn’t help but to think she forgot to do something.

  —

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Instead, he opened the Divine Will. The script, while familiar to him, was unreadable. In the system, it was as if he simply knew what the words meant, rather than reading them. That did not transfer to the real world at all. But the tome contained small illustrations, so perhaps he could derive some meaning.

  Images of half folk, rangers, wizards, and orc. In the middle of the book, in its own section, was a sweeping two-page illustration. Nine figures were depicted around a ring. Four were identical half folk, but one held a sword, and an other held the half folk. Next to them was a short bearded man holding the hand of a slender elf. In the middle was a grey bearded man with a simple walking stick. The final being broke the symmetry of the piece. A human with a quiver worth of arrows sticking out of his chest. Above him, wept the final figure, a hooded figure.

  Daggat gasped and ran two fingers over the ring.

  “Ooh, that’s a good copy.” Ivory was reading over his shoulder. He jumped and nearly dropped the book. “Have you read the expanded histories?”

  —

  “What are you looking at?” Said the worm. Anath’s jaw dropped open. Cats talking was one thing. But a WORM? She didn’t say anything back, only stared. “Oh, good. A proper meal, not a mortal.” The worm flicked its tail and flew through the air at her.

  The spider smacked the flying worm out of the air. It hit the ground with a grunt. Then Anath stomped on it again and again. All that was left was a pink smear. She shuddered.

  Worms were almost as bad as spiders.

  —

  Through bleary eyes, he saw Gobma flailing about, catching most of the cottage on fire. Daggat was going to die. He knew that. There was no surviving this wound. But to be killed by Gobma… the shame burned hotter than the pain. He promised he wouldn’t lose. But, he had no choice. He failed. Was too cocky or not strong enough. Daggat resigned to die in shame, naked and on fire since he had no other option.

  Or did he?

  An idea came to him. It was a risk, but he had no other options. Still, he couldn’t think straight. Every movement was agony and he couldn’t breathe.

  Daggat entered his status void.

  “Oh my, my, master. You’ve gotten yourself into quite the pickle.” The assistant grinned at him with a sadistic glee.

  “Pain…” Daggat’s mental hand reached out.

  “Oh, there would be. Being stabbed like that. So careless, please think of your poor staff. That being me.”

  “Pain… tolerance…” Daggat’s thoughts were muddied. He pushed through the pain like swimming through tar.

  “Oh, are you bragging? Very good, then you can get back in there, champ.”

  “Need… biotrait” Daggat pleaded.

  “Oh, I am sure you do. But, shouldn’t you be worrying about your gaping wound?”

  Daggat tried to speak, but he didn’t have the energy.

  “Really, Master, communication is important. What was that? Master? Maaaaster?” The world faded away, and with it, the assistant.

  —

  “Whoa there, kid.” The voice spoke in a foreign accent. There was a drawl-like quality to his voice that was oddly soothing. “You gotta keep your foot submerged.” A gentle hand pushed his leg back into the water. “What were you thinking? Walkin’ around with only one boot.”

  They were in a small log cabin. Pelts of various animals… no, monsters, decorated the place. Warg pelts, jackalope fur with antlers attached, and even a drake skin. There was a funky scent in the air.

  “Here, take this. It will help.” A man came into view. He looked to be in his mid to late twenties. Clean shaved and with an unusually pointed nose and chin. He handed the ogre a rolled paper. It was smoking. He took a hit and coughed violently. It tasted like a skunk. “Yeah, should've warned ya. Burns on the way down, but it will mellow you out. Now pass it back.”

  —

  “No other challenger has wounded me as you have. I recognize you as a great warrior. But this was your last battle.” Elyndris pounced, aiming for the neck. It didn’t have time to dodge, nor were its claws in position to strike. This fight was over.

  Then the beast spread its wing out wide, using it to smack Elyndris in the air. The worm hurdled straight upwards.

  Elyndris weighed her options. She was in an uncontrolled flight. She had no limbs, no wings, and no fiery breath.

  Elyndris reached the zenith of her upward flight. Her senses were based on feeling movement. She was blind. Falling through a dark void.

  Then she felt the beast's jaws close around her as it snatched her out of the air. Elyndris screamed. She could feel it biting down hard. It wasn’t very strong, but the teeth punctured flesh regardless.

  “Birdy?” Klaw asked as he checked on the noise. “Hey, put that down. Drop it.” The beast and Elyndris were lifted into the air. “Droooop it.” The cat hissed and struggled. She chewed twice and swallowed the worm. Klaw sighed. “Dammit, I was going to eat that.”

  —

  I watched Anath scream in pain from the same poison that let me walk on my dead foot. You know the rest. We came here. To this DEATH HOUSE! Monsters around every corner. Goblins that act like they are angels' gifts to the world. Every moment I am FIGHTING to keep back the rage, the loss, the pain. So I don’t go feral. And that’s not even the worst part!”

  “… What is?” Was this an ogre going feral? Where was Klaw!?

  “Despite how calm I act. Despite me walking, the scratching, and the countless sticks lost in my bandage. MY FOOT STILL ITCHES. You are my friends. I DON’T WANT TO MAKE YOU SCRATCH IT FOR ME. Because I will. If I go feral, you don’t stand a chance, do you understand? You’ll be forced to use daggers and fingernails. Really get in there. So, no. I am not a coward. I know the itch. I know the horrors of this world. I am a Torch Bearer now. I have to hold the light, so I can’t scratch the itch myself. So sit the fuck down, and shut the FUCK UP.” Hunter dropped Daggat like a microphone. He was too stunned to move. Daggat didn’t know Hunter had it in him to curse like that.

  —

  Klaw threw her like a stone with his burst of strength. She wasn’t actually sure it was past midnight. It was a good guess. It would have missed, but she had her wings. She activated her own burst of strength and pounced in the air.

  She shot like a sling bullet towards the hole. Roots descended to stop her, but they were too slow. Elyndris couldn’t use her wings to fly in this situation. Rather, she used them to guide her flight and stay aloft.

  She weaved through the roots, narrowly missing each one. Then she pounced again and again. Pushing her speed to its max.

  Her roar would have shaken the foundations of the manor. If only she wasn’t so tiny, for the moment.

  Soon, the tree came into view. The demon hissed something, but Elyndris couldn’t stop if she wanted to.

  She hit dead center. At first, she felt her body squish and stretch. Her tail pushed into the back of her head. Then, she bounced. All of the stored energy from the flight was transferred back into Elyndris when the tree resisted her attack.

  She flew back, zooming past Klaw and the demon puppet. Daggat ducked as she zipped passed him and she didn’t slow when she blew a hole through Alfred's chest. Nor did she slow down when she bounced through the labyrinth, past Anath, Hunter, and Zuss, and upwards into the library.

  Finally, she came to a stop, smoking from the air friction. Elyndris was too wounded to move. From the shadows, a one winged beast licked its lips.