We don’t even get around the corner before Little Corpse’s girlfriend is back. He tries to berate me but Silent Howl private messages him to tell him he thinks I have a point. This girl waited around the corner after telling the others she was leaving, made sure not to be on the path to the nearest ward, and had a should I or shouldn’t I conversation with herself while Little Corpse and I were talking. I have the Logs to prove it.
I also have the Logs that show the reason the Grave Disciples were so respectful was because my own familiar now out ranks me.
-“Simple farmer” my ass...- He’s a Rank II Grave Lord while I’m barely out of the Graves. He’s even figured out where he’d like to build a home, which I’m totally taking and funding, ‘cause mine!
-I’d decided where I was going to build my training hall if you approved building your manor in the area I’d scouted,- he corrects me. True he’d gotten information on a good place to harvest Resentment that was too expensive for others, with different buildings including a barracks for Ghost Soldiers on patrol and a small garden, but it feels better to say I’m going to be squatting over his dream home. -You are ridiculous.-
Tch! I’m not down for so long that he can run around the Graveyards scouting out land, marking locations and have time to deal with monks and Masters while looking for Patrons. The fact that he’s decided to side with one of the monster monks that teaches Qi manipulation in a Resentment Sect?
He suggests I join him since he doesn’t think I should join the Ghost Flame division or the Corpse Manipulators since I do neither. The Ghost Flame manipulators might have been a better option, but I manipulate Resentment and it just happens to be Ghost Flame. The members of the Resentment Discipline don’t want me anywhere near their workshops ‘cause they understand that I will take everything. We’re on the same page but for different reasons.
-Keep calling yourself “simple” and see if I don’t start calling you a liar!- I thrash, throwing a temper tantrum.
How’s he gonna outrank me?! And he found a Patron and advanced? Tch!
“There it is!”
Tch! I roll my eyes to glare at Little Corpse’s girlfriend. I forgot I was annoyed with her. She’d decided that she was worried about him wandering off on his own, -- ‘cause fuck me, right? -- and had appointed herself his guide and backup, -- ‘cause fuck me, right?! -- promising to point out anything of interest.
“Your badge should be enough to get us through. You have to be a Grave Lord in order to pass through the doors. We’re counting on you!”
Tch! Bish...
-Meh...- I slump and Little Corpse has to readjust his hold on me.
She has been useful-ish. She’s pointed out that some of the rooms lead to various areas, like a farm fed with Resentment and watered with blood because apparently water doesn’t work? No seriously, the water brought here absorbs the Resentment and turns into blood or lava, which is concerning given how none of these people manipulate Essence to any degree despite already being renegade cultivators as far as the empire is concerned.
-Not everyone can survive Essence corruption,- Little Corpse reminds me as he raises his custom badge and I get to see a different energy shimmer over the badge.
“Now we run through,” the girl says, preparing to do just that, but Little Corpse blocks her before stepping out himself. There’s a flash of light, a snake of liquid flame arching down on him, and then he’s in my Void shedding Essence by spooling it with Qi as quickly as he can.
-That’s why familiars go first,- I tell her as I hop through the door, off of the path and into a lake of lava while someone tries to hose me with fire element. -Although I handle Essence better and have a high resistance to temperature changes.-
I dip my head to take a drink of molten goodness, smug in the fact that she’d thought she’d lost the love of her life, -- disgusting corpse fucker, -- and then run off to report that I’d been burnt alive. Ready to do the backstroke when, if, they come to check.
There’s another bright stream of concentrated melted liquid Resentment rock arching down on top of me. It pushes me under a little and then, but then I lift off, moving my legs, laughing to myself as I appear to run up the stream and towards a very startled creature with red skin and fangs poking up from their bottom lip. Silent Howl spams unintelligible messages that I’m guessing are him fan-boying over the ogre that’s running away from me with what looks like a shepherd’s crook that it used to guide arcs of lava towards me.
I follow after it, not to troll, ‘cause I want to see where it goes. We’re underground, so... I look up and we’re not underground anymore. The lake was a large lake in a valley surrounded by mountains. There are numerous things that aren’t aggressive so much as hungry, and, where I’d be seen as food by anything familiar with a wimble in the Earthly Realm I reside in, these things are using their brains and instincts. I’m not on the menu and they don’t want to be.
-Can we build a house here?- I ask Little Corpse hoping he’ll become fire resistant quickly.
Silent Howl:
He’s meditating and cycling a few Qi treasures with Resentment Stones.
You built him well and he built on top of that otherwise he’d be ash.
The lava is also Resentment.
It affects the Spirit too, remember?
I flinch. I’d completely forgotten. He didn’t just get burned physically, but his soul has to recover, too. I look after what I think might be a kid as it races screaming down the mountainside to a torch lit village below, then turn back to head back to the door, give up, and just transfer to my Void.
-Dude, it smells like a smoke pit,- I observe. I’ve eaten a few grilled foods since I am become bug, but I haven’t had proper southern barbecue. And then it clicks that I might be smelling Little Corpse. -Ah. Sorry.-
“We’d appreciate it if you’d respect our Master’s need for seclusion,” one of the Servants immediately rolls up on me, bowing respectfully while thinking all kinds of disrespectful thoughts.
“The bug is here”? Really? And they’re gonna try to keep me away from Little Corpse because they think I’ll eat him? They think he can’t defend himself while he’s worrying about healing his spirit? His spirit is injured? He needs Qi but I’ll eat it all? These mother... Mm.
I transfer Little Corpse directly to me. The servant screams when they notice him, without his life saving treasures, but I’m worried about this flesh burnt away from the skeleton monstrosity. He needs Qi?
Silent Howl:
On it.
Transfer 10,000 Qi to Fuck Face?
Yes ~ No
Simple. My. Ass! Yes! Approved! Most people can’t hold 100 and I’ve got a corpse that takes 10k to fix?
-Next time you say you’re simple, I’m gonna smack you, and you’re gonna let me!- I snap as Little Corpse takes a deep shuddering breath.
I freeze and dart my attention over to my Logs to see... Yes! He is repairing. He’d burned – heh, -- a ton of Qi trying to shield himself, but then the Essence carved through when the Qi had burned away. Literally. The Qi had become infused with Fire Essence and Resentment and he couldn’t handle it so he lost it. The 10,000 is enough to help him cycle to get better, but he’ll still have to shed the excess Essence.
-How are you going to be my Familiar and not know how to cycle Essence?- I ask, completely scandalized.
I’d cycled Essence before I learned to cycle Qi! I read that Little Corpse is about to remind me that he’s “simple” and I raise an arm prepared to smack him.
-Do you dare?- I snap, wings rattling on my back so great is my irritation. -*See if I don’t give Aunty permission to smack you!
-You’ve no fear of me, but when do I fight? See how many Spirits I recruit to hit you!-
The fact that he laughs as his Servants race over to set up his healing treasures again? Tch! He knows I’m not joking, and he laughs?
Silent Howl:
Go back and sleep in that Resentment lake.
You’ll have Essence, Resentment, and food.
Yeah, but I have no Servants that can survive if the ogres decide to go fishing, and can I --? Of course I can breathe Essence and Resentment, what am I thinking?
I transfer back to Eager Heart, shuffle over to the hidden door, force the hatch door up enough to squeeze under it, move through the tunnels without waiting for a guide, and then walk right through the ward door, which acts like it counts as a portal.
[-50 HP]
I get batted with a graceful overhand windmill strike from a club that shatters the club and sends me spinning into the lake.
-Ow!- I snap, broadcasting loudly. -Asshole!-
I can’t see through the not-lava, but I can read that there are things, supposedly with big teeth, swimming away to get clear of me. There’s a group on the shore very upset that I’m chilling in the lake, -- they can see me, -- unaffected, the voracious wildlife avoiding me, and I don’t appear to have been injured despite the beautiful shot that shattered a well forged, -- it’s a club, what do they mean forged? Oh, wait. Resentment, -- many times tested, very valuable village treasure.
-Don’t know if your village is the one down the mountain, but prepare to lose your shit! Imma eat all of your fancy things! More expensive the faster I’ll find it!-
Now that I’ve put the fear of the garbageman in them, time for a nap.
[-10 HP]
-Ow,- I burble. I wake up feeling like shit in the mouth of a diving dog that looks like they roided out a Staffy crossbred with one of the dogs that looks like a mature, intelligent Goldie. -Hairless roided up Pyrenees asshole! Drop me!-
I try to wiggle loose but the dog is having way too much fun swimming around with its new chew toy. First house I’m visiting is whoever owns this asshole.
-Knock it off, dick!- I chitter and the dog surfaces to doggy paddle and laugh at me.
-I bit you and you didn’t break! I’m going to enjoy chewing on you,- he chortles as he paddles away from his Masters as they try to call him to shore. They fish and boat on the lake and they can’t swim? Tch!
-Keep it up and see if I don’t chew on you!- I snap, trying to wiggle away again while the dog just jaws on me. -Bastard! I’m not a squeak toy!-
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
I transfer us to my void, the dog hunching down, prepared to fight and still not dropping me. Tch! I freeze as I see that Little Corpse is still in meditation, wounded and vulnerable, and I doubt his Servants are any better at handling Essence than he is. Maybe dropping everything between my house and the lake wasn’t the best idea.
-Girls?- I call out. Pretty sure they’re mad at me and they won’t fare any better. -Shit! How did you bind the horse?!- I thrash drawing the hounds attention away from Little Corpse and going to the Logs hoping he can think the answer.
Channel Qi through it? That’s what Poor Pretty did to the girls! That’s only temporary. I think I can form more contracts...
[-50 HP]
-Oy! Dog breath! Do you want to be my pet?- Shit! How do I make a Contract?
-Why would I serve a toy?- he says as he whips his head back and forth, shaking me like the baby he never wanted.
Brain?! Ack! I blame the rattling and uncontrolled flopping of my limbs and head.
-Can your current Master handle such treatment? Might makes right and I’m the sturdiest strongest thing you’ve met! Pretty sure I am, anyway,- I point out. Meathead logic!
The dog freezes, drops me, then casually lays down with its mouth closed.
-Go on...-
-Have you ever seen such a place?- I ask it, trying to draw its attention to the trees and mountains. The fire hell had mountains, but I didn’t see any trees.
-There are many smells and new things to chase here,- he admits and I tense knowing that’s going to be a problem.
-You’d have to undergo training to work to protect my Void,- I warn him. Hopefully Little Corpse is well enough to take over the training by the time the dog gets onboard.
-Mm... Temporary Contract!- the dog says, extending a leg and slamming a paw down into the dirt.
-Tch! Contracts are temporary if people are breaking them!- I snap. I’m trying to get a permanent pet, not some bullshit trial!
-Hmm...- he crosses his front legs, laying his massive head on them, just bear skull and crocodile teeth. Now that I can see him in natural light he looks like a hairless dog crossed with a bear.
I withdraw Bone Snare bones, one for me one for him.
-I like to snack while I think,- I tell him as he happily starts chewing and eating the bone. How’d I survive that?
The girls huff over, sitting down on their cushions before idly petting the uber hound. Part of me is thinking WTF about their eagerness to just pet random people, and another part of me is wondering why the dog’s allowing it. I go to my Logs to see if the girls are binding it, they’re not, but apparently it’s wagging a tail that doesn’t exist.
-Your master have idle Servants that pet you?- I ask. One of the girls -- if they weren’t dead they’d have a death wish! -- grabs the bone and starts playing tug-of-war with it. I drop a few more Bone Snare bones near them and wait for the hound to make a decision.
-It’s too cold and bright, but this was fun,- he concedes, climbing to his feet and patiently waiting for me to transfer him back home.
Part of me wants to eat him out of spite, but I remember how mad I was when someone took my goodest boy. Fucking emperor! Sees a tea drinking dog thinking about poetry and his existence and goes “no”? How the fuck?
-I’m taking him back out to the Fire Ogre hell,- I drone to the girls. They ignore me and I want to be offended since the dog can understand me, but decide to just let it go. -Go home, I guess,- I tell the hound as we splash down into the lake.
-That was fun! I’ll see if any of the others are interested in forming a Contract,- the dog tells me, looking at me over its shoulder before it doggy paddles back towards the ogres congregated at the shoreline.
There aren’t enough people to fill a village, but I bet the village is a lot less protected. Heh. I shift to my true form, letting it all hang out.
I’m still buoyant and resting on the not-water of the lake although I do displace enough to form waves, and lifting off just creates more chaos. I haul ass towards town, dropping down in the square and tearing apart the little log cabins made of poles of Resentment. I ignore the notifications for the houses I’m eating, make no move to attack anyone directly, and loudly shout that I’m not a ball. Once I’m satisfied that people are confused, terrified, and angry, I gallop away from the mountains to explore the stony spires that probably count as a forest.
I wonder if Dragon’s Tail trees can survive here? I know they generate Fire Essence, but there’s only crystallised Resentment and Fire Essence. The place could do with some color.
I start looking for a place to attempt to plant one, not sure if I can make one, but I’m gonna try, and I notice there are things watching me bulldoze the spires as I charge blindly. I stop, condense myself down, then transfer back to the lake, landing with a plop and slowly sinking to just below the surface. Not sure if the people harassing me are going to go home to an earful, but I can only hope. I do a quick spin, rolling over in the water, just a quick 360, and then prepare to nod off again.
So, checklist. See what’s in the not-woods and grab it. See if I can’t find a buried treasure. Try not to be a dick to it. Profit?
Silent Howl:
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
No.
For every line of “wake up” I pointedly think “no”.
-You’re glowing and we can’t get to you. Even if I were in good shape I couldn’t pull you back to your Void,- Little Corpse admits, sounding apologetic, but he doesn’t say he’s too simple, so no slapping. Yet.
[Ghost Pot: +1000/-0]
[Resentment: +11,973,190/-1,124,976]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,841,240/29,903,949]
[Current Qi: 239,950/957,945,100]
[Max Will: 23,974,832]
[HP: 23,974,832]
[Current Karma: 119,615,798/234,520,515]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,2C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,1A.D.P]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,691K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,9679St]
What was I looking for? I stretch and then go limp, just vibing and ignoring Silent Howl’s outraged spam. Lightning bug? Brush fire?
[Ghost Pot: +1000/-0]
[Resentment: +11,973,190/-1,128,421]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,841,255/29,903,969]
[Current Qi: 240,400/957,945,100]
[Max Will: 23,974,938]
[HP: 23,974,938]
[Current Karma: 119,615,878/234,520,515]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,2C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,1A.D.P]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,691K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,9679St]
Count the numbers... Oh! How much Qi...? Ooh!
-I suggest you invest in hard currency. If you advance too quickly your foundation will be unstable. Do you want to continue to advance into the realm of monsters with no way to defend yourself?-
[Ascendant Dragon Pearl Produced]
[-10M +Regard]
[+100 Con. Qi]
[-100k Qi]
[+10k Karma]
[Ghost Pot: +1000/-0]
[Resentment: +1,973,190/-1,128,421]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,841,355/29,906,469]
[Current Qi: 140,400/957,945,100]
[Max Will: 23,956,938]
[HP: 23,956,938]
[Current Karma: 119,615,878/234,520,515]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,2C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,1A.D.P]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,691K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,9679St]
Simple farmer my ass... I grumble as I pick a pearl. I wait for something to happen, then remember the Ascendant has to be done in Ascendant form. Fack!
[+1 Ascendant Dragon Pearl]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,2C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,1 + 1 A.D.P]
[Ghost Pot: +1000/-0]
[Resentment: +1,973,190/-1,128,421]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,841,355/29,906,469]
[Current Qi: 140,400/957,945,100]
[Max Will: 23,956,938]
[HP: 23,956,938]
[Current Karma: 119,615,878/234,520,515]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,2C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,2A.D.P]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,691K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,9679St]
I panic, whole body tingling uncomfortably while taking on my Ascendant form to cough it up. I glare at it as I hold it in my mouth bits, narrowing my eyes at it before banking it.
-I would have suggested removing your negative Resentment first...- Little Corpse stammers.
What? Shit!
[+1 x10 Resentment Pearl Produced]
[-100k x10 -Resentment]
[+10 x10 Condensed Qi]
[-100k x10 -Resentment]
[-1,000 x10 Karma]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,2 + 10 C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,2A.D.P]
[Ghost Pot: +1000/-0]
[Resentment: +1,973,190/-128,421]
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,841,455/29,903,969]
[Current Qi: 40,400/957,945,100]
[Max Will: 23,934,938]
[HP: 23,934,938]
[Current Karma: 119,615,878/234,520,515]
[Resentment Wallet: 200C.St.,113R.Sl.,229R.Sh.,12C.M.R.P.,0D.M.R.N.,10I.D.P.,2A.D.P]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,691K,180P,697R,179Da,258De,2605k]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,9679St]
I check my logs to see if I’ve gone critical anywhere else and see Silent Howl filing complaints with Human Resources along the lines of telling Little Corpse that I keep complaining that I’m not being kept in the loop, and then I’m obnoxious whenever anyone tries to help. I agree wholeheartedly and go back to checking through my windows to see if I’ve unlocked anything.
-Hell Fire, which is Resentment, Earth Essence and Fire Essence, will cost you Karma and Condensed Qi to use, but it’s more destructive and less focused than Ghost Flame, and has the potential to spread,- Little Corpse says. -You’ve also learned how to create spikes similar to the ones the cabins appear to be made of, but they’re called Mortal Thorns? They’ll also cost you Earth and Fire Essences, and Karma, but they require basic Qi to condense.-
-I get anything from being a chew toy?- I want to be excited about my hellscape gains, but if I can’t have a pet, can’t I at least get a new ‘roid hound ability?
-Excuse me while I check...- Little Corpse says and I know how awful customer service is, and he’s always been professional. I really need to give him a raise. -I have no reason to complain.- Bullshit! I’m a nightmare to work for, I’m sure! -I’ve advanced in a Sect and you haven’t attempted to Devour me or claim my work. That’s more than most cultivators can say about their masters. “Maul”? And your “Fiery Judgement”? They appear to have advanced...-
-Oh, shit! My mills!-
I transfer to my Void then move to see if my mill clouds have turned into roasting grinders, but they appear to just be the basic bish roiling mills that I could stabilise them to be after stealing them. I collapse in relief, jumping with a scream when I notice the terrified Servant cowering away from me while trying to avoid being pinned against the brambles of the Persephone bush.
-Tch! Like you lot know respect or fear,- I bristle at them before transfering over to Little Corpse. He screams, covering himself from his makeshift screen of hanging clothing where he’d been washing up. -Oh! Was wondering if you bathed. Do you need access to the Soak?-
-I was reviewing the Records while I washed up,- Little Corpse says, standing with his legs pressed together, his hand and cloth shielding his genitals.
-Tch! Hide yourself from Aunty! Hide yourself from the girls! You’re only my second biggest soldier!- I rear up, forelegs raised, wings flared as I wiggle at him. -*You’re more muscular than I am but I’m not willing to work for it.
-I asked you if you wanted a proper bathing facility! You have permission to make one! Make one for the girls, too. Not just the little knives! I think you said some of the other servants were female...-
I walk away, annoyed and wondering if the other ghosts we got are bound to him. Tch! Thinks I’m gonna ogle him? I got more important things to do! If I wanted to see something nice, I’d work on my own body!
You are in Book VI(6)
The Entitled Ghost Reserve
Unless the title changes
1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 (1-5) stubbed on RR, published on AmazonKU
6 posting on RR, posted on Patreon, published on Amazon
7 will post on RR, posted on Patreon, published on Amazon
8 will post on RR, posting on Patreon, WIP
TL;DR Section:
?? Grimdark Cozy, all the slice of life, all the death, all the gore, none of the random smex. There's enough nonsense without "romantic" relationships.
( Relationships aren't will they won't they but people trying not to kill each other because that's a power play.)
?? Snarky MC that thinks like a comment section, refuses to read, and didn't play the tutorial, trapped in someone else's dream life with absolutely no interest in playing along, much less being nice about it
?? Author enjoys solo-playing Wurm (Online/Unlimited) **unmodded**, watching extras in movies for that one who's EXTRA, and always wonders what happened in those two years where MC went from ignorant to badass.
You have been warned. Nice people left reviews. Read them for a heads up.
?? Spoiled isn't the only series, it's just the most upbeat one. First book in the series was my fifth or seventh novel, people liked it better, then they drowned in the background and from lack of smex...? RIP...?
