Standing across from me in the surreal world was the Magus. Although calling him a mage felt off as the creature before me was massive and muscular.
"This realm is forged by my hatred of Sapients and you will fall!" His voice was smooth and certain.
Rasing my weapons I was ready, using [Floramancy] I had an idea. Flowing magic into the fungi that covered my skin they swelled acting as gambeson under my Chintin armor.
The second host which I had mentally dubbed 'Muscles' was ready his feet and arms and body slid into a form position. Then chaos broke out, with a single step the world contorted.
I felt a force push around me, and then I was flying a burning feeling spread out from my chest. Standing still I saw that Muscles had used a palm strike on me.
...
[Curse Inflicted]
[Curse of the Fool]- You lose the ability to interact with Mana, and mana related skills.
...
I felt the burning sensation snap in a burst of motion snapping down my skull. Haze filled my mind and I couldn't activate my [Geomancy] or my [Floramancy].
As I stood up I felt the world around me shift and all of sudden gravity doubled around me and I fell on my face I heard the voice of the mushroom permeate the world around me.
"Hahaha, you really thought you had a chance did you? You know that I've been going easy on you but no more this is the end of the Daemon known as Kien a sorry excuse of a Divine." It goaded me, its tone pissed me off.
Pushing off, the gravity turned to a quarter of what it was. As I sailed the air but expecting the massive change of gravity. I locked eyes with muscles as it's face spilt unnaturally before it reached its hand up out and snapped.
My ascension stopped for a moment before I started to fall at an unnaturally fast pace as Gravity increased. Like a meteor I crashed down into the world. My bones cracked and I spit out blood as my organs protested the treatment.
"Ah, you sapients are so easy to kill" the world spoke its voice infuriating. I tried to blast through the strength of the curse. A searing pain tore through my skull.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that" the mushroom said and it kicked me I sailed through the air, and crashed downwards. Giving up, on using my Mana, and body I focused on the one that transcended the mortal plains, Divinity.
Reaching my hand I focused a small concentration of Divine power I focused on my anger that I felt at my current predicament and my inability to fight back. Then I felt the world I was bend, it was small give but it did I focused on that and I felt a connection between me and the world and it's connection to Muscles
Gravity returned to normal as I focused what little authority I had gained on maintaining it. Muscles tsked his tongue, as he burst into motion. Scrambling to my feet I summoned a [Force Field] and it had managed to barely block the palm strike that Muscles tried to hit me with. I dismissed the [Force Field] and retaliated with my a strike of my club.
Muscles leaned back dodging the attack and followed his dodge with a round house kick. Dodging the retaliatory attack I was nearly knocked off balance by the wind that was summoned by the kick. Jumping back I had unintentionally dodged a follow up attack.
Quickly summoning more Divine power I sent it to attack the curse energy that had clamped on my mind.
"You're an annoying prick I hope you know that." Muscles spoke his hand flicked out and his sickle reappeared in his hand.
"Pot calling the kettle black" I bit back, as I landed on the ground. [Knight's Intuition] flared as I jumped back as Muscles reappeared where I had just been.
Finally I felt my Mana return to me, I smiled back as I summoned a barrage of rock spears, and feeling a series of plants I ripped away then from Muscles control and began using them to grapple him. All of it was a distraction as I lunged forward pouring all my hatred into my dagger.
Muscles managed to dodge the spears and the plant traps. As I activated [Stealth Attack] I managed to slip under his guards and Pierced through his thick hide like skin. My own cursed energy permeated his body battling his own. My hate versus his.
Summoning a [Force Field] I had a managed to block his attack that he flung back at me. Staying close I slammed him with my club causing him to go flying and crash into ground.
He hacked more of his dried blood, and he stood up and ran his hand through his beard.
"You managed to strike me in this form and actually do damage, interesting, this host used to be the Chieftain and Shaman of the village we stand here now." He said, even though I couldn't give two shits about the history of the corpses he had taken over.
Not entertaining him, I blasted off, forming another barrage of spears. Stomping his left down I felt my connection to this world slip for a moment and gravity wavered. Pushing with my will I reinforced my control of this world. Recovering from the stumble that had occurred from the change in the gravity I attacked Muscles. He entered his form and began to redirect my attacks. Backing up, we circled each other looking for weaknesses in each other.
Jumping forward I attacked first, as if expecting it he twisted his body maneuvering around my attack. I had to duck, using my position I tried to attack him from below. However he had already prepared for me to do that, and he attempted to kick me, and only the evolved ability of [Flow of Combat] warned me as it was non-fatal attack barely in time for me to jump back.
Landing I blasted forward I attacked Muscles resuming my attack I used my physical attacks to distract from the barrage of spears and plants. Muscles smiled and with a forward stop a blast of ice sprayed outwards each spike of ice was brimming with cursed energy.
Backing away we circled again, and Muscles had an unnerving smile, and each breath he let out a puff of vapor came out. Clapping his hands together each hand had ice covering them it spread from where they met and up spread upwards to his forearms and up the shoulders until it covered his whole body.
Meanwhile I was deepening my connection to this world worming my way into the fabric of its reality. Breathing out his breath rolled out forming a fog around his with twinges of cursed energy.
Sending a beam of magic into the ground I crafted a rudimentary shield that would hand on my forearm. Stomping I summoned it from the earth, I felt a protest from my [Fungal Exoskeleton] skill it was timing out here in a moment.
Advancing I held my shield out ahead of me. In a circle I summoned a contingent of earth golems each one being controlled by a mushroom. Activating [Knight's Bulwark] a spectral shield wall encircled Muscles.
"DIE SAPIENT" Muscles bellowed as spears of cursed ice slammed into the shield wall forcing me and golems back for a moment.
We stepped together in unison, one step at a time we advanced. I felt [Warlords Aura] take effect for a moment as a flash of fear flickered in the mushrooms eyes. The world wavered and my tendrils gained more control of the world. I smiled "you aren't getting scared now are you".
That was the wrong move apparently.
As the world shook and my control of the world slipped. I braced myself as Gravity doubled once again and my golems and bulwark buckled before crumbling. Standing tall, even as the world pressed down upon me. I stared the Ice and cursed energy covered Muscles.
"You, will die a painful death, for that I can assure you" He said trying add a hint of menace.
However, that illusion was shattered, this was not a powerful warrior or leader this was brat having a temper tantrum.
"Buddy, no I won't, if I die It won't be at the hands of you, a winy brat with daddy issues" I said mockingly.
Rage flared in its eyes as it zoomed towards me at a blizting pace, followed by a cloud of ice.
I raised my shield, redirecting his attack to the side and I punctured his side a series of stone spears before batting him away with my club. Releasing my dagger I covered its hilt with rock and had It levitate to my side as Is I followed Muscles.
I had it position it's self for a sneak attack as I pushed forward with shield bash. As it angled it's sickle grappling the edge of my shield. It ripped away the shield a look of victory upon its face. Then I bashed it with club knocking it down on my dagger it cried out in pain.
Rasing my Club I brought my club down on the creature. Its ice buckled under the Force of the blow, and I raised my club and brought it down again this time shattering its shell of ice.
...
Dorthinoxin's Domain
...
"Hey, I've got the information of those forbidden tutorial areas" My assistant asked.
"Oh, uh yeah put them over their" I signaled to one of the areas as I watched the battle.
This thing having a true domain skill at rank two was absurd the fact that my cousin was surviving was insane.
...
Back to Kien
...
Again, and again I bashed down each time the world shuddered cracking as I brought down my club again and again down on the frame of Muscles.
Until finally he managed to trip me up by reducing the gravity on me at the precise time I attacked and the force that came back to me was enough to send me flying.
Struggling to its feet, "You are a monster, I will kill you here even I'm greatly weakened by loosing this host"
"[Sacrificial Technique: Forbidden Bargain]" a beam of foreign energy struck, green and caustic in quality. All I could tell was that just like my Divinity it came from a higher plain.
The form of Muscles wavered and the cursed energy receeded. In its place was being that threaten my sanity just looking at it. The creature looked at me and it stared into my soul and it shook in laughter.
"Oh, like hell I'm going to get my ass involved in this for this low ass price" It said before the energy receeded and the world cracked around us and then I was back in the corridor.
Anastasia Jumped up worried, and I looked at her and smiled.
"Hey, There Anastasia" I said and I got a series of system notifications.
...
[ALERT!]
you have witnessed an eldritch entity.
...
[*Warning*]
Eldritch beings are not permitted in the tutorial, await a system admin.
...
[ERROR]
Eldritch being receeded ignore the previous message.
...
[Achievement Earned]
-[To Gaze On the Paradox]
You have witnessed a being belonging to the higher plain of Paradox. +1 Willpower
...
[Level Up]
You have Leveled up from killing a level 20 Rank Two [Grand Magus of the Cave Elves(2nd Host of the Ophiocord Mushroom]. You have ten stat points to allocate.
...