NOVEL NEXT 1.8. Forged by Flame
James set the finished leggings and shirt aside as it ruffled with the feathers. He didn't know how, but his soul energy allowed him to attach the feathers as if he controlled magic. In fact, he had gained a new skill.
New Soul Skill: Soul Crafting: Level 1/10
He knew he would be able to do more with it as he found different materials. Something also told him he'd be able to use energy to create elements. Maybe he could have fresh water after all of this time. It was something to work on at night.
Taking off his old leather, he slipped on the new feathered pieces and grabbed his knife. Slipping it onto his thigh, he grabbed a bone spear and ran his soul along its length. The sharpened edge grew even sharper and more even.
This is helpful. But I can feel the pull on my soul. Making the armor took away my ability to use Soul Strike for a bit. It would seem my soul isn't strong enough to support multiple skills.
He hoped that would change at his next level. He was very close and he only needed to kill a new creature to reach it. Something that had a larger soul that wasn't the giant Forsaken.
With his weapon in hand, he stepped out of the shelter and turned himself towards a residential section of the city. Tall apartments dominated an area of the city, and he had caught sight of massive lizards walking the streets.
Rubbing his chin, he started walking. The vultures flew overhead, following him as they believed death would follow in his wake. They were right.
The journey didn't take longer than an hour to leave the business district. The apartments stood tall around him as he entered the first block. The windows were busted out and some of them boarded up. Double doors were pulled open, hanging by a single hinge or laying on the ground where they rusted and deteriorated. Shifting bodies could be heard inside the structures and the ripe smell of acid filled the air.
Why does it feel like all of the Forsaken in this city have some sort of odd elemental attack. Corrosion, Corruption, and even Rot. It doesn't feel fair if I didn't have the ability to heal and the resistances.
The city was a death sentence to all but the strongest cultivators. He figured even a foundation level cultivator would die if he was bit or scratched by some of the Forsaken. Would their pills heal them? Would Aether stop the Rot? It was hard to say.
Focusing on his task, he walked to the intersection and checked each road. A lizard five feet long spotted him and hissed. With speed far surpassing the hounds, it flickered with a larger soul flame. Giddy with excitement, James latched onto the monster and leapt to the side.
His feet slid across the ground as the lizard bulled past. Claws slashed out towards him, catching his spear as he guided them back to the ground. Its tail followed, crashing against his side and breaking ribs.
Gritting his teeth, he slashed with his spear and dug into the monster's side, drawing blood as it hissed in pain. His ribs were already healing and popping back into place as he darted forward.
The lizard slashed at him again and he used the butt of his spear to guide the attack away before kicking the monster in the snout. Its head snapped back with a wicked crack as it flew a few feet away.
Eyes wide, James looked down at his foot and the raw power he possessed. He didn't even know where he stood cultivation wise with a kick like that.
Before he could enjoy the feeling too much, the lizard rebounded and cautiously slunk forward. Its forked tongue darted out, tasting the air as its slitted eyes blinked at him. Blood slowly tricked from its side, but the wound was already closing as scales grew over it.
Frowning, James kept the monster in front of him as they circled each other. The stalemate was ended when they both decided to charge. James was forced to leap over the monster when it slashed with both front legs.
Before he could land, a tail caught his feet, knocking him out of the air and into the ground. Rolling several times, he realized he had dropped his spear along the way.
Climbing to his feet, he was barely in time to use the back of his hand to guide a slash away from him. Lashing out with a blind kick, he stopped the second arm and broke bone. The soul of the monster was already depleting, slowing its movements as it started to grow desperate.
He wanted to laugh as they danced around the street. He used every bit of strength he possessed to stop tail whips and claws as he guided attacks away from him. His palm snapped out and broke bones in shoulders and his kicks found the monster's legs, but he could hear the grinding of bone as they settled back into place.
Minutes passed before the creature grew weak enough that he activated Soul Strike. The monster's body burst apart, blood coating the ground as its soul detonated and flowed into him.
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He was about to celebrate when pain knocked him to his knees. His soul expanded in a burst of power that flooded his limbs with sparks and ripped his muscles. His heart beat so hard that it started to bleed before all of the energy was sucked back into his body. The flame in his stomach grew nearly twice as large before settling with a much weaker flickers of energy.
Gasping for each breath, he felt his body heal as he tested his soul. It was stronger. Far stronger. It may not look like it was burning that much, but he knew he could cast a stronger Soul Strike and at least two of them before being spent. Then the notification arrived.
Soul absorbed: Soul Strength: 3.03
New Soul Skill: Soul Blade
Blinking a few times as the knowledge settled into his mind, he smiled. Getting back to his feet, he held out his hand and summoned a flickering white sword. It was ephemeral as it flickered like flames before taking on a more solid state. Still, it shifted like flames as he swung it around.
Finally, I have a weapon that I trained with.
Swishing it through the air, he felt its balance and absent of weight. It was a pure extension of his body and flowed with his patterns. He also knew that he could still cast at least one Soul Strike before running out.
Glancing at his bone spear, he shook his head. He didn't need it anymore, but the lizard on the other hand…
The monster's scales were harder than iron, even in death. His soul sharpened spear could barely cut through them. With that kind of skin, he could create even better armor.
Drawing his knife, he used his soul to sharpen it before stabbing it into the monster. Cutting through its scales, he started peeling the hide from the beast and rolling it up. The brine he had would last for at least another day before he had to gather more ingredients. With this one hide, he would be able to make new leggings or a shirt and add the feathers to the scales.
With a plan in mind, he used strips of the creatures sinew to tie the hide to his back. Double checking that it was secure, he started checking the streets again. The vultures were cawing overhead, seemingly glad that he had removed its scales. With a wave at the birds, he walked to an apartment and stepped inside. It was time to see what they held.
Darkness greeted him like an old friend as his Soul Blade lit up the interior of the hall. Doors lined the walls, leading to a sliding metal door at the back and a staircase.
Most of the doors were broken down, their heavy wood shattered as Forsaken shifted inside. Claws scuttled across the ground as whatever furniture was left was shifted around.
Stepping lightly, he reached the first apartment and peered inside. The one across from him still scratched and shifted and he smiled. They hadn't sensed him yet.
Stepping into the apartment, he let his sword light up the interior as he scanned the room. What appeared to be an open floorplan stretched before him larger than his old house. The kitchen and living room was torn apart, long claw marks having torn the tile and wooden floors. Appliances the ancients used were rusted and destroyed from claws and teeth. The air was ripe with the smell of death as it wafted from further into the apartment.
Inching forward, he listened to his footsteps creak as the wooden floors bent slightly. Wincing, he listened to the claws stop. Sniffing could be heard before the claws started again, growing closer.
Swallowing, he prepared himself. What walked around the corner of a hall made his heart skip a beat. He was expecting a dog, or maybe a rat, but not what appeared.
The Forsaken was pitch black, nearly blending into the dark room. It was vaguely human shaped with tentacles for arms and razor sharp clawed toes. Its head swiveled to look at him, its eyes black voids. Cocking its head to the side, it smiled, showing two rows of razor sharp teeth and a barbed tongue.
"Food?" it questioned, making his heart skip another beat.
It can talk? What the fuck is this?
Gripping his sword with both hands, he wasn't prepared for a tentacle to lash out at him, growing several feet in the span of a second. He barely had time to raise his sword before he was shoved back, sliding into the kitchen island.
"Food moved…"
Eyes wide, James slashed at another tentacle and watched as it caught fire from his Soul Blade. Screeching, the monster dragged its arm across the ground, snuffing out the flames before stepping forward.
"Food hurt…"
Raising both tentacles, it lashed out towards him, making him step to the side as he swung. His blade carved through one of the appendages, dropping the tentacle to the ground where in undulated like a pulsing tumor.
Another scream of pain came from the monster before it leapt. Its tentacle stabbed into the ceiling before it swung towards him with both feet. Calming his mind, James flowed with the fight and relied on his training to counter the Forsaken and cut off one of its feet. The claws from the other apartment started to approach as he latched onto the soul of the monster and started draining its flame.
The second creature stepped into the apartment and cocked its head.
"Food?"
Gritting his teeth James latched onto the new threat and watched it scream before lashing out with both arms. The original monster lashed out as well and he was forced to jump back while sweeping his sword through the air. Fire coated the tentacles before he lifted his hand towards the first monster.
Tapping into Soul Strike he exploded the creature, sending black blood over the room. The soul slammed into him, filling his flame with energy as he focused on the newcomer.
Stepping forward, he tilted his head, letting the tentacle drag across his cheek. Acid started to eat away at his flesh before he charged. The second tentacle sharpened to a point and stabbed forward.
Slipping his sword against it, he guided it past his side while dragging his blade across the appendage. Fire coated the monster before he flicked his blade and cut through the tissue, severing the tentacle.
Screaming in pain, the monster tried to step back, but it was already too late. James was upon it and stomped on its foot so it couldn't flee. Punching as hard as he could, he knocked the Forsaken down before flipping his sword around and stabbing into its chest. Its soul met his sword and exploded, sending blood into the air and across the room. His weapon sucked up the flames and he felt them course through his body and build his own soul.
Breathing heavy, James stepped off the creature and walked further into the room. His hands were shaking as his cheek pushed back against the acid. Slowly, he settled and burning stopped as his resistance increased.
Corrosion Resistance: 4/10
Souls Absorbed: Soul Strength: 3.05
They were worth that little?
His eyes were filled with anger as he barely increased his Soul Strength. He was clearly well into the refinement stage. He was near the peak and with a bit more soul energy, he would be in foundation. Or at least the equivalent. At the pace he was going, he would reach his old core stage within a few months. That is if he could keep finding Forsaken to fight.