How the fuck is Eva moving so fast?

  We have been traveling for the past 6 hours and finally Toulif relented from me constantly annoying him. He’s finally letting us rest.

  Geltor sits on my shoulder “Tired huh? I heard unrefined mortal forms come with drawbacks. I bet you need to eat and sleep too, right?.”

  “You hit the nail on the head, Geltor. That means you need to share your rations Toulif!”

  Toulif remains stoic, but I can tell by his soul that he’s screaming eternally. It’s really funny, so I’ve been irritating him. There is nothing else interesting going on since any monster we come across, Toulif can pretty much instantly dispatch them.

  This is just a small way I can get back at him. Still, I’m really itching to fight more monsters.

  I sense something near the edge of my perception. A green ball of flames is slowly approaching us.

  “Hmmm-”

  Geltor, who is now swinging on my hair, notices me looking into the distance. “What? Another beast?” Him hanging from my hair like that doesn’t hurt. My durability is too high for it.

  I blink “Nope! Anyway, get off me. I wanna go do something.”

  Geltor drops to the ground and frowns “I thought you were tired?”

  “Yeah! Tired of being bored!”

  I run off to the middle distance and Toulif scoffs. I thought he might try to stop me, but he ultimately doesn’t give a shit about what I’m doing.

  I sprint around several corners, trying to find a path to the monster. Its soul is a bit similar to the Roach Brood Queen, but I can start to sense the minute differences that tell me otherwise.

  I find my way and peek around a corner to take a look at it.

  I see a bug in the shape of a knight. The roach is standing on its insect hind legs and its body is thin. The exoskeleton is structured to look like medieval armour. Its arms are similar to a human, but its hands are replaced with scythe-like blades. Its bulbous bug eyes are staring right at me.

  (Roach Gladiator / level 25)

  Two large insect wings sprout from its back and it flies directly at me.

  “Making the first move I see!” I grin uncontrollably.

  My aura shifts to my left arm and I go to block its strike with Aura of Durability. This skill currently gives me a 29% increase to my durability at level 3. That is applied with a full body manifestation of aura. However, with Magical Aura Manipulation, I can focus my aura to my arm. Having my aura localized on one limb gives me a 4x multiplier to any skill that affects my aura.

  That brings the durability increase to 116%, but only for that limb. With my durability at 53, that puts the effective durability around 115.

  The Roach Gladiators blade slices into my forearm and digs into the bone.

  I guess that gives context on how fucked I am.

  The Roach Gladiator continues its swing and sends me flying into a nearby wall. I reorient myself in air to land feet first as I crash into the rock with my aura now coating my legs. With my feet now lodged in the wall I look up to see the monster coming for me again.

  Its fast-

  I duck out of the way as the blade cuts where my neck once was. With Aura of Strength I kick out of the wall to tackle the roach. It dodges by flying into the air.

  I tumble for a brief second and I pick myself up to prepare for the next attack. It doesn’t come.

  I look up and meet the insect's gaze. I think it's studying me. Intelligence? I take a deep breath and hold it.

  The Roach Gladiator bolts at me once again. It swings with its left and with my aura shifting to my right, I catch it. The blade cuts down between my middle and index finger, bisecting my hand before getting stuck at my wrist. It hurts like a bitch.

  It tries to pull away, but I grin and grip the blade with my broken hand. Keeping it stuck in my hand.

  Its antenna twitches and its soul dims for a moment before swinging with its free blade. My aura splits to my left and the blade glides along the length of my forearm, taking a large amount of skin and flesh with it.

  I ignore the pain and grab its other blade before it can pull away. Its soul dims again and I can feel shock run through it.

  I let out Frost Breath at its head and it immediately ducks out of the way. I wasn’t aiming at its head though.

  Its unprotected wings are hit by a wave of frost and freeze through. I throw the Roach Gladiator off me and its wings shatter as it rolls along the ground.

  I smile sadistically. It's like the Roach Brood Queen. High strength and agility, but low durability. A glass cannon.

  I don’t know how the system works for monsters, but I bet it gets +1 to strength and agility every level. I pause as I watch the roach get back up. If its system is like mine, wouldn’t it get a +1 to some other stat too?

  Its eyes stare at me with pure hatred as my premonition is proven accurate. Its antenna flicks rapidly in the air and blue lines start forming.

  Shit-

  Before I can even dash at it, it disappears. A sharp pain explodes into my back. I look down to see its blade sticking through my abdomen.

  “Fuck.”

  I grab onto the blade. In a panic, I fully manifest my aura and activate three skills at once. Aura of Durability, Aura of Vitality, and SoulFire. I feel my mana start dropping significantly as my body bursts into black flames.

  The roach screeches as its arm starts blistering and searing away, but I refuse to let go of its arm. It swings again with its other blade.

  I push my Quick Thinking as I force myself to have an idea that can save my life.

  For some reason a memory starts playing in my head. It was a video that scared the shit out of me when I was a kid.

  It was about how crocodiles catch and kill their prey. They hunt with their mouths open and once their prey is close they ambush them and bite down.

  But that isn’t where it ends-

  The roaches blade swings at my head but misses. My entire body is at a 90 degree angle and its free blade flies over me. I reach at the roaches head behind me with my right and my left hand is holding onto the blade that’s impaling me.

  I manipulate my aura to the area where I’m stabbed through and leave only Aura of Durability activated. I smile through the pain as I push off the Roach Gladiator and the ground to give myself as much angular momentum as possible.

  My entire body starts spinning rapidly-

  The roaches arm, that's still embedded in my body, starts twisting on itself violently. The exoskeleton bursts open and green blood starts splashing everywhere.

  After four full rotations, I’m back on my feet again and its arm is still somehow attached to its body. I turn to face the monster and its mangled arm wraps around my torso.

  Its other arm is still unmoved from its post swung position. Its bug face is filled with what I assume is horror. I take it in for a moment, but the bug snaps out of it. It swings the back end of its blade at me, but I catch it.

  “You look like you need a hug!”

  I wrap my right arm around its neck and pull it close. The blade that's impaled in me stabs into its chest. The Roach Gladiator starts thrashing around as it tries to push itself free.

  Eventually, with its higher strength it succeeds. The roach pulls one of its insect legs up and kicks me off it. I’m sent somersaulting backwards, but I take its mangled arm with me.

  I look back up at the monster to see it panting. I start to smile, but I grunt in pain. I look down to see the blade still lodged in me. I reach back and wince as I pull the blade out.

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  I rip the blade from the rest of the arm and hold it by its stump. I point its own bladed hand at the Roach Gladiator and ask it a question.

  “How about a duel?”

  I see the roach's soul dims before exploding into a brilliant green. So it is intelligent.

  It dashes at me, but isn’t nearly as fast as before losing its wings. I go to block it with its own blade and use Aura of Strength on my arms. It swings and the impact makes me step back a few times.

  It goes to kick me, but I grab its insect leg with my hand.

  “Ya shouldn’t had done that!”

  I pull and rip its leg off immediately. I knock its blade out of the way and go to swing at it, but it jumps out of my reach.

  I look down at it and it has three remaining legs and look back up to lock eyes with it. It is staring with a focus I hadn’t seen before this moment. I smile wildly at it.

  I wonder if it’s having as much fun as I am.

  Its antenna starts flicking around with blue lines forming once more. It’s gonna teleport!

  I fully manifest my aura and activate Aura of Durability. The Roach Gladiator vanishes and I spin on my heel to counter it. Only to see it didn’t appear behind me.

  My Magical Aura Perception screams at me and my arm swings upward, blocking a strike from above. My feet sink into the rock and the ground cracks beneath me.

  It teleported above me? I look up at it and pause.

  The Roach Gladiator regrew its wings-

  It kicked me in the face and sent me into another wall. I cough up blood as I ready myself for another attack. I take a breath as the monster appears in front of me again.

  I parry its swing upward and rock explodes behind me as its arm arcs over my head. I blow Frost Breath at it, but its antenna swings at an unbelievable speed and the roach vanishes before it could reach.

  Shit-

  I use Magical Aura Perception to find it immediately. I block another swing and I’m sent to slide across the ground. It took so much to get rid of its wings and I don’t think I can use the same method twice.

  I frown. Should I use Obscene Presence? For some reason, using it now would feel cheap to me. I did just challenged it to a duel.

  No, I won’t use it. I’m having so much fun after all.

  Another swing comes up from underneath me. I barely manage to move my head out of the way and the blade cuts through my face.

  My left eye is destroyed.

  I laugh maniacally and suddenly drop my blade. This causes the roach to hesitate for the briefest of seconds, but it’s enough for me to act.

  With Aura of Strength coating only my right arm, I bitch slap it in the face. It rockets to a wall and slams into it with a splat. I look over at it with my remaining eye.

  All of its remaining limbs are broken and one of its wings is bent at an odd angle. The other wing is completely detached and laid in front of it. A perfect indent of the back of my hand is engraved into its skull.

  In the end it was a glass canon and a single good hit was all it took. I feel a sense of pride wash over me. Not only for myself but for the monster- No, this warrior, as well.

  “That was great, Roach Gladiator. That was the best, most fun fight I had so far.”

  I see its body relax and its soul is whisked away. I got a notification.

  You have slain a (Roach Gladiator / level 25)

  -

  Immense experience rewarded

  You have leveled up! (18 → 19)

  -

  You have earned (5) stat points

  You have leveled up! (19 → 20)

  -

  You have earned (5) stat points

  You have leveled up! (20 → 21)

  -

  You have earned (5) stat points

  (Quick Thinking) has leveled up! (3 → 4)

  (Quick Thinking) has leveled up! (4 → 5)

  (Pain Tolerance) has leveled up! (4 → 5)

  (Pain Tolerance) has leveled up! (5 → 6)

  (Magical Aura Manipulation) has leveled up! (5 → 6)

  (Aura of Strength) has leveled up! (4 → 5)

  (Aura of Strength) has leveled up! (5 → 6)

  (Frost Breath) has leveled up! (3 → 4)

  (Aura of Durability) has leveled up! (3 → 4)

  (Aura of Durability) has leveled up! (4 → 5)

  (Aura of Durability) has leveled up! (5 → 6)

  Congratulations, you have received a trait

  -

  (Sadistic)

  I sigh wistfully as I activate Aura of Vitality and Mana Cycling. Interestingly, Mana Cycling doesn’t require my soul to be spinning. With the skill, the mana itself will start spinning on its own.

  I look around at the carnage around me with a lite smile on my face.

  “Man… I fuckin’ love it here!”

  My mood starts spiraling, but in a positive direction. I walk over to the dead Roach Gladiator. I start to chuckle as I kick one of its limp legs playfully.

  I’m hit with a sudden sense of longing for my old world. Not for anyone, for my friends or family, but for something else.

  “I wish I had some music!”

  I look down at the roach as I think about the problem. I raise an eyebrow, then smile.

  I started singing.

  “I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go! Walkin’ with a dead man over my shoulder!”

  I grab onto the Roach Gladiators leg and start dragging it behind me.

  “I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go! Walkin’ with a dead man over my shoulder!”

  ---

  Toulif watches the humans eat their food. Disgusting. The demon, Geltor, sits next to him with the same expression.

  Geltor then looks up at Toulif with an unreadable expression. Toulif scoffs. “What is it?”

  Geltor shakes his head “I was just wondering what the plan is. For Tiffany, I mean.”

  Toulif frowns behind his mask “You were the one to warn me to not attack her.”

  “Yeah, and for good reason. That human form is way too advanced for her level. She should be level 50 Minimum. The way she is able manipulate her essence as well! It's just not possible.”

  Toulif grunts “Why is she hiding her level though. If she is high enough, why didn’t she just kill everyone.”

  Geltor looks down at the campfire that was made and places a finger on his chin. He starts to slowly nod “I heard a rumour 50 odd years ago. It was about how different Eldritch Horrors are to regular demons. Myself and most demons don’t need anything to survive. We can subsist off our own mana. Eldritch Horrors though, they need… sustenance.”

  Toulif glances at the humans scarfing down their rations. Geltor grimaces “Not like how mortals need food and water. It's something else.”

  “And that is?”

  “They eat confusion.”

  Toulif frowns as he takes in the implication. She was hiding her level as bait. If someone with a higher level like Toulif attacked her, then she would match someone that's over 30 levels above her. It would generate a massive amount of confusion.

  A shiver goes down Toulifs spine as he remembers their interaction in the tent. She wasn’t just ready to fight, she was excited.

  Geltor looks over at Toulif “Ya get it now?”

  Toulif nods “Yes.”

  Toulif suddenly hears echoing down in the dungeon. Is that… Singing?

  Geltor turns his head in the direction of the noise “That’s Tiffany.”

  “Waiting for an invitation to arrive! Goin’ to a party, where no one’s still alive!”

  “Waiting for an invitation to arrive! Goin’ to a party, where no one’s still alive!”

  Loud scuffling is also heard by the group of cultists. Everyone was at attention as they started to listen to the ominous song.

  “I was struck by lightning, walkin’ down the street! I was hit by something, IN! MY! SLEEP!”

  The last part of the verse was accompanied by three very loud slamming noises. It was like something wet and soft crashing into something, hard.

  “It’s a dead man's party! Who could ask for more!”

  “Everybody’s comin’, leave your body at the door!”

  The corpse of what’s left of a roach-like monster flies into view as it explodes onto a gory mess on a wall. The figure of a woman walks around the corner. Her body is almost completely torn apart. The most notable injury is a massive vertical scar on the left side of her face, and a missing eye.

  “Leave your body and soul at the door! Hey guys, I’m back!”

  Toulif makes a declaration in his mind.

  We need to be very careful around her if we want to live.