Surprise, Motherfucker
"..."
Anna's eyes quietly scanned the campsite. The mage Rapi across from her had her back turned, catching her breath. The man called Evan was leaning against a tree, fast asleep. The sleeping potion she'd secretly slipped into the dinner they'd offered her had worked perfectly.
Evan had been constantly watching her ever since she'd arrived at the campsite. There'd been no opportunity to dose the food. Her heart had pounded fiercely at the thought of getting caught and ruining everything. Cold sweat had dripped down her back, and her hands had slipped several times from the tension, but she'd managed to pull it off somehow. Thank goodness for that rude little mage brat drawing Evan's attention.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief inwardly. It would be great if it ended like this, but it wasn't over yet. She still had to report to him.
Anna moved with utmost silence to avoid waking anyone in the camp. She backed away slowly, muffling her footsteps. As the campfire's glow faded into the distance, the Shadow Forest's darkness enveloped her. With every step into the gloom, unpleasant whispers tickled her ears. Gnawing sounds. The breathing of nocturnal monsters, the slithering hisses of beasts and snakes—all mixed in a chaotic symphony. Countless creatures probing for prey, marking her as a target.
It used to scare her before, but not anymore. Once she received the power he had promised, all those scum who looked down on her would have to look up to her instead. Imagining that blissful future made her legs tangle. A thrilling pleasure pulsed in her lower belly, halting her steps. It was fine. She was almost there.
"Mage sir!!!"
She shouted, and a shadowy figure emerged from between the trees.
"Surprise, motherfucker."
It was Evan.
"Are you following me? How?! That was enough to knock out even an ogre!!"
Not quite, but close enough.
"Well."
Anna's face twisted at my curt reply.
"I fooled that little mage, so where the hell did you catch on?"
"Adventurers' stories are mostly bullshit anyway."
I'd never trusted adventurers to begin with. They had a bad habit of falling for temptations too easily. Rapi, living in this peaceful era, had naively bought into it. But my soul was too battered and worn to place faith in people anymore.
Besides, there were inconsistencies in the info Anna had given. The stone from the mage—awakening mana in her entire party made sense. The world was vast, full of relics and hidden pieces. But the "good luck" she'd mentioned? That was different. Luck bordered on the realm of providence. Only grand mages or great witches tampering with chaos could touch that domain. And those beings wouldn't waste time experimenting on nobodies like Anna's party.
There was only one force that toyed with providence like that.
"I crushed the Abyss already, but seeing maggots crawl back up... you must want to get stomped again."
I pulled out my axe and hurled it. Mana-coated, it streaked into the forest depths trailing light.
"...Hahaha!! Where the hell are you throwing that?! No way the sleeping potion didn't work!!"
Crunch-crunch-!
"Quick... on... your... feet."
From the shadows behind Anna emerged a repulsive Abyss spawn. The bastard shattered the axe I'd taken from a starving orc, emerging in a hooded robe that hid its true form. Even with mana-enhanced vision, I couldn't peer inside.
"Mage sir! You're here. As promised, I've brought fresh sacrifices!"
Anna's face lit up with ecstasy. She dropped to her knees, arms outstretched toward the Abyss spawn in desperate supplication.
"So please, the power you promised! Please!"
The spawn extended a hand toward her. From the bulging robe slithered a grotesque wooden tentacle.
"Aaaah!! Power... power!!"
Squelch-!
"Ruthless. Isn't she your minion? Piercing her skull in one go."
The spawn lifted its tentacle. Anna's severed head dangled from it, her body below still kneeling in prayer even in death.
"Your... wish... is... granted."
Anna's face, impaled on the tentacle, wore an expression of pure bliss.
"You guys are still disgusting as ever."
I couldn't fathom why the Abyss insisted on showing off to me like this. I pulled a new weapon from my inventory—a light one-handed sword I'd picked up in Rimhold before taking the job with Rapi.
"Go... ahead... and... charge."
Whoosh-!
Crunch-crunch-!
From the tentacle it yanked out sprouted a nasty maw lined with jagged teeth. It crunched down on Anna's head, devouring it. Brain matter oozed between the teeth grinding bone and flesh.
"...The Swallower?"
I'd thought it was some fallen Abyss minion, but this freak wielded the Swallower's power. The Abyss was always a pain in the ass. High magic resistance meant even Aura Blade couldn't deal much damage. And their regeneration was troll-level bullshit. You had to cauterize wounds with fire or one-shot them with overwhelming force.
Among the Abyss pains, some were extra fucked: the Swallower, the Carver, the Weeper, and so on. The named ones with authorities wreaked havoc on Adenia's living. We'd managed to kill them all somehow, though.
Where the hell did this one get the Swallower's power?
Crunch—crunch—!
Endless teeth on wooden tentacles clashing. The Swallower's authority was Devouring—assimilating the power of whatever it ate.
"Struggle... more."
Multiple voices overlapped from within the robe. Tentacles lashed out at me simultaneously.
"Tch—!"
Speed too fast for the eye. I circulated mana to enhance my body. Senses sharpened, detection range expanded. Three tentacles aimed at my head, left arm, and waist. I twisted my hips, swinging my sword to block them all at once.
Clang—!!!
Mana-clad blade, yet it couldn't sever the tentacles. Sparks flew from the impact—how tough was this shit? My teeth nearly cracked.
Not done yet. The spawn's shoulder twitched. The repelled tentacle fired again in sync.
"Hup—!"
I barked, refining my mana sharper. Aura thickened. Slash.
Crunch—!
The teeth on the incoming tentacle bit down and devoured. The mana in my sword dispersed. Fucking Devour authority.
"Damn it."
I dropped the sword and rolled aside. Crunch—! The tentacle pierced the air where I'd stood, splintering a Shadow Forest tree behind me.
Had I tanked it, my waist would've been bisected along with the sword. Death's brush made my muscles seize. I slammed my arm down, forcing them awake.
"Hoo... fucked."
New sword out, aimed at the bastard. It seemed unfazed by my dodge, radiating leisure. A mana pulse emanated from the repulsive Abyss spawn.
"Urk."
A shockwave that nearly blew me away. I jammed my sword into the ground to brace.
"I'll... devour... you... too."
Voices of random party leaders and Anna mingled unpleasantly. Multiple ages layered in. Hiding here, tricking and eating adventurers, huh? No telling how many it'd devoured—its mana was immeasurable.
I regripped my sword.
"Fuck your mom."
Couldn't help but curse. Among the named ones, the Swallower's authority was the worst matchup for me right now. Called the mage's nightmare, Devour consumed even mana—utter bullshit. Needed mana to cut, but it ate the mana, so no cutting.
"Surrender."
Traits or skills could've won this, but Drift status blocked them.
"Eat shit."
But I had a way. Problem was, it needed a little time. Had to stall against this Devour-wielding Abyss filth and create an opening.
"Let's see."
Plenty of weapons left in inventory. Switched sword to left hand, drew spear for right. Aimed spear at it, knees bent.
"Time to butcher you. Come on."
I'd survived worse hells than this.
"Hah... haa... fuck... gonna die."
Leaning against a tree, I gasped for breath.
"How... persistent."
Like the tenacious Abyss it served, the bastard was still alive despite wounds that would've killed any human. Clutching my punctured waist to staunch bleeding, I flipped it the bird.
"That's my line, ugh..."
Ripping out wooden tentacles everywhere and countering Devour was pure hell. But I'd managed a standoff.
I eyed the object I'd rigged. Shattered shortsword in its "head," mace fragments in waist and legs, sword nailed into thigh like a spike. And a spear run through its back, pinning it to the ground.
Still alive.
"Heh... heh... haha."
Crunch—crunch-crunch—!
Teeth on tentacles devouring nonstop. During the fight's chaos, it'd skewered fleeing monsters on tentacles. Each bite improved its state. Twisted body straightening, ejecting the mace shards.
"Surrender... become... one."
Unlike the persistent Abyss, my condition sucked. Abyss aura resisted clotting; mana nearly depleted. Inventory weapons exhausted. Only this sword left—and it was cracked down the middle from blocking.
To kill it, I needed massive firepower.
"About time."
The fight had been louder than a construction site—when would they wake?
"Evan sir!!!"
Spoke of the devil. Rapi's voice from behind right as I grumbled.
"Rapi! Stay back!"
Couldn't protect her and fight in this state.
"What is that?! The monster Anna mentioned?"
"Yeah. Abyss maggot."
"The Abyss?! I learned about it at the academy, but I never thought it'd be real...!"
Crunch...!
The teeth devouring a monster halted. Its sword-pierced face lifted. Toward Rapi. Instinctively craving a mage's mana, huh. Had to end it before she got targeted.
"Rapi. Mana recovered? Blast it at max output."
No reply. Faint blue glow appeared.
Crackle...!
Mana surged violently. Crackling grew louder, brighter. Double the mana from the orc lightning spell.
"Mage...! Mana...! Give... it... to... me!"
Spawn's robe swelled further. Thick wooden tentacles erupted from holes. They intertwined, teeth devouring each other.
Crunch...!
A barrier of woven wood sprouted massive teeth. Saliva dripping as they clashed. Grotesque horror. A glimpse inside the robe: unpleasant yellow glow. It grinned in glee at the prospect of devouring mana.
"I'll... devour... it... all."
The spawn's massive maw gaped wide. Simultaneously, Rapi's lightning completed.
Crackle-crackle!!!
Intensifying blue light and crackling thunder. Mana torrent swirled, converging to a point.
Crackle!!!
"Max output!!! Shatter!"
Lightning Break.
Rumble—!
Thunder roared. Lightning torrent swept space like a wave.
Boom—!
Cerulean flash exploded in the dark forest. Shadow Forest terrain vaporized.
The glow faded.
"?"
The gaping teeth faltered in confusion.
"...Huh."
Of course Rapi's spell missed. No damage to the spawn—surrounding trees took the hit instead.
"Heh... heh."
A clearing formed from her lightning, but the unscratched Abyss spawn trailed off in disbelief.
"What do we do, Evan sir?! I used all my mana on that spell!!"
Rapi's voice trembled with tears.
"It's fine. You did great."
She'd bought me time. I scraped every last drop of mana, even from wounds. As it drained, injuries burst open, blood flowing. Gathered and compressed it all.
Normally needed traits for this, but I mimicked the miracle fragment through mana control. Forced manifestation burned my brain. Overcompression ruptured circuits and vessels. Agony threatening blackout. Bit my tongue to endure. Vision warped. Ears rang dully.
Fine. Complete.
I raised the light-shrouded sword. Not the usual hazy aura—starlight gleamed along the blade.
The surest way to exterminate Abyss: Aura Blade manifestation.
"Aura... Blade!? Star... Sword...! Impossible! Who... the hell... are... you!?"
I answered the spawn's horror politely.
"Your mom."
Time to end it.