True Monster

I woke up for the first time in a new world, on top of a tree, in the middle of a forest, yeaaaah this is the life

-(Mornin'!)-

"Do you even sleep?" I said as I loosened up a bit looking around, even though it was sunny there was still a bit of an early mist down in the ground

-(Why would I not?)-

[Due to the last battle between pieces is been decided that outside help will invalidate the battles automatically, making it result in a tie]

"Ehm a battle between pieces? There has been one recently? We just arrived here damn it are they already going to each other's throats?"

-(Oh yeaaah you don't know I forgot, well you see as your goddess probably told you this is a fight to the death between pieces, there's 33 gods or so and each one usually picks a piece to fight for them, emphasis in a, your case is an exception, anyways you go around through the world getting stronger until you meet with another piece then bum fight to the death)-

"And there was a fight with external help recently so the gods decided to ban it right? Also what do you mean our case is an exception?"

-(Well every god has one piece, but wrath has five this time)-

"Huh ain't that completely unfair to the other gods?"

-(Not really since you guys started a bit late)-

"How late have we started exactly…?"

-(... … …)-

"Revs?"

-(... … two…)-

"Two what"

-(... years…)-

"I'M SO DEAD"

-(Is not that bad come on I know you will be fine)-

"THEY HAD TWO YEARS TO LEVEL UP AND GET STRONGER!"

-(But you have me)-

"... I'm so dead"

-(Ouch… oi… is it normal for mist to rise so much?)- The evening mist was now at more than half the tree's height, which is weird, because that is like 2 meters

"Dunno I'm new around here remember?"

-(Hmmmm wait don't climb down, I think I saw this once before…)-

"I wasn't thinking of having a mist bath thanks, haven't you seen The Mist? No thank you" I started jumping from tree to tree using [Acrobatics] everything okay until I tried to jump on a branch and it disappeared under my feet, before falling I grabbed onto another tree branch and pulled myself up "Okay Revs? What is this? Do trees spontaneously disappear here?!"

[+3 Agi]

-(I got it! This is an Illusionary Mushroom! Gaw we are still not awake!)-

"And the hell I'm supposed to do?" As I kept on jumping more and more trees had branches disappearing or changing in random directions

-(Don't panic, that will only make things worse! We need to find the mushroom manifestation within this dream)-

"Tch fine, and how do we do that?"

-(Go into the mist, his stats will be higher within your mind but I think I can beat it with my magic)-

"All right" Jumping down into the mist I was suddenly surrounder in a dense fog "But how do we find it?"

-(Just look around, it can't be too far)-

"Aye" I tried to look around but it was hard with all the fog "Either way, shouldn't I be the one on top here? I mean, is my mind no?"

-(This is a middle point between dream and reality, like when you wake up but you are still not conscious, your body is probably being drained as we speak ugh…)-

[The fog covers your senses your agility is reduced]

"Ain't that just swell" Before I could even think I dodged as a small shadow passed me around

-(GO FOR IT!)- Before Reverie finished his phrase I was already running behind the mushroom, I couldn't see it that well but it was quite literally a white jumping mushroom, in the last second it dodged and tried to hit me back shooting something, reinforcing my legs with mana I barely managed to dodge it -(NICE DODGE, NOW HIT IT!)-

[Mana_Boost_Lvl1 Acquired]

"ALL RIGHT!" Using Mana Boost and Acrobatics I catched up with the mushroom hitting it with a mana imbued kick that sent him flying

-(The trees! Use them to follow him and hit it moreeeeeee!)-

"AYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" Jumping from tree to tree I kept hitting him sending him higher until we were over the trees which were slowly disappearing and cracking with luminous shines

-(Finish it! The illusion is breaking!)- Before I could kick it back down it sprouted a tendril and grabbed on one of the last branches dodging out of the way as he tried to escape -(Gaw!)-

"AS IF!" Falling back onto the tree the mushroom was on I kicked the trunk making the mushroom fall, and letting me punch it one last time before a light blinded me

.

..

…

As I woke up I noticed the fungus was in my face… my mouth, nose and ears! Pushing it back as hard as I back I gasped for air trying to breath normally as the fungus retired his tendrils defeated

-Gasp… okay… all right… so that happened…-

-(Just kill it already! Is so gross…)-

"Okay, what did we talk about yesterday, you know related to the killing of things?" I used appreciation on the mushroom while I scolded Reverie

{Illusory Mushroom

Hp: 23

Mp: 2500}

[Appreciation leveled up to level 4]

-(In my defense that thing was draining you, and we didn't do a thing to it, we were just sleeping)-

"I mean you got a point… but why was it doing that?"

-(Oh well it feeds on mana but the forest creatures rarely have enough mana to feed it, additionally I think there was a study about the quality of mana, they say is best the most you use it, having in account most creatures in the forest are hand to hand fighters it must have had a pretty rough time finding good food since it only can attack sleeping preys)-

"..."

-(... Wait)-

"We could…"

-(DO. NOT.)-

"feed it…"

-(LARELARELA I CAN'T HEAR YOUUUU)-

"And bring it with us!"

-(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT!)-

"Oh come on, it could be good for us! It can drain mana! That's gotta be useful somehow right?"

-(I HATE IT! I HATE THAT YOU HAVE SOLID ARGUMENTS WHEN IT SUITS YOU! Just kill it pleaseeee it's easy experienceeee)-

"Seriously, why are you so obsessed with killing?"

-(Because if not you are gonna end up a weakling and I'm gonna die with you!)-

"Well for the moment I'm doing it pretty well, but I meant like, isn't there any other thing you wanna do?"

-(Eh?... Dunno, what do you wanna do?)-

"I asked what did you want to do, not what I wanted"

-(Ehhh… Pfffft never thought about that)-

"You are a lost case" Checking out the mushroom I grabbed a bunch of fibers there were around and improvised small basket, thanks mom for the bakestry classes and thanks forest for having so many good materials, I putted the mushroom in the basket and tightened up so it wouldn't fall

-(Oh shut up, you just made a basket for what is basically a parasite)-

"Says you"

-(Ouch!)-

"Hey, you think I could communicate with it?" I started walking through the forest again… the real forest this time, I hope

-(The fungus? Communicate? Riiiiight… no, just make sure it knows who's boss, that way MAYBE it doesn't try to eat us while we sleep)-

"Imma call it Soos"

-(You are a lost case)-

"Oh shut up!"

-(Mhm… Either way isn't it supposed to still be like morning?)-

"Yeah why?"

-(It just got dark very suddenly didn't it?)-

Looking around I accidentally walked into a cave whilst talking with Reverie… that could have been dangerous

-(You walked into a cave without noticing?)-

"Look I just woke up so putting that aside.." Before I could explain the sound of metal sharpening sent a chill down my spine, I looked around trying to discern the origin of the sound as I slowly made my way back to the cave entrance… Until I saw it, the two scythe looking things that were sharpening each other let little wisps of light illuminate the face of the monster whose eyes were nowhere to be seen, his whole body was like a famished body but instead of flesh there was some kind of hard material, his face opened up showing multiple rows of teeth, a tiny cold mist reached me… no… it was fear… this was the first true monster I found on this new world

-GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!-

The beast launched itself with his claws upfront, jumping I barely dodged but the monster was quick to follow and hitted me in the opposite direction to the exit, luckily it was with the back of his claws

-(Gaw! Shit, this is bad, I could maybe kill it off with one of my bullets but it wouldn't be enough if you don't follow it with enough speed)-

"How about Soos? Could he put it into an illusion?"

-(Not after we just beated him…Dodge!)-

-AAAAAAAAAAH!-

I was too late, Reveries's advice didn't come in time… so a spectral green hand bursted out of my chest and stopped the blade aimed at my neck… She yelled… hurt… then… silence