The Church of Isekai

Settling in Part 7

We continued on our journey following our Sprite guide. He flew very close to us level with our faces letting us continue the conversation. Our Pixie having figured out how to use his newly-found freedom of 3-dimensional movement dashed around us occasionally falling into the grass. Then he quite suddenly put his feet on my shoulder grabbing onto my hair and slapping me on the back of my head with his wing. "You've mentioned you'd carry us in the forest," he announced, "so I'm just getting to my seat earlier. Besides, I can't fly that slow – when I try, I fall onto the ground." I have OKed his… landing? shouldering?… and asked him to please sit down and hold onto my shirt collar. Also see if he can fold his wings somehow before a gust or air or a tree branch knock him off. As Terry started settling in, Nectar asked Fizz – "All the Fairies I see fluttering around are girls. Aren't there any boys?" Both I and Terry turned to Fizz and he replied, "I don't know why, but the Full-Sized and the Half-Sized are about equal between boys and girls for most types. Maybe a bit more boys among the Paladins and a bit more girls among the Tree Mages. Before you ask – Half-Sized are Goblins (You've seen one), Grundels, Leprechauns, Gnomes, Dwarfs and so on. They hold on to their human memories a bit longer than us, small fry, but eventually just merge with their new essence. On the other hand maybe one had to be a Goblin inside to become a Goblin here. Maybe you had a natural propensity toward being a Medic before. As for your question – there are very few boy-fairies. Most of the boys become so-called 'Brownies' – they also fly but mostly at night. They are a bit more industrious – they also live on a tree but they've build it out with leaves, grass ropes, branches and stuff. They hide in their nests during the day and fly around at night and never meet with the Fairies. The larger ones of the Flying Folk, like the Pixies, can be boys or girls. I don't know if there's more one or the other. I've never seen another Sprite. Oh, there are also Sylphs and Nymphs – they are spirits of Air and Nature. I know they exist because every so often I get a text pop-up saying that but I see nothing there and if I stare for too long in that direction, the text disappears." Terry perked up, "So there are other Pixies? Do they also live in a tree? Is it far?" I've noticed as Nectar was looking downs hiding her smile as I have turned my head away from the "Chip (Pix?) on my shoulder" doing the same. Our Sprite replied, "Not far at all. Nothing is really far here. The place I'm taking you to is about 15 minutes flight from the Fairy Tree, about 20 from the Brownie Housing and the Pixie Camp. The Base Camp of the Full-sized is farther off. Some of the Half-Sized are living there too, some in the forest." Terry turned to me, "Do you think I could fly there, take a look?", I nodded slightly trying not to knock my passenger down, "Yes, in fact I'd like you to fly reconnaissance ideally once in daylight and once at night. I think you should be able to see at night. If not then don't."

As we continued walking by the edge of the forest looking around, Terry suddenly took off from my shoulder, flew masterfully between the trees and came back screaming, "I see a Black Box!" We turn to Fizz, "Are these the Random Stuff Boxes you spoke about?" He shrugged and led us into the forest. There on the ground between two ski-high pines stood a large black trunk. So… it might have goodies or might kill you, if you believe what our Fizz heard from the Full-Sized Campers. Well there's only one way to find out. I start looking into it. I get nothing. Absolutely nothing… Nectar is standing next to me looking between me and the Box while Terry nervously flying around it. I said, "Well we might as well try. After all I doubt the box can really kill a zombie. Terry, feel free to open it, Nectar, please go stand behind this thick oak tree." Terry tries to pull the top upward but the box isn't budging. Maybe it's meant for the full-sized crowd. I tell Terry and Fizz to join Nectar behind the tree, wait for them to get there and open the box. I hear a melodious ringing of a small bell and the box opens. We seem to be in luck – inside there are several sets of clothing, a doctor's bag, a dagger and several small knives that could be used for throwing or in the kitchen. Maybe we could have Terry carry one of them as a sword if we can craft a scabbard. By the time we've made it to the cave that Fizz picked for us, we became loaded with goodies from several more boxes. A small pile of clothes, cooking and dining utensils, hammers, axes, saws, shovels and a sack of Gourmet Flower Seeds. The cave’s location was the best and at the same time the worst thing about. The ground in front of it was covered with small pebbles for about maybe 50 steps forward, left and right so no one can sneak up on us soundlessly. The River was to our right, the Mountainous Ridge – behind and to the left, the Forest – directly before us. However there comes a twist. Right behind us, clearly visible from the river edge half-way up the Mountains was none other than the dreaded Shimmering Veil. No wonder even the silly Fairies wouldn't come here.

We set all our possessions on the ground. I started giving out orders, "Fizz – you should be the Air Master – please find a comfortable spot, and try doing something with that power of yours. We would benefit a lot from it. See if you can maybe start a small breeze of better yet see if you can listen into the depth of the cave. I fear it goes quite deep and maybe connects to some caverns. Ideally I'd like you to continue being our guide even in the cave. So start practicing, maybe meditate a bit – we absolutely need your air control. Terry – I don't know if you have any Pixie magic but if you do, see how you can get to it and what can you do with it. So get comfy but not next to Fizz, spread out you guys, look inside yourself, see what you can find and then after all your magic practice please fly reconnaissance. We still have a few hours of daylight left, but be back before nightfall. Nectar – while the boys are meditating – if you want, please go to the river for a swim or go through our possessions, pick whatever you want from the clothing. I'll go back into the Forest – we need firewood and a whole lot of thin tree branches for mattresses." Everyone nodded and then Fizz and Terry went out of the cave getting down on the pebbles on different sides of the entrance, Nectar starting sorting the "loot" and I picked up an ax and a saw and marched off. I've been on a tourist trips before, I've set up tents and I slept in a sleeping bag. I have started a campfire and once on a bet done it without matches – the well-known method of a stick rotating with a bowstring between two dry planks of wood works just fine. I'd rather do it with a magnifying glass but by the time I'm back with the firewood, there won't be much sunshine. I think I could use my wristwatch for focusing the light or borrow glasses from one of my classmates currently in my 'Sub-dimensional Storage" bag. I still have it under my cloak, with the Bone Illusion Artifact. I have not told Kate and Constantine anything that happened during the trip – just that the transformations had occurred and that the ten of us made it to this world with the seven dragged off to the Base Camp. Me carrying dead bodies around would probably be too much for them to bare, especially if you add to it the souls I've collected inside of me. Let them get used to the whole thing including the fact of them being Zombies.

As I was cutting and tying the sapling trees for the bedding and large dead wood for the fire, I was looking into myself analyzing my statuses. So I've got a "group" section and Nectar, Terry, and Fizz are there as Necro-Healer Level-2, Necro-Pixie Level-1, and Sprite Level-3. Whatever Fizz isn't telling me… He forgot everything yet he got to Level-3. How? OK we'll keep it in mind. There is also an "energy balance" for the group with the Fliers getting about a third of the "group energy" comparing to their energy reserves totaling about one tenth. It does make sense now that the Little Creatures thrive in a group with the Full-Sized ones. I guess it's all about balance – if I can get aerial surveillance and maybe some magic for a price of longer restoration of my reserve – I'm game.

As for my personal skills, there I was pleasantly surprised. I can put bodies into Stasis – a Suspended state preventing decomposition. I can control bodies for a while without inserting souls – basically like marionettes. I can yank souls out in some cases for some creatures, I can analyze those souls, read them like a book, erase parts of their memories and put the souls back if the body is still alive or zombify someone if it's too late. There's a "Basic Repair" that can be applied to Bodies and it also seems I should be able to sense the presence of some Living and Dead souls. No flying or teleportation but still.... That's… a lot… of… power… A LOT OF POWER.... And as we know with great power comes a great electric bill.

Of Whacks and Booms Part 8

I’ve packed up the firewood and the saplings into my Bottomless Bag and wondered if I have a Map. Apparently I do, as it appeared immediately with locations of my teammates showing up with their images. Terry apparently gave up on meditation and started his patrol flight expanding the limits of my map, our Sprite is still sitting near our cave seemingly doing some Air Magic and Kate-Nectar busy with something inside of it. As I was getting close to the cave, I saw another Black Box standing under a large tree next to a big boulder. I remember it wasn’t here before – I would've noticed it as I was going into the Forest, as my footprints are right here. A brand new one, huh? So far all the goodies we got are amazingly useful and I’m sure Kate had finished sorting through them. However I think we have everything we need. What is it that this World is trying to give us all of a sudden? I’ve started looking into the Box and for some reason felt a very strong sense of excitement. The box will be good for me! It’s exactly what I needed and wanted and dreamed about. My Inner Being needs that box! That’s when I stepped back. My Inner Being is a Necromancer – for it to be happy would mean for there to be lots and lots of Necro Energy meaning a rather big “BOOM!” so … I’m not touching this thing.

Suddenly I’ve noticed Kate dashing out of the cave looking around and running toward me. Fizz followed her after looking inside the cave. I met them half-way, “WHAT?” – they replied “A monster appeared in to cave and is coming this way.” OK… “Nectar, start climbing up this cliff, there’s a bit of flat surface on the top, get there and squeeze yourself into a crevasse between the rocks – I’ve seen it there. Fizz do whatever you can to get her there. GO! No, don’t worry about me and don’t turn around. I SAID GO!!!”

Next I’ve reached out to Terry and told him, “I NEED YOU HERE NOW! Protect Nectar with your life! With her, I can bring you back from the dead, without her, we are all gone.” I started walking toward the cave wondering what’s taking that Monster that long. As I was about to look inside, I saw a large… something … coming out. It was very confused feeling around in an unsure fashion. I stopped to look at it, and it froze apparently doing the same. “MONSTER Level-3” a text came up. Well… And? Anything about “Necro Attack”? Whatever do I have available? I’m still looking into this over-sized caterpillar with the head of a lion. OK, no paws, just jaws, so if I manage to dodge a leap I can hit the seemingly soft body with the ax I’m still holding. It seems to have some soul-like energy inside, so … I focus on that energy and start pulling it into me. The beast is confused trying to shake its head. There’s an attack it feels but there’s no pain and no visible attacker. Then it started moving out of the cave. Wow, it’s a long one. OK, big boy, you want to play? Let’s play! My strategy is simple – I’ll drain your life force and make a floor rug out of your skin. I’ve glanced at the top of the cliff – the whole team is there, Kate standing at the very edge, Fizz hanging in the air right in-front of her, Terry flying nervously behind her probably ready to grab her if she falls. The Monster followed my gaze and visibly smiled. I feel its hunger and the expectation of a great meal. “Make sure you don’t choke on your appetizer, before you start thinking about desserts,” I whispered moving toward him. At this point I’ve drained its energy by less than a tenth. I do wonder if I’ll have enough athleticism in me to dance around it for maybe anhour. It’s still looking at me probably contemplating if Necromancers are best with salt or pepper. Meanwhile I wonder why is it that according to Fizz, the Base Campers have at least one member of the hunting party eaten during the encounters. He said their clothing is soaked in special potion that is supposed to make them invisible to the monster but at least one is eaten… Wait a second. I don’t think you can be invisible to monsters – from whatever parts of this Beast’senergy I’ve already drained from it,I can sense it’s trackingme with its eyes and the sense of smell and some kind of an inner radar. So … maybe the alchemy isn’t used to make the hunter invisible… Maybe it’s poison that gets delivered into the Beast’s system with the body of a poor hunter. Let me think… So a bunch of Level-1s kept busy with manual labor not appropriate for their class – field plowing isn’t what a Paladin or even a Tree Mage should be doing – and then fed to the Monsters. All to insure a worry-free existence of the Elite. I can easily imagine … Listen, give me a few minutes to think, will you? Apparently the Overgrown Caterpillar decided to start his late lunch or early dinner (supper? Does it prefer Proper British or Common American?) but his meal stepped to the side letting him slide by and tried to run an ax into the connoisseur’sspine at the base of the skull. OUCH! You think you’re disappointed? That’s nothing comparing to the feeling of not being able to reach the spine because the target’sback it too high for me to reach. Oh yes please slide all the way through the clearing and into the water. Yes, please, leave me here all alone, I’ll just stand here being passive-aggressive. Oh, you came back! I knew you would, all wet and covered in River silt. Oh look, at least 3 what looks likeangry mermaids (or maybe mer…men?) with spears and tridents chasing you out, poking you very aggressively, making sure you’re slithering back at me and now remaining above the water probably for the show still agitated, still with their spears up. Oh, I’m getting your energy faster now… Angry? Spewing with rage? Good, Good, as they say, “let the rage flow through you,” and into my energy store. Faster, Faster! Torrrrro! Olé! Olé! Olé! Just missed me again didn’t you? Well, I didn’t miss you… I couldn’t reach the spine but now two ax whacks are better than one, right? Uhhh, NOW you’re pissed… I can feel it better than I’d like because about a fifth of you life-force is mine now. I actually feel your pain. A rather interesting sensation as Zombies don’t feel their own. Oh yes, you can’t stop now, you’re no longer driven by hunger, now you want REVENGE! You know exactly where I am and you’re throwing yourself in that direction. However I didn’t even have to step aside to avoid you – I’ve interfered with your senses and you thought I’m about 3 steps to the right. WHACK! “Can’t accept more energy – Upgrade Level?” YES, PLEASE. This time – NO PAIN. NONE AT ALL. Because Zombies can’t feel pain. Long Live Being Zombie! Or is it Long Non-Live? My energy store goes to zero but the Beast, having been chased out of the River by the Mer-Folk, again is eager to restore my energy flow after another ax whack. This time it smashed into a tree and then I’ve blatantly directed it into the mountain side next to thecave entrance. And back into the trees making sure I’ve selected the biggest one. Then back into the mountain… More Mer-Folk are out, now actually cheering – not sure for whom – me or the Beast. I glance at Kate – I think she didn’t even move a muscle since we’ve startedand is probably not even breathing, which is quite possible considering we’re Zombies. Breathing is still done as a part of the body’s memory but we don’t need the air. A few more of the full-speed collisions with the trees and the mountain. The River audience is clapping, Fizz showing a thumb-up, Terry even managed a “Loop de Loop”, Kate is still frozen. I’m about a half through my Upgrade process, the Beast is about a half through itslife-force and low on stamina. Still up, still movingtoward me. Mer-Folk are gesturing me suggesting I keep it away from them. Sure, anything for the dear audience. I start to circle counter-clockwise on the little pebble-coveredclearing that is before the cave entrance and that now became an arena and a battlefield. I think I’d like the Beast to drain a bit faster so a whack or two should help. I do wonder if it regenerates so maybe I need to drain it corresponding to my Upgrade Progress – I don’t want a near-total-fiasco I had before with an upgrade to my Level-7. It strikes again at where it thinks I am, misses and stays perfectly still. Tired? Ready for a power-nap? Do you wantsme to walk up to you and give you a whack? Actually from everything I’ve read about the hunts and the hunters, the wounded animal is the most dangerous one. What is it they do in the Corrida when the bull just lays down? I read they bring out a special guy with a pike who pokes the bull back into the fight. I’m not talking about the bullfights being cruel or whatever – that’s what is done and it’s time for me to do the same. A few pebbles leave the Beast unimpressed. I could pull out some logs from the Sub-dimensional Bag but I don’t want just Everybody knowing I have it, so – No. I don’t feel like throwing my saw and I need my ax. I actually don’t want to approach it. However I’m starting to feel the life-force energy intake is slowing – possibly the Beast is regenerating. You are NOT going to mess with my Level Upgrade. I throw my projection over to the front of the Beast and remember that you need to always approach a horse from the front and left. I walk around the face of the Beast and start to approach from the left making sure to send confusing sensation of me being right before it. Two things happened at the same time – I give it a very well-placed WHACK and it launches at me. I move to my left managing tousethe ax I’m still holding as a baseball bat – right into the cheekbone – whilefalling tothe ground. I hear Kate’s gasp inside my head as I roll several times on the pebbles noticing another round of attack. As it launches at me again I actually jump forward and the my right almost touching its head and going into a long roll. It curls-us about 20 steps before me and starts moving its head side-to-side. I think I know how it found me – it closed the eyes and turned the “radar” off because I’ve messed with itsvision, but it’s going by hearing as the pebbles are very loud. However my hit has connected so I’m getting the energy well again. I’m almost three quarters done with the Level Upgrade. Now I wonder if somehow the Beast is upgrading – smarter tactics, more self-control. Maybe I should be looking for a way to bring the things to a grand finale. Let’s see – maybe if I manage to get the Beast stuck between the trees, I could hurry things alone with a few more WHACKS? I pick up a few pebbles in the most noiseless way possible and start throwing them to my right. Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop. The Beast starts slithering in that direction past me but then suddenly starts rolling like a large log at me. NOW THAT IS SMART! I can’t help being impressed as I’m running as fast as I can away and to the left trying to get out of the Areal Attack. Now the Monster hears me well stops the roll and just jumps with jaws open. I play a dentist by smashing my ax into a rapidly approaching canine tooth causing the Monsterto turn away in pain and then redouble the efforts. At this point it’s no longer about eating or even survival. The one goal on the Beast’s mind is to get to me even at the cost of its life. I throw a now-useless saw into its mouth, notice how swallowing it didn’t bring muchjoy to the Monster, and hide behind a large rock that I’ve finally made it to off the pebbles. The Beast can’t dislodge the saw from its throat still continues the attack and jumps in my direction. I’m looking at it calmly as the Beast smashes into the boulder and add another ax WHACK. The jaws come down onto something on the ground and suddenly there’s a large BOOM. The Beast bit through the Black Box that I was afraid to open.