A Fungal Dream

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Disclaimer: This thing here contains elements that should be considered body horror. I am not good at descriptions, but I am putting this here anyway.

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(Also, I just put it here because somebody asked me, I haven't played Skyrim or 40K. I usually played games like the Whitcher, Doom, or Assassins Creed. Really should make a chapter to answer these questions.)

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Once the insects finally flew away, the entire stall was nowhere to be seen.

What in the name of damnation was that?!

I quickly ran away, trying to piece things together.

What the hell did I see? An illusion? A short mental breakdown? What the hell happened to me?

Without noticing I arrived at a tall building made from white marble with the sign saying, ' Holy City Adventuring Guild' above the door.

An adventurer guild? They might have some books or records about blessings and monster species. Nervously I stepped through the door, finding myself in a tavern. Wooden floor and furniture, with several people sitting around it and talking loudly, while they eat and drink.

At the back of the building was a receptionist desk, with pretty girls helping adventurers out.

Yep, this is an adventurers' guild, the only thing missing is a-nope, here it is.

Not far away from the stairs which led upstairs, was a billboard, filled with papers, probably quests for adventurers.

Right, so if I were a book containing information about monsters and what not where would I be? Personally, I would put them in two sections, one place which is accessible to everyone, and one private where the most important information would be kept. Considering that this system couldn't recognize my race till I got a blessing, I will find probably nothing in the common books. I need the heavily protected stuff.

Pretty sure where I could find it, I walked to the counter, passed through, then I did the same with a wall behind them.

As expected, I now stood behind the scenes, with tables covered in papers and half-dead workers writing and counting stuff, with a scent of high school lingering in the air (depression and overwork).

Poor, poor things. I wish I could help them, but I rather not make things worse.

Looking around, I found a passage leading down to a cellar, where they stored various monster materials, ranging from scales to actual body parts. It was interesting to look at, but right now I had other priorities, so I quickly went back, climbed back to accounting, and continued looking around.

"-Please, follow me. We will check your skill descriptions right now."

What?! I looked around, noticing several people following a woman down the cellar.

Skill description? This is what I am looking for!

Quietly, I followed them down to the abattoir, from there they entered a room that I didn't notice the first time.

Also, how are they not affected by the pieces of meat hanging on those hooks? Are humans in this world insensitive?

The room we entered was almost as big as the front hall for the adventures. The walls were made from gray stones, and reminded me of a bunker.

In the middle a huge blue crystal ball was floating before me with two circles floating around it, reminding me of an atom.

The receptionist turned to the group of adventurers, still smiling brightly.

"Please, touch the status scanner for you to see the descriptions of your skills and titles. be assured the results are confidential and you may describe them as you wish when we are making your guild card!"

Guild card. Right, I would love to have one, but in my current state, it's impossible.

The adventurers touched the orb and after a few minutes, they stepped away from it short-breathed as if they came to a sudden realization.

The receptionist clapped her hands gathering the attention of the people.

"Now that everyone understands their skills, please follow me back to the hall, where we will continue your registration."

I waited for them to leave the room, before tying it myself.

Okay, flying crystal-thingy, show me what I can do.

I placed my hand on the surface of the thing, feeling a pleasant warmness spreading through me, while the letters in my head reappeared.

[Connected to the status scanner.]

[Commencing analyzing…]

[Analyzing complete.]

[Showing skill description:]

[

Classes:

[Life Scholar]: A Holy class, given to those who possess knowledge of different plants, animals, and sentient creatures. Requirements to class-up: [Unknown]

[Runner]: A Low class, given to those who possess a quick leg. Requirements to class-up: Run 42.194988 kilometers (1 marathon) without stopping.

Blessings:

[Blessing of Nergal]: The owner of this blessing has been chosen by the mighty being Nergal. Blessing increases Exp Gain by 10%, facilitates the learning process of skills and unlocks paths hidden from the naked eye.

Active Skills:

[Basic Steady Hand]: The owner of this skill just started their journey into the world of medicine. The skill increases the accuracy of the user's hand by 20%.

[Basic Fast Eye]: The owner of this skill possesses keen eyes. Increase the speed of awareness by 20%

Passive Skills:

[Basic Body Knowledge]: The owner of this skill is a debuting doctor. The skill helps the user remember various anatomies more easily.

[Basic Plant Knowledge]: The owner of this skill is a debuting gardener. The skill helps the user to remember various plants more easily.

[Basic Medicine Knowledge]: The owner of this skill is a debuting alchemist. The skill helps the user remember various formulas and potion recipes.

[Basic Stamina Enhancement]: The skill decreases stamina consumption slightly.

[Basic Movement Enhancement]: The owner of this skill is fast. The skill increases speed slightly

[Basic Reflex Enhancement.]: The owner of this skill is fast. The skill increases agility and reflexes slightly.

[Basic Sponge Mind]: The owner of this skill is smart. The skill increases the amount of knowledge the user is able to absorb and remember slightly.

Affinities:

[Basic Farming Affinity]: increases corps growth planted by the user by 10% and plant magic power is increased by 15%.

[Basic War Affinity]: The owner of this affinity likes war. Affinity increases combat power by 10% and weapon usage is increased by 15%.

[Basic Pestilence Affinity]: The owner of this affinity likes sickness. Affinity increases resistance to sickness by 10% and pestilence magic power is increased by 15%

[ Basic Fire Affinity.]: The owner of this affinity likes fire. Affinity increases fire resistance by 10% and fire magic power by 15%

[Basic Life Affinity]: The owner of this affinity likes life. Affinity increases death resistance by 10% and life magic power increases by 15%.

[Basic Death Affinity]: The owner of this affinity likes death. Affinity increases death resistance by 10% and death magic power is increased by 15%.

Titles:

[The One Who Saw A Thousand Worlds]: The owner of this title saw countless worlds. Title increase adaptation to new world climate and culture greatly.

[Knowledge Driven]: The owner of this title is driven by a bottomless thirst for knowledge. The owner of the title will instinctively find places where more knowledge can be found.

[Chosen by Flies]: The owner of the title is favored by intelligent insects, demons, or angels shaped like a fly. Title increases affinity with flies and allows the owner to tame and summon a swarm of flies. (skill must be unlocked first to use the title power.)

]

Well… this is nuts. I have 20% death resistance and several state boosts. If what this thing says is true then, if I can learn ehh, fire, life, death, plant, and fly summon(?) magic their power will be increased! This also explains why I can run so fast and easily, I have several movement boosts on me! Still, I need to figure out what the hell am I, is there a race search function on this thing?

I pressed my hand stronger on the sphere, now feeling a slight burning sensation on my palm.

[No further data found]

[No -]

[Non-human race found.]

[Describing race…]

[

Low Molded Chimera Skeleton:

Danger level: unknown.

Description: a before never seen being which seems to be residing in the thinnest layer of different realities. The creature is invisible to the naked eye and able to pass through objects and people easily, like a ghost, but this being has the ability to interact freely with the world around it and make itself appear in mirrors, terrifying its victim. The body of the monster is made from different bones belonging to various creatures held together by an otherworldly mold, which quickly spread on any living organism, turning them into mindless zombies. The weaker the victim, the faster the mold spreads.

Scanned monster composition:

High elf humerus, femur, ribs, and centrum: Increase movement speed and agility by 30% and magic affinity by 25%

Mountain Gorilla ribs, vertebrae, radius, ulna, tibia, fibula, finger bones: Increased defense, agility, and strength by 20%

Great human sorcerer cranium: Magic affinity increased by 50%

Blighted Heart: Partial immortality,

Strengths: This monster is able to pass through almost any material. Conventional physical attacks do nothing to them and being invisible gives it an advantage in surprise attacks. If touched carelessly, it will release spores, which when inhaled, will eat the victim from the inside.

Weaknesses: The monster is slightly irritated by sunlight, and silver weapons coated in holy magic are able to reach its body. The light cast by items imbued with holy magic can reveal its shadow.

Tactics: Use holy light to reveal the position of the monster, then attack with holy magic from a far range. Cover the mouth and body in thick cloth, to be protected against spores.

The reward for subjugation: not defined

Item Drops: Corrupted Bones, Blighted Heart

]

Well damn! I am a real monster! like… fuck, I need to sit down for a sec, this is too much!

Feeling overwhelmed I sat down next to the crystal trying to figure this shit out.

So, I am a Frankenstein monster moved by mold. This much I know, but still, it was a shock to hear it like that.

I am not a monster. I am not. I am a human. Right? I mean I have a human mind and all that crap, so I am human. I think I am!

Frustrated, I hit the crystal with my fist, bursting some of the spore sacks on my hand.

Damn it, why did this happen to me?!

I hit the crystal again, then I heard somebody coming this way.

Right, I need to get out of here. I can think properly once I get back home.

Gathering some strength in my legs, I jumped through the ceiling. Not stopping, once my feet touched the ground, I jumped again. I repeated this till I reached the roof.

5 storages. Surprising.

Gracefully, like a butterfly, I started to walk around, thinking about the things I just learned.

I have way too many stat boosts, so technically speaking I am a cheat character. The problem is that I have no idea how strong I really am. If my stats are ridiculously small, then these boosts will do me little good. But how do I test myself? Do I do more physical experiments on myself? No, that wouldn't work on a body like mine. I could time it or-

"Make way! The holy knights have an announcement to make!"

What now?!

I looked down to see what was making such a noise.

From what I could see, the center of the market was emptied out and a podium was made from the nearby crates, on which some silver armored guy was standing.

"Hear me, citizens of Holy City! Last night our sacred home was cleansed from the sins of the Big Three crime families! Right now, we are capturing those who had a hand in their rising of power while also making sure to help those who suffered under their horrible reign!"

The crowd cheered, some even throwing stuff up in the air.

What is this, some sort of college graduation party? Is that a-Don't throw chickens in the air, man!

The man on the podium waited for a while before everyone calmed down.

"Sadly, after we lifted the carpet of evil lifted, we found something truly horrendous under it! While we were searching for evidence against the families, we found several creatures in the sewers who pose a huge threat to our way of life! The monsters are infected by a dangerous virus that is lethal to humans and currently, we don't possess any cure for it! The symptoms are skin turning green with black lumps forming on it! If you know someone who or you think you have the symptoms like these, go immediately to your nearest healer, he will try being able to slow down the infection, hopefully enough for us to find a cure! Now, disperse, and the Lord be with you!"

Green skin and black lumps? It sounds like the sort of thing my spores would do if they entered a living body! Did I infect someone by accident? No, I have been careful the moment I entered this place. The only thing I infected was that guy and… a giant.

The realization of my error hit me like a hammer, making me feel like sweating.

Shit, the rat! I left it there! The other monsters must have eaten it, becoming hosts for the mold! If the transformation happened slow enough then they could easily go to other places, bursting the sacks grown on their body, making the mold grow! Since there is a LOT of biomass in the sewers, I could imagine the mold growing independently from a host! Holy fucking damn, did I start an epidemic!? I fucking deserve that affinity with death and sickness! How bad is it down there?

*****

- At the same time, underground sewer tunnels.-

Several adventurers were screaming and running in the sludge of the canals. Some of them fell and got grabbed by something which was chasing them.

"No! No! No! NOOOAAAAAAAA!"

"Help me! It got me!"

"It's in me! Something is moving in ME!"

The remaining adventurers took a sharp turn left, trapping themselves in a cut sack.

An adventurer who was at the end of the line tried to escape by running in another direction, but from the passage they came, a harpoon-like object connected to what seemed like molded guts pierced him in the head and dragged him away.

Slowly, something crawled out of the tunnel, looking directly at them with several eyes.

As the adventurers screamed, the monster attacked them, tearing them apart, adding their bodies to themselves, making them even more twisted.

When it was done, the creature bloated itself, only to slowly shrink, releasing a thick black cloud from its orifices.

The body parts floating in the sludge, which the creature missed, got covered in the stuff, quickly becoming coated in a green mold, with several black lumps forming on them.

*

[

Name: Unknown.

Race: Lv: 10/70 (20/60)

Main Class: [Life Scholar]

Sub Class: [Runner]

HP(Health Points): 60/60

SP(Stamina Points): 70

MP(Magic Points): 20/20

Active Skills: [Basic Steady Hand] [Basic Fast Eye]

Passive Skills: [Basic Body Knowledge] [Basic Plant Knowledge] [Basic Medicine Knowledge] [Basic Stamina Enhancement] [Basic Movement Enhancement] [Basic Reflex Enhancement.] [Basic Sponge Mind]

Affinities: [Basic Farming Affinity] [Basic War Affinity] [Basic Pestilence Affinity][ Basic Fire Affinity.] [Basic Life Affinity] [Basic Death Affinity]

Titles: [The One Who Saw A Thousand Worlds] [Knowledge Driven] [Chosen by Flies]

]