Zeroth

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

The Pool

---

@Guy0fV4lor@ReusableSword@Kazemitsu@Knox

You are experiencing a fast rate of Skill Progression.

System:Jason

As Eric parlayed with the red slime, a green slime appeared to join the conversation. If anyone noticed that pixie floating around, they might wonder what its part was in this little gathering.

But now, two more goblins appeared in the distance, heading their way. They seemed more focused on Eric, giving the slimes a curious look but leaving them alone--though they still stayed wary. After all, life in this cave was always kill or be killed.

“Oi, yous!” One of them pointed at Eric. “Crispy wants all the younglings to come! Boss is comin’ back soon!”

“...What you doin’ anyway?” asked the other, scratching his head. “Why these slimes not fightin’ or runnin’?”

---

The Bonfire

---

@Renny@Lucius Cypher

1 Hard Rock added to Inventory.
Equipped Hard Rock.

System: Yoda

“Aha, there’s one!” As Yoda made a big show of smashing something on the ground, Crispy approached him with a smirk. “What you smashin’, a bug? Ya don’t gotta eat grubs no mores!” He motioned for the younger goblin to get up. “Boss is gonna take yous and the other younglings huntin’ today! Time for ya to start workin’!”

Just then, Orchid approached, and timidly called out.

1 Sharp Stick added to Inventory.
Equipped Sharp Stick.

System:Orchid

“Huh?” Crispy, and presumably Yoda, turned and approached the female goblin. Crispy looked over her appraisingly--the glare from the scarred, milky white eye seeming much more intense than his normal one. If she hadn’t already been naked the way he was looking at her might have certainly made her feel so. “Was you one of the Boss’s kids?” Crispy asked her. “And how long ago was you born, now?”

---

The Lizard Tribunal

---

@Tatsu@Old Amsterdam@Rune_Alchemist@CriticalHit
Ash would find that her own poison did seem to be eating away at the stone, but very slowly. And over time, the hissing and bubbling of the caustic liquid grew quieter and less frequent--so apparently, a lizards’ venom did not stay poisonous forever after it left their bodies. But as she waited, soon other lizards began to appear--and surprisingly they could all talk. All four of them. Did it ever occur to any of these reptiles that maybe only the four of them could talk? Why hadn’t any other lizards they had encountered so far--like the one that had attacked Nathaniel up on his perch--tried to speak to them?

An agreement was struck, for them to help each other out. Rain was the first to add her own venom to the puddle, and a slight wisp of steam began to rise from the poisonous solution as the stony bowl began to expand. What was more, as Ash watched the poison, something new happened.

Used Skill: Alchemy I
---Fanged Lizard Venom--
Properties: Liquid. Exothermic. Poisonous. Acidic.
A compound of the neurotoxin produced in the Fanged Lizard’s internal sacs and elements of the atmosphere. Highly caustic.
---Fanged Lizard Venom + Fanged Lizard Venom---
Compatibility 100%
Reaction: Potent Fanged Lizard Venom
Properties: Liquid. Exothermic. Poisonous. Acidic.
A larger quantity of Fanged Lizard Venom, making it much more effective.
---Alchemy Complete---

System:Ash

---

The Exit

---

@Gobby@Duoya
As Marc darted towards the cave’s exit, he might very well have made it past the two goblin guards. For one thing they were still on the lookout for that pixie, as they were hungry after a long day of gathering firewood with the Boss’s party. But then, said pixie up on the ledge over the archway began to cause some trouble of his own.

As he threw each rock at the cracked stalactite section, the rocks themselves would of course fall down. One hefty specimen landed right in front of Marc’s nose, nearly on top of him, and the sound drew the attention of one of the guards.

“Oi! That rat looks pretty tas--” The next rock landed on this goblin’s head. “Yeargh! Who threw that!?”

A third rock landed between Marc and the goblins, who now brandished their sharpened sticks and took up positions in front of the archway. One kept his eyes on the Dire Rat and the other looked up--just as one of the smaller rocks pelted him on the forehead.

“It’s that pixie up there! He’s throwin’ rocks at us!” The guard pointed--just as Puck let fly with one more.

CRACK!

A large stalactite, disturbed by the repeated impacts even though they were small, began to shift. And its weight caused several of its neighbors to shift as well.

CRACK!

A few of the smaller stalactites, and the one larger one, all fell at once, dragging down chunks of earth and rock with them. The two goblins screamed just before the dust clouds and sounds of raining rocks hid them--and the archway--from view. Marc, too, would find himself in danger of death from above. And without realizing it, Puck may have completely defeated his purpose--what if all this caused the exit to be sealed up!? But before he could finish that line of thought, something else shifted.

CRACK!

With a big chunk missing out of the ceiling, the rest of the stone around it was settling into place. Thus, the ledge upon which Puck hid himself also shifted, and when it did so several loose stones came tumbling out of the crevices behind the pixie, headed right for him--!

---

Elsewhere

---

@King Cosmos@Gardevoiran@Legion02@UltraCraftGames

1 Curved Rock added to Inventory
Equipped Curved Rock.

System:Digbie

As Digbie threw his only tool, his only weapon--his only friend--at the Slime, the purple ball of goo let out a surprised blurble. The stone struck it--then bounced off, spinning somewhere through the air nearby. The Slime had a spot of darker purple on its body now, but it didn’t seem particularly dissuaded--after all, it was the most resistant type of monster to physical damage in the cave.

With a gurgle, the slime balled up one pseudopod and lashed out at Digbie! But just before it struck him, a glowing aura enveloped his body, thanks to his newfound pixie friend. The slime’s attack pushed the goblin away, but ultimately he was really none the worse for wear. Just disarmed.

Now it was their turn again...would they Run, Fight, Use an Item, or Defend!?
***
While Peter trained he learned a few things. The Mana Crystals refilled his MP, but just because a Wisp was a magically charged creature it did not mean that they would heal him. Only the Healing Herbs could do that, but like the crystals it just took one of them to fully recover his HP. But every time he tried to hold a crystal, or carve a hole in one and sit inside it, or anything else of that nature, the crystal seemed to automatically be absorbed by his body as soon as his MP got low. Then it would be refilled, and he’d have to find a new crystal. At least it seemed like all his practicing with his various spells was working out.

You are experiencing a fast rate of Skill Progression

System:Peter

But, while he was so busy focusing on what he was doing, something else creeped among the crystals. Just as he finished refilling his MP for the umpteenth time, a black shadow behind him leaped up! The Dire Rat’s fangs flashed in the glow of the crystals, a disgusting yellow set of sharp incisors--!
***
As Israi hunted in some secluded area of the cave, he finally found his gossamer-winged mark. As he charged forward, his Lesser Force came down like a hand on top of the pixie. It didn’t hurt the creature, but it did achieve the Wisp’s primary purpose of holding it down just for a bit--he had caught it from a good angle, it couldn’t get its hands under itself to push back against the wall and its wings couldn’t flap to generate any lift. His Mana Orb hit it point blank, and the pixie gave a pitiful scream.

You have no MP remaining

System:Israi

But now that he had used up his own magic, he couldn’t hold the pixie down anymore. As it escaped it fluttered angrily, casting its Minor Heal spell on itself before diving down at Israi with a small foot readied for a kick--!

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Lucius Cypher
AND WE'RE GOING FOR THE QUADRUPLE, CAN I LAND IT?!

The very first IC post includes a bit of a blurb that can apply to everyone's births, though they don't all have to be from the same litters/divisions/egg clutches/etc. It also includes a little bit about the landmarks of the cave, so after reading it you should probably have enough info to come up with something. If not, please let me know and I'll try to answer any questions or point you in a direction.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Gobby
Shit I gotta stop rushing to get replies out, sorry for the triple post.

The exit arch is about six feet high, and about half that wide. Just enough for a human party to enter single file. The cavern ceiling, however, is more like anywhere from 10-14 feet depending on where you are and the stalactites etc. At least this close to the exit, since it's sloping down at the edge of the mountainside that the cave sits in.

Puck could stay in crevices and ledges, but to get through the exit he'll have to pass under the archway at some point, and the guards are aware of his presence so they'll be watching the air above them regularly.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Lucius Cypher
Accepted!

How interesting, that agriculture--the backbreaking, never ending, monotonous labor--is such a vital part of even your "technologically advanced" world. And yet there are still those who starve. Would it be too cringe worthy of me to call it a "fruitless" endeavor?

Skill Gain: Pacify Animal I - You remember how to handle animals and read their body language. Through your own actions, you have a higher chance than normal of getting a hostile beast to calm down and become neutral towards you.

Skill Gain: Stronger I - Hauling bundles of hay and sacks of grain isn't all about size and muscle, though that certainly helps. Leverage is also a large part of strength, and you remember that. Your raw strength is increased by a minor amount.

The Demon King

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@King Cosmos
Sorry, I actually forgot about that in my rush to get the post out! I'll add it momentarily!

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Gobby
Goblins in general are about 3 feet tall. While flying, Puck could probably only carry about 5 pounds at most, but on the ground he could lift and walk with...let's say up to 15 pounds. Not real sure how the math works on that, a 1 foot tall creature with humanlike proportions, but eh.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@floodtalon
Accepted!

Ah, this must be what they call a NEET. How odd. Why do you think it is that you're good at some things, like this programming stuff and those "vidya games" you do all the time, and terrible at things you seem to consider "normal," and never do, like talking to people and making friends? It makes your heart beat fast, so you just give up? You can't do it, so you don't even try?

You really want to be a conqueror? Remember this: Every ruler needs soldiers.

Skill Gain: Magic Analysis I - Computer programming is a language of logic and mathematics. Mathematics and logic are objective truths of the universe. How does this relate to analyzing magical energies that manipulate the fabric of reality? You tell me, smart gal. At this level, after seeing a spell used you can only gain generalized information about it.

The Demon King

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

The Pool

---

@Guy0fV4lor@ReusableSword@Kazemitsu@Knox@Duoya@Tatsu
As Nathaniel sat upon his perch high up on the wall, no doubt deep in thought about his observations, a subtle sound reached his pointed ears. It was sort of odd, not quite the clicking of claws, and with a sort of suction-cup flavor to it. Then the Fanged Lizard climbing up alongside his perch stuck its head over the ledge and fired a glob of poison right at his face…!
***
While Marc stalked the other creatures all around the pool, he failed to notice that he himself was being stalked by something else. Luckily for him, despite their ability to use tools, Goblins are not very subtle creatures.

“Gotcha!” the green child-like monster screamed, before thrusting at the Dire Rat from behind with a sharpened stick…!
***
As Jason devoured his half of the spoils, and the Fanged Lizard he had seemingly befriended headed off towards the bonfire, he headed back to the pool for some “supplies” before making his new goal the search for Mana Crystals.

1 Cup of Water added to Inventory.
2 Healing Herbs added to Inventory.
1 Mana Crystal added to Inventory.

System

But upon finding a patch of crystals, just after he had sucked up the first one Jason would see two goblins approaching.

“Oi! Dumb slime, get away from our crystals!” one of them shouted. The other raised a pair of sticks that had been tied together in a sort of T shape with a vine, but it looked like more of a primitive pickaxe than any kind of weapon.
***
Asura found himself a patch of the herbs away from the other monsters in the area, and upon sucking up three of them he experienced the System Message for the first time.

3 Healing Herbs added to Inventory.

System

So that was what these were. How much did they heal, though? And how much HP did he actually have? How much damage had that Wisp’s blast even done to him--it didn’t feel like he was in any real danger, but it had certainly stung.

But while he pondered these things, he suddenly felt a slight prickle on the back of his...goo. And there, standing behind him, was a glaring goblin…!

---

The Bonfire

---

@Old Amsterdam@Rune_Alchemist@UltraCraftGames@Renny
As Yoda, still hidden, watched from behind the rock the area around the bonfire grew more chaotic by the moment. What would he do? Would he try to save these monsters that the Goblins were trying to kill? Would he side with his own kind? That one with the red markings had been present at his rebirth, and had called the silhouette he remembered seeing--very possibly Yoda’s father--”Boss.” Did that mean he was the second in command of this cavern’s boss monster?
***
Peter managed to dodge the swing of the stick, but when he stopped to deliver his warning, Crispy raised his arm and held the fireball ready to throw--!

To Peter’s extraordinary luck, Rain chose just that moment to intervene. As focused as he was on Peter, and with her stealth skill, Crispy failed to notice the Lizard even after her poison splashed into his eyes. He screeched, losing concentration and dispersing the fireball, and shook his head until his vision could clear. By that time Rain had disappeared--but she could tell, if she glanced back over her shoulder, that Crispy might have been a little damaged yet did not seem as affected by the actual poison compared to other prey she had used it on since her birth. Did he possibly have some level of resistance to it?

Peter’s luck didn’t last, though, and even though he managed to get away, one of the Goblins chasing him managed to get just close enough that a wild swing of its hand slapped the Wisp. His path through the air was thrown into a dizzying loop-de-loop, and when he regained control he felt pain and fear in equal amounts.

WARNING! You are low on HP!

System

***
“Bah! Leave it!” Crispy screeched, and the goblins reluctantly turned back. “The Boss is going to be back soon! Go find the younglings, bring them to me!” With that said, the Goblins began to look around. Some of them immediately found one of the newborn goblins--from the same generation as Yoda, but it was unknown if any of them were reincarnated like him--and began marching them back towards the camp. Would Yoda wait for them to come for him too?
***
As Ash approached she took in all the pandemonium at a glance, but what would she make of all this? As for her search for utensils, it didn’t seem that it would bear much fruit at the current moment--the Goblins didn’t seem to be using the fire for actually cooking anything right now, just satisfying whatever mad craving this one they called Crispy had for big fires. But that other Fanged Lizard had lobbed a ball of poison at him, and it might occur to Ash that the goblins probably would not be able to tell--or care--the differences between one lizard and another...

---

The Exit

---

@Gobby
As Puck taunted the goblins, they redoubled their efforts. It probably had not been such a bright idea, as the goblins easily outnumbered him and seemed a slight bit faster even though he was in the air--at one point one of their flailing hands struck him, and if it hadn’t been for his Shield he could have been in even more trouble. As he took the hit he still felt it rattle his small frame, and he tumbled through the air for a ways before regaining his flight. But soon he had risen high enough that they couldn’t catch him, even by jumping and climbing over one another.

“Oi! Let it be!” called the big one. Now that Puck was up higher, he could see what this creature really was. Like the Goblins he had green skin and a bulbous nose, but that skin was only evident upon his face, chest, and extremities somewhat like a gorilla. Everywhere else on his body was covered with thick, coarse black fur that probably could have used a wash three months ago. He stood a full foot taller than the tallest goblin, and had about twice as much muscle mass, mostly concentrated in his upper body. He was wearing a bunch of what looked to be firewood, split multiple times until it became flat planks, which had then been bound with vines around his chest. He also had on a belt of vines and leaves, and straw sandals--all of it looked to be handmade with all the precision of a caveman. And in one hand he carried the most sophisticated weapon of any of the goblins Puck had seen thus far--a wooden handle with a fire-hardened slot, into which was bound a rock that had been sharpened smooth. A type of stone axe--or more properly, a celt, if Puck was up to date on his primitive technology.

“Pixies is too bony anyways. When I take the newbies huntin’ we’ll get us a big ol’ fat rat.” The boss scratched his chest with one hand, and used the axe to rub the back of his head at the same time. “You two, guard the entrance! The rest of ya, let’s go!”

He began to lead the other goblins away. The two guards--armed with sharpened sticks and a few throwing stones in a pouch of leaves next to their vine loincloths--took up practiced positions on either side of the light-filled archway at the front of the cave. If they had throwing weapons and were any good with them, Puck might find it very difficult to get past them...

---

Elsewhere

---

@King Cosmos

Used Skill: Magic Analysis I
---Minor Heal I---
The most basic of healing spells. In most cases, only surface level wounds are affected. Cannot cure diseases. Will accelerate certain conditions such as malignant tumors.
---Shield I---
The most basic of defensive support spells. An aura effect reduces incoming damage, but no physical barrier or counteractive forces are generated. Only natural resistances to damage are reinforced. Can be cast on objects.
---Magic Analysis I---
FEEDBACK ERROR
---Analysis Complete---

System

Just as Jacob was pondering whether or not to leave his crevice, it seemed the decision would be made for him. At that very moment, something began to ooze from a crack in the ceiling--purple goop? It kept coming, and soon the flow increased in speed and size. And once it almost completely filled his crevice, the purple slime burbled and lashed out at the pixie with one of its pseudopods!

With the limited room of the crevice, the slime would probably find it difficult to attack, and it certainly couldn’t move well enough to dodge an attack. But...what did Jacob have to attack it with? He might have to get creative...

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Gardevoiran
Accepted!

Pft! You call that dark? Sure, it's "eeeveeel," but come on! Skulls in the bedroom, dead bodies in the back room, shallow graves in the yard? There's no class, no finesse. I could make a little boy watch as I put his beloved father on a meathook, cut open his guts, and let his intestines dangle until he bleeds out. It's plenty fucked up, but does it have depth? Will it strike a chord somewhere in you, will it make you question everything you've ever known? Anyone can be a psychopath--now a sociopath, there's a bit of an art to that. Did you know sociopaths aren't automatically evil serial killers? They could have a good job, a happy life, a loving family, they could even live next door to you! No, the thing is, they don't feel they way you do and they recognize that...so they just perfectly imitate everyone else around them, so that you will never know. And sometimes people like that are the good guys! Like that priest over there, the one with no light in his eyes, eating the spicy Chinese food! I bet he wouldn't hurt a fly! Or maybe he has an entire basement full of starved children! Either way, you will never be sure!

Skill Gain: Tremor Sense I - Your past life as one in tune with your Dwarven side makes you very good at diggy diggy. One part of that, though, is knowing how to avoid cave-ins. You can feel vibrations through the earth within a 30 foot radius or so around you, whether they be footsteps, tunneling creatures, etc.

The Demon King

@Legion02
Accepted!

A follower of the occult? But you still have your soul. Can't do magic in your world with that still hanging around. And having it is the whole reason I could bring you here. In my world magic doesn't require making a deal, but in both our worlds it requires this: Sacrifice. What are you willing to give up, boy? You want control over others? You want the power to change things? You can't have your cake and eat it too. Expect to bleed, and cry, and howl, child.

Skill Gain: Extra MP - Your past as an attempted practitioner of magic still serves some purpose here, even if you never gained any real power. You have extra magical energy buzzing in your body, though at this level it's only enough to cast a single extra level one spell.

The Demon King

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@CriticalHit
Accepted!

Aha! I KNEW one of these souls had to be from this..."glorious nippon!" They're the ones who created most of these stories I had to use to explain this whole reincarnation thing to begin with! I hope you're one of the ones who manages to make it to my palace without getting terribly traumatized, because I have so many things to ask you! Like this enslavement device called a "gacha!"

Skill Gain: Scribe I - Your past life as a writer has given you the gift of transforming emotion, sight, sound, and so many others into words. And words have power all their own. This skill's current rank allows the user to take any spell that they know, and inscribe it upon an object. That item can be used to release the spell at any time and by anyone. The same MP cost of the spell, plus the MP cost of this skill, is used up when enchanting the item.

The Demon King

@floodtalon
Wisps are "magically" focused, so their evolutions include things like elemental spirits, ghostly or otherwise spectral creatures, and other various creatures whose primary skillsets revolve around spellcasting. At end game a Wisp that stayed entirely focused on magic would probably be some kind of non-physical or otherwise amorphous being akin to some Lovecraftian being. A Wisp that might eventually try to gain some physical skills might end up as some kind of magical focused being with a physical body, like an archangel or archdevil. If they stuck to one element they might end up as a titan, archon, or some other metaphysical representation of that particular element.

@Old Amsterdam
Accepted!

Ah, a street rat. Couldn't keep one step ahead of the bread line, eh? And yet you lived in a world where the government would step in and play nanny--how did you manage to stay on the streets? Even if it was fake, or run by bureaucrats instead of loving parents, shouldn't you have had a household somewhere? Doesn't that world force its children to sit in a desk for eight hours a day? How did you manage to get in such trouble, then?

It couldn't be because you wanted to hang out with thugs and addicts, with the rest of the refuse, could it? Or did they drag you down, like a bucket of crabs? Was it always someone else's fault? Were you just a good little girl who didn't do nothin'?

Skill Gain: Muffle I - Your past as a street urchin grants you experience with keeping your head down. This skill grants you the ability to be just a little bit better at being stealthy.

The Demon King