[Dispel]
The mountain of chains evaporated. The sudden release made the Spirit of Wrath stumble forward, its massive forearms swinging wide as it struggled to regain balance. Enochia didn’t give it the luxury to do that though. She was already on her feet before the last chain dissolved, silver hair whipping behind her as she threw her arm out.
[Chains of Nebuchadnezzar]
A single chain shot forward in a serpentine twist, but it didn’t slam into the spirit, nor did it do any damage. Instead it curled, spun midair, and neatly hooked itself around the demon’s waist like a grappling snare snapping shut.
Enochia barked out a laugh. “God, you Spirits really are shortstacks, and light as hell too. Come here!”
And she pulled.
The chain went taut, glowing, and the Spirit of Wrath was yanked off its feet like someone had tripped a toddler. It sailed forward, helpless, flailing its oversized arms, and was less than a second before slamming directly into her fist.
She braced herself to punch it square in its stupid smiling face, but the spirit beat her to the punch, literally and metaphorically.
[Infernal Pulse]
A shockwave of fire burst outward from its body, but the flames washed over her for a pitiful sliver of damage.
[-2 HP]
Enochia stared at the tiny number blinking in her vision… And laughed.
“Oh wow. Wow. Big man. Huge, terrifying move there. Two whole points! Should I call the ER? Should I—?”
But her mockery cut short when the blast wave shoved her backward. She skidded back several feet, arms pinwheeling, nearly tripping over a chunk of broken wood before catching herself with a rough stomp.
Her smile died instantly.
“Oh you little shit—”
[Chains of Nebuchadnezzar]
She threw her arms forward and two chains burst out in perfect unison, whipping across the platform with the sharp sound of tearing air. They slammed into the Spirit’s chest, one after the other.
[104 DMG dealt]
[104 DMG dealt]
The double impact sent the demon flying backwards, limbs flailing like broken twigs, until it tumbled over the edge of the hole she’d climbed out of earlier. It disappeared into the pit of shattered glass with a shrill, metallic screech.
Enochia marched toward the hole. She lifted her hand, fingers curling slowly. Every chain still touching the demon reacted instantly, slithering around its limbs, torso, and neck.
And when she clenched her fist, the chains tightened as one to their full extent. The spirit spasmed, its limbs thrashing against the tightening grip.
Enochia glared down at it. “I could just chain you to death right here… But no. You made me suffer. You made me bleed. You bit me, sucker punched me, and annoyed the living shit out of me.”
She leaned closer, her molten-red eye glaring down at it.
“So here’s your little reward for pissing me off this much.”
The thing didn’t even seem to understand what was happening and it just writhed and hissed, wide grin stretching as if mocking her even as it was being slowly crushed. She tilted her head, her expression shifting into something almost sympathetic, though the glint in her eyes made it clear the sympathy wasn’t real.
“Hey, you know… you might not know this about me,” she began casually. “But I actually love going to the gym. Baby hobby, I know. But trust me, I take my gains VERY seriously.” The spirit paused mid-thrash, as if trying to process why its predator was suddenly talking to it.
Enochia pointed at its skinny torso with her free hand. “And quick tip, since you’re, uh… built like a stickman figure with cancer: your number one priority is gonna be protein shakes. Lots of protein shakes. Like, industrial amounts. You wanna bulk? You gotta chug that shit daily.” She nodded sagely, as if delivering ancient wisdom. “And here’s the MOST IMPORTANT part, okay? You gotta blend them. Really blend them. Because nothing is worse than chunky protein powder hitting the back of your throat like wet cement.”
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She smiled then, summoning her last remaining Windcharge into her palm. A sphere of turbulent, compressed air spiraled into existence, swirling with enough force to make her hair whip backward. “So what you wanna do… is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY make sure that shit is blended. Smooth. Consistent. No chunks. None.” She leaned slightly forward, smiling down at the demon half-crushed in a grave of glass shards. “But you know what blends even better than anything in a kitchen?”
Her chains began to close the hole.
The spirit’s head jerked around slowly, finally noticing where it had fallen. The pit of shattered glass. Hundreds of jagged, knife-like shards glinting beneath it. The chains coiled around the edges, beginning to drag inward like a metal curtain preparing to seal a vault.
Enochia raised her arm, Windcharge held high, winked, and tossed it.
“Thank me for that later.”
The Windcharge plunged into the pit. As the ball of air was falling, Enochia’s chains snapped shut over the opening like slamming an industrial blender lid over a bucket of gravel.
The moment it went off, the entire platform shuddered under her feet, and the chains sealing the hole jumped upward with a metallic rattle. Shards of glass became shrapnel, some even shooting up past the gaps and slicing faint silver streaks through the air. Enochia winced as a few small fragments pinged off her forearms, more annoyed than actually hurt, and leaned back on her heels as the chains settled again.
She barely had time to draw breath before a sound hit her.
A noise no creature, demon or otherwise should logically make: a wet, grinding, gurgling-crunch that sounded like someone was dragging a metal fork through a blender full of meat and gravel. It rose, peaked, then abruptly cut off with a brittle snap. The sudden silence that followed made her shoulders jerk up defensively. Even she cringed.
“Oh. Wow,” she muttered, blinking. “That was… significantly more graphic than I intended. Jesus Christ.”
Before she could even step away from the blender, a cascade of notifications surged across her vision like someone had hit the jackpot tab on a slot machine.
[+5,200XP]
[+5 Souls]
Then:
[LEVEL UP!]
+2 Stat Points
+10 Souls
But the system wasn’t done. Her interface flickered again, and a new window unfolded.
─────────────────────────────
QUEST COMPLETED: Defeat All Enemies
Category: Combat
Objective:
Eliminate all 6 hostile entities within the designated combat zone. This trial is region-bound: leaving the area, dying, or failing to kill all detected enemies will invalidate reward eligibility.
Progress: 6 / 6
─────────────────────────────
Rewards Granted:
? 10kg Grade Five Materials
? 10 Souls
? 10,000 XP
Her breath caught, then her screen detonated into a chain of pop-ups:
[LEVEL UP!]
+2 Stat Points
+10 Souls
[LEVEL UP!]
+2 Stat Points
+10 Souls
A grin split her face so wide it almost hurt.
─────────────────────────────
STATUS:
Name: Enochia Adams
Title: N/A
Level: 7
EXP: 2,000 / 7,000
HP: 822 / 1,250
MANA: 3,300 / 3,300
STR: 5
AGI: 8
VIT: 25
FAI: 110
LCK: 13
DEF: 0
Free Points: 12
[ EXP ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓?????????????? ] 29 %
─────────────────────────────
Enochia exploded with joy the moment she saw her updated status screen. “CHI CHI CHI CHI CHING! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” she practically sang, pumping her fist so hard her shoulder popped.
“That was actually a good start… even if I’m kinda ashamed it took me this much effort to beat a simple spirit.” She puffed out a breath, hands on her hips, still staring at her jump in levels “Oh well. I was legit cucked. Couldn’t use my damn abilities, and still I smacked it. Discount toddler demon got blendered.”
She glanced down at her HP bar and grimaced. “Though… wow. My HP got absolutely tanked.” She squinted. “Okay, okay… was it five minutes? Fifteen? I don’t exactly remember, but after some time passes I should start regenerating at a decent rate. So…” She rolled her neck until it cracked. “I should probably go back into that filthy room and chill a bit until it gets back up.”
She flicked her hand.
[Dispel]
The chains unraveled from her before dissipating entirely, leaving her shoulders feeling light without them. She walked over to the pit and leaned forward... And yeah. It was horrific.
What she saw made her stomach squeeze, even if she didn’t fully understand what she was looking at. Ashy black dust coated everything, thicker in some places, thinner in others but the cuts, the neat slices, the shredded chunks of where a form used to be were unmistakable. The glass had done its part, carving the demon into confetti, but the Windcharge… yeah, that thing did the real work.
“Blegh…” she muttered, scraping her tongue against her teeth like she tasted something bitter. “That’s nasty.” She exhaled sharply and shook her head. “Shame I ran out of Windcharges, though. They’re messy as hell, but they’re fun.”
She turned toward the back room, ready to crawl into the nearest grimy corner and wait for her HP to regenerate, when a sudden chime froze her mid-step. A notification pulsed across her vision.
[No hostile entities detected within the designated perimeter. Your immediate environment is secure. You may proceed with exploration at your discretion.]
“Oh,” she blinked, shoulders loosening. “Great. Love that for me.” She was about to turn again when another ping rang out, sharper this time. Her map unfolded in front of her and a new golden dot appeared nearby.
Enochia’s lips curled immediately into a feral smile. “Ohhh hehehe… don’t tease me like that.” The gamer in her practically drooled. Gold always meant legendary loot. It was, like, a universal rule. Doesn’t matter what world you’re thrown into, if something glows gold, it’s worth sprinting at full speed toward it, consequences be damned.
“Okay, Roo,” she said with a smirk, one eye squinting. “Why’d you tell me that? Guardian Angels never talk like how you have been talking to me recently.”
She waited a second. Then another Roo stayed silent.
Enochia snorted, amused but not annoyed. “Alright, alright. Keep your secrets. See if I care.” She stretched her shoulders again, the last bits of adrenaline finally draining out of her system. “Honestly? I’m getting used to this little dynamic we’ve got. Even if you don’t talk much, you’re still the best.”
