Bolt Action Serenade

I had to make my way to the edge of the path and lean against a tree, rubbing the bridge of my nose and grumbling quietly. This was also a more telling moment than I thought it would be.

First off, the elephant in the room. Though I struggled to remember what an elephant was I at least got the gist of the saying as it filled my head. Noble Concubine. So, looking at the options I got the impression they were based on my experiences and actions thus far. Even ones I could not remember, I would imagine. If that was the case then Courtesan’s Touch was something I used a lot probably. Or at least used in an important situation or two. My mind immediately started putting details together and I realized, poor dead Bernson and I were the only ones still in the armored transport. Everyone else had disembarked, probably to fight against whoever those folks that ambushed us were. It made some sense for an officer to stay inside, especially if he was some high society type. But a random grunt like me? I could think of a reason why he’d let me stay inside with him, one that my skills, spell, and advancement option seemed to be hinting was right.

“Gods fucking damn it.” I said, feeling sick to my stomach at the idea. The revulsion at the concept of fucking my commanding officer for my safety was extra strong, though I could also see the sense of it. Maybe I was conscripted and used what I had available to me to survive? My primary class seemed to support that idea, that my first goal is just to make it through another day. But still, the thought of him touching me made my skin crawl. Didn’t really know why though aside from ethical implications. It just felt extra gross. But it also told a story of who I was. Someone that made it when others didn’t. Which, hey, fuckin’ true enough I suppose.

But either way, I was not picking that, no chance in hell. Not that I felt I had any problem with sex work in it’s various forms, but I simply knew she couldn’t do that. Though there was a moment of thought where I wondered if maybe having my mind shattered had changed me in some deep way. Who I was before clearly could do that, how much different was I?

Different enough that I wished I could fucking burn the option from my Status forever.

[Noble Concubine permanently removed from future Advancement Selection options.]

“Oh. Well that’s good to know.” I let out a sigh and laughed slightly. “Alright me, so Crusader is probably out too, though lets not toss it entirely. Demons may be way more common than I’m thinking and having an edge against them could be useful.” I nodded to myself.

“Elemental Savant is also low on the choice list, between my ignorance of how they work and my low anima attributes I just don’t know that I can make that choice.” I shifted in place and hissed at my leg spiking in pain again for a moment.

“So, we have Undying Champion and Heartseeker. I can pick between being able to get hurt and get back up or dish out hurt and make sure my enemy doesn’t get back up.” I tapped my finger on my chin as I thought. “I can see the appeal of both of those options. Being able to survive has been really useful so far. But so was dropping that demon before it reached me.”

I chewed on my lip as I thought about the choice I was making. Picking between offense and defense was a tough choice. But then my brain caught up with me. “Oh shit, Heartseeker has defensive options too! Movement enhancements probably means speed and agility!” I felt my smile widen at the realization. “I can hurt things and avoid getting hit back at the same time, hell yeah!”

I focused on Heartseeker for a few moments before the System recognized my choice.

[Basic Infantry class Advanced to Heartseeker Class. Skills gained.]

[Heartbreaker: E – Damage to target vital locations is increased.]

[Racing Heart: E – Bonus to Coordination gained each level.]

[Find the Pulse: E – Can more easily locate hostile targets and more easily identify their vital locations.]

[Untouchable Heart: E – Increased capability to avoid being harmed.]

“Oh fuck yes.” I breathed the words out as I quickly looked through the new skills. They were far more simple and concise in description that most of my other skills. I figured that some skills were just too simple to need much description. Though, an alternative thought I had was that maybe they were intentionally vague because they did more than they seemed to.

Well I wasn’t going to figure any of that out just standing there. I pushed forward and started walking again, pulling up my Status as I did and noting that I had in fact gained a single point in Coordination, making it twenty one. The disruption of my nice rounded number bothered me, but not enough that I couldn’t ignore the annoyance. My MP, which apparently meant Mana Pool, had gone up by one in the time I’d spent looking over options. [MP: 2/60] That seemed like good Mana generation to me, though once more, I was brain damaged and knew nothing.

However, I was troubled by something else. [HP: 95/240] Yep. I was in fact slowly losing health. “Well that’s absolutely wonderful. Fuck, okay, lets try and do something about that.” It took me a moment to get my pack off and dig out a couple of red vials. As I did I turned to take a better look at my leg again to see if anything had changed. The gauze around it was… not looking great. The red I expected, the greenish yellow seeping through was less encouraging. Well the yellow vials were apparently for infections so lets down one of those too while we’re at it and hope a second dose helps. Not that I had any idea what these actually were and how they worked so maybe I was poisoning myself with all these additional treatments but I figured I might just die anyway. Not to mention the kit warnings didn’t mention anything about overdosing.

Three empty vials later I slid my pack back into place and head off again, the pain in my leg lessening again, though I know it was temporary. I gave my health a glace before ignoring it and moving forward. [HP: 195/240] More than half, that at least was good.

Maybe two hours later I was suddenly very glad for the break to level up and down some potions. I was walking along and keeping an eye out for anything when I felt a prickling on the back of my neck and a sort of pressure coming from my left. I turned a moment before an ugly pink mass of legs rushed out of the brush at me, a shrill scream letting out just before its clawed arms slashed at my side. I was prepared though, what I assumed was Sixth Sense warning me of the danger soon enough to throw myself forward. I still felt the skin on my arm split as I dove but it seemed like a small injury, at least compared to getting gutted like it was trying.

I hit the ground and pain lanced through me from my leg, but I was able to ignore it and roll over, bringing my rifle up and putting a hole through the thing’s chest as it turned to rush me again. Unlike the first of these beasts I faced, this one staggered hard from the first shot. I assumed Heartseeker’s skills were already pulling weight with that hit. More importantly I noticed something, a detail I don’t think I could have explained. A soft spot on it’s face just below it’s eye, a place where I think maybe the bone of it’s skull was weaker. I cycled the bolt and adjusted my aim, then blew a hole right through it’s head.

The thing dropped to the ground and stayed still and I quickly looked around, hoping it was alone. Silence followed and I relaxed just in time to get a System notification

[Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 17 defeated.]

Well, no level up from that. But I’ll take the not dying aspect of it.

[Experience Shared with Contracted Elemental.]

“I’m sorry what?” I said, turning my gaze to the bands fused to my arm, runes pulsing red. I didn’t get a moment to dwell on it before I heard more shrill cries heading towards me from the foliage. “Fuck fuck fuckity fuck!” I complained to the universe as I looked around for means of surviving this. A particularly thick tree was nearby with branches going up that looked strong enough to hold me. I fought through the searing agony in my leg and pulled myself up with less trouble than I was expecting.

The idea immediately paid off as I could see three more of the ugly shits now that there weren’t bushes blocking my view. I took aim and sent round after round at the charging creatures. Most shots hit, which I knew was impressive all things considered, but only one dropped before I had to pull out another clip and reload. The second died just as it rushed into the road, toppling into a screaming mess before it fell silent. The last one made it to the tree with only two relatively minor holes in it. I aimed down but it hopped and grabbed the barrel, pulling it, and me, to the ground.

I managed to angle the fall so the bayonet of my rifle cut a line down it’s side and damned near took its arm off, but it wasn’t fatal. Then when I hit the dirt my rifle fell from my grip as pain shocked me too hard to control for once. I recovered quickly and pulled the revolver from my hip, I leveled the barrel at the creature and pulled the trigger and the world burst with light and fury.

There was a sound not like a gun going off but like a sudden and extremely loud hum. The recoil from the shot nearly threw the gun from my grip and my arm jumped a half meter. I panicked as I struggled to pull the aim back for a second shot but as I looked at the thing I realized its head was missing. Also there was a crater in the tree on the other side of it. The few seconds before the body toppled over were downright comical.

I looked at the gun in my hand and saw runes down the length of the barrel, a soft blue glow gradually decreasing until the runes disappeared entirely. “Holy fucking shit. Not just a pretty gun I guess.” I laughed in shock and pulled myself to my feet.

I hurt everywhere. I glanced at my health [HP: 117/240]. “One one seven health.” I grinned at the dead demons and spoke reflexively, shifting my voice to be deep and dramatic “Were it so easy.” Then wondered where the urge to do that came from.

[Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 16 defeated]

[Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 15 defeated]

[Lesser Carrion Feeder Demon lvl 19 defeated]

[Experience threshold reached, you are now level 12]

[Experience shared with Contracted Elemental]

[Contracted Elemental Experience threshold reached, it is now level 1]

“I, what Elemental? Wait.” I looked at my arm and the runes on the bands glowed a bright red just before pain seared through my arm again. “Sonofa WHORE!” I found myself screaming as I fell to the road clutching at the leather trying to become a part of me. But just like last time, darkness pulled at me.

But just before the lights went out entirely, I heard a voice “Don’t worry, I’ve got you love.” and then, nothing.