The humming increased in volume as I reached the top, a candlelit, rose-scented room that was considerably cleaner and newer than the rest of the fort. The walls had shelves lined with books upon books, there were other shelves with vials and bottles labeled, there was a map plastered on the wall with pins and notes made on it. A large table lay in the middle of the room, with tiny pieces that resembled chess pieces present on a smaller-scale map. There was a dresser, a bed, a desk filled with numerous open books and jottings with an ink quill. There were several crumpled up pieces of parchment, beside the desk, and what appeared to be a large cauldron that rested in a corner of the room.
“My, darling, you’re finally here.”
Chapter 10: Survival
The form Erzili took was something different. Notably, it was still a feminine form. Dark-skinned as I remembered, but the facial features were all different. The hair was a vibrant brilliant red. Amber eyes and soft lips, the woman before me appeared to be in her late teens to early twenties, and there was none of the overly sexual allure that the previous form possessed. No, this time around, she appeared to have an almost innocent allure.
Most notably, she was clothed. Fully clothed. The garment was odd, unusual. It seemed to be a robe of some sort, but I could not place the material used to make it, nor could I understand the design. It was as if one chose to turn a formal shirt into a bathrobe, and then somehow blend it with a hoodie and pajamas. Collars, pockets, buttons and an elastic rope. My mind was full trying to make sense of what exactly I was seeing.
“My, you went and made short work of all of Erzili’s precious darlings. That’s rather depressing. Erzili worked rather hard to get so many diverse darlings in one place.”
“You’ll be joining them soon.”
Erzili laughed. “So feisty! It’s a shame you’ve come here in vain darling. Erzili cannot be killed.”
I rose my gauntleted hand, “I’ll find a way.”
Erzili laughed again. A shrill, feminine laugh. She sat on her bed, crossed her legs, placed her elbow on her thigh and her chin in her palm. “You’re here for Erzili’s ability aren’t you?”
I didn’t respond. Erzili swayed her head.
“It’s always the same darling, always the same.” She gestured her hands into the air. “Well now dear, go ahead and try your best. Erzili is waiting.”
[Skill {Mental Resistance} has gained a Level.]
“What did you just do?”
“Nothing darling.”
It was not nothing. My mental resistance skill would not have suddenly gained a level if it was nothing.
[Skill {Mental Resistance} has gained a Level.]
“Whatever it is you’re doing –”
“You cannot tell me you’ve never heard of Epithet Skills, darling.”
I kept my gaze leveled on her. “This is your Epithet Skill?”
Erzili stretched her arms wide open. “Erzili is one with desires. Erzili can always tell the desires of the one before Erzili, and the ones before Erzili cannot hide their true desires. Because Erzili can always feel desires, Erzili has become a desire. A desire that spreads like wildfire darling, like wildfire.”
[Skill {Mental Resistance} has gained a Level.]
The shudder ran through me a second time. “That’s irritating.”
“Erzili is impressed. How is it that you have not yet thrown yourself at Erzili, wild with frenzy?”
Because I’m a skeleton. That was why. I can’t feel arousal. “I prefer modest women.”
“Rude, darling. That’s just rude. Alas, Erzili can be that too –”
“I’ll pass.”
I gestured my fingers, pointing straight at Erzili’s head. She did not move. Her smile never vanished from her face. Instead, she leaned forward, fully expectant. My finger trembled. Fire. The sonic crack burst through the air. Erzili’s eyes widened. [Diamond bullet] tore through her skull. A hole, straight in between her eyes.
“My, my, Erzili is surprised.”
There was no blood, or brain matter, no skull or damage. The hole closed up, gelatinous matter mending the wound and treating it like a non-issue. Erzili’s eyes sparkled with amusement and curiosity.
“This is the first time a person has been able to harm Erzili after being exposed to Erzili’s allure.”
“You have an odd definition of harm.”
“When one is a perfect lifeform darling, it tends to happen.” Erzili waved her hand dismissively. “Slimes naturally have immunities to certain types of damage darling, and Erzili, well, Erzili is far above your normal slime. Six hundred and twenty-six years is enough time to insulate one from such petty trivialities.”
Six hundred and twenty-six years? Erzili did not seem to be lying. No, more than that, more disturbingly, the Slithercreep was oddly blasé about the entire encounter. Is it because she doesn’t know I’m a skeleton? Or because I killed all of her minions?
The difference between the Erzili before me and the Erzili of the previous timeline was maddening. This Erzili did not treat me as someone inferior, yet this Erzili did not feel the slightest bit of danger or trepidation from my presence. There was self-assured confidence as if utterly guaranteed that there was nothing I could do that would be able to render harm.
“Well darling, now that we’ve gotten all that business out of the way,” Erzili sat on the bed, crossing her legs, and patting on the side. “Sit. Erzili is curious, darling. Erzili has made no shortage of enemies across the years from Kobold Kings to Arachne Queens, but Erzili certainly does not remember making an enemy of a two-faced sorcerer that commands an army of golems.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Erzili has a rather good memory darling.”
I doubted it. Still, I was amused. Amused enough to talk. “I was a lowly creature when you met me. I seemed to have annoyed you, and you
