This is a daily reminder: You have 352 unallocated stat points

  My eyes snap open. Something feels off. The cold is permeating me. I look at my hand, no longer yellow, just pale white again. The nails are longer and sharper.

  “Ah you died. Back to being your preferred shade. At least the hair is not silver.”

  I look at the fairy. Her tail is fully that twisting black green. My mana core must have run out. I grab a bit of grown out hair. Curly and black green, like her tail. Except for one bunch of brownish blonde strands. It seems so freeing.

  “So yer awake?”

  I look to Stone, “I never sleep long.”

  “You're different.”

  “Suppose so.”

  “You know why?”

  “My core fills with undead mana when it uses its regular mana. I think I'm undead at the moment.”

  He shifts himself to have the fire between us. “At the moment?”

  “I think I can revive. It feels familiar."

  “Familiar?” He says slowly. He is ready for a fight. His sword is in hand.

  “I don't think it's my first time.”

  “Mind droppin’ your [False Soul].” Another set of slowly said words. I do so. “Vampire and A Lady of the Plains?” His words cause a shiver through me. “I've not heard the first but the second sounds like a monster title.”

  I look at my sharp nails again. Weapons to tear flesh. Was this what I was before?

  His next words broke me out of my thoughts, “You don't appear ready to kill me.”

  “Should I be?”

  “You're a monster ain't ya” He says rather incredulously.

  I tilt my head, “I mean, I am thirsty and drink blood but I don't specifically need yours.”

  Another shiver. I drink blood. Feed on it. I was exclusively tied to Cea by drinking her blood.

  “You totally should go find some.” We both look at the pixie. She just giggles at the attention.

  I think of my bottle of Cea blood and no, not with Stone here. He is quite wary at the moment and may use the opportunity to behead me. But the thirst is great. The only souls I sense are us though. I get up and start heading away from the fire.

  “Where're you goin’?” Stone shouts.

  “To find something to eat.”

  “Yes.” The pixie zips around my head.

  I walk into the woods. I hear a “Fark.” And the steady plodding of feet. “Mourns, a moment.”

  I turn to the Dwarf. An eyebrow quirked.

  “Ah, be better ya not look at me, that eye of yours be tryin’ to daze me.” I frown at his words but look away, “Mind if I check your body, with you bein’ undead and all. T’is a first for me to be able to examine such while they were still um movin’.”

  I shrug, “Go ahead.”

  “Your body's digestive track has shifted. The bladder is no longer connected to your front. The stomach seems off as well. Your capillaries are witherin’, your heart seems healthy but without it beatin’ I am not sure how long it will remain as such.”

  “It only stopped beating a few days ago.”

  “Wait a few days ago? Thought you only just became undead.”

  I shrug, “My Elf blood joined this amorphous blood and it stopped beating. I think it happens every time I need to do a purification. That thing Omotina dug out of my chest made it sound like my heart was beating, right?”

  He pales but nods, “Omontina, learn your benefactors' names, Mourn. What’s a purification?"

  “I don't know, I never remember after going into the room.”

  Stone mutters a few more curses. I start walking again. A few souls are in the distance. I head towards them. The pixie and dwarf follow behind.

  -----

  76 Thunder Stag

  I inch closer to the creature. It hasn't noticed me yet. Its head turned towards me. It has fangs? I don't contemplate it for long as everything goes white.

  You have gained [Resist Bright] Basic 2

  Gain 1 exp

  You have gained [Resist Lightning] Apprentice 3

  Gain 2 exp

  I come to with the beast standing over me. It was pulling something from my neck…that's my neck. My hand grasped the stag face and bore my nails into its eyes. Its struggles. Rivets of blood travel my hand slowly absorbing into my arms. I twist the head down. I feel its blood and I pull it into me. Glorious. My neck repairs as I feast. The bliss is not as nearly good as Cea but it will do.

  Gain 82 exp for Thunder Stag

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  You have gained [Fastidious Soul Eater] Competent

  Competent - Being undead and unsleeping just means you can experience the soul whenever. Devoured souls must be witnessed before reviving. Conversely you witness any nondevoured souls when becoming undead.

  I tremble. I not only drink blood but devour souls…my mind blanks.

  -----

  I am screaming.

  I just felt my eyes being gouged after stunning a pest. It made no sense. Their flesh was cold. My blood is being ripped from me.

  I scream. I'm being shaken. “Mourns.” I look over and see another pest. I try to pull away but my body is wrong. I stumble. I get onto all fours. My body isn't right. I feel my bones start to shift. Better. I point my head towards the pest. Move the power. My head hurts. I collapsed. I feel my mind is being pulled a…way.

  -----

  I'm laughing. Oh my systems, I need more. I lay on my side giggling. So much. I huff out more breath. Then laugh. I don't even need to breathe. I curl up. I had let the stag personality run a bit before I couldn't hold it anymore. I pull it back into me. It floats inside of me.

  Soul raised to 29

  Stone is next to me. His eyes frantically scanning me with those green connected triangles. I giggle at his concern. I get up and find myself on all fours. Another giggle. Am I the stag now? My bones shift more, my arms grow longer. A giggle again. Body hair starts to grow coarse and thicker. I stop. It recedes. I throw my back upwards. I stand on my two back hoofs. The bone shift again. Bipidel is necessary, fur unwanted. The hoofs widen, no longer two toes but five. My heel touches the ground. I have fingers and claws once more. My arm length receded. Still seems longer though. I giggle and they grow a bit longer. Stop it. Giggle.

  “Fark…Mourns…what are you?”

  “She doesn't know.” The pixie alights on Stone's head.

  “Um, are you going to fix your face?”

  I quirk a brow? He rummages in his bag and shows me a flat mirror. I see nothing in the reflection. That's so bizarre. Another giggle escape. He looks between me and the mirror and grows more concerned.

  “Systems…um right…you got a snout, Mourns and antlers.”

  I feel my face and push it back in. There is resistance but slowly goes back to being a mouth. As for antlers, that's just silly. How many horns do I need? They snap off. I feel something grow out of my temples instead. I feel them, cut my hands and start laughing again. They have a bit of static in them now. My real horns. My eyes open wider. One eye hidden, the other wasn't. I laugh.

  Oh my, I've been a naughty child haven't I. Storing mothers blood in my soul. Hilarious. I reach to snap the first and stop. I don't need to anymore. I can end her now…I have to. Just pull out the blood and curse her. It was in my status sheet. I can curse blood. If I curse enough they die. What the curse is I don't know. I try and…nothing. Nothing. NOTHING.

  I slump to my knees. I can feel it but I can't remove it from my soul. Why? So many have suffered for so long under her geas. She will kill me. My skills can kill her. If I could just drink the blood I have. The mirth drains from me. I failed. My laughter continues as I stare up. Tears flow, blood but not hers. It simply reabsorbs into my skin.

  I'm being shaken again by Stone. I just continue my laughter of despair. The pixie flits in front of my face.

  “You remember more, say it.”

  I cup the little piece of my soul, “Aurora Saguine.” I whisper.

  She boops my nose, my body contorts. My eyes burn, my tail expands. I gained eight rough chitinous thin legs that end in points. I can see my ultra violet again. Stone crawls backwards. My skin is deathly white my blood only at skin level at my spider abdomen which is more ultra violet chitin. My torso is covered in green leaves with black veins. My teeth become sharp. My ears change. My hair becomes alive. I have six arms. I am whole. I hug my body. I feel my soul tremble.

  Soul lowered to 28

  I watch the soul break a part. It flows into my body. My moroseness grows. I can't stay like this.

  “Thank you, Said. But I must return to myself.” She floats over and finger flicks me in the forehead.

  I am back to the Elven lie. My body is still burning the soul mana. Is my undead body fueled by it? I look at my status sheet. I can't convert to create soul mana. Damn it. I have been in the other form for too long. To reclaim even part of this. With the way my blood core works now?

  I walk over to the stag I slew.

  “Mourns, what are you—”

  I channel undeath mana into the corpse. It twitches and gets up. My core is empty, I look at the pitiful mundane. It looks at me blankly. A soul tether exists between us. Another source to drain me of my own. I pull the mana out of it. It floats away as the body falls apart to rot. A waste of meat. But as my core fills with blood mana my body revives.

  You have gained [Necromancy Magic] Intermediate 2

  Gain 40 exp

  “Fark.”

  “You should have kept him as a mount.” Said interjects.

  I shake my head, “It would have been identified as an undead stag. I don't even think shin kicker society is going to allow that.” I feel my bracelet activate, my insides begin to twist. I remove the damn thing. It's still happening…the other wrist loses its bracelet as well as my two anklets. My body stops trying to change. The hell.

  “Mourns…”

  I look at the Dwarf, “Apologies, I remembered more of myself when I touched my horn. My name and that I was pushing my mother's blood into my soul. My skills should allow me to kill her. I couldn't retrieve it though. Something is wrong with my soul.”

  “What does blood have to do with killin’?”

  “I can absorb blood, best when drunk. Some sort of curse. If they are cursed enough they die.”

  “It seems more practical to remove a head than to sneak blood.”

  Clearly, he never met my mother. I sigh my skin is the wrong color again. No, I can’t see it correctly. My core is filled with blood mana. It's a small change. Please set without having to use more undeath. I cup my right eye and add the change I felt in the illusion. I feel the stretching. It's too much. The required blood mana is too much. I let go. Damn it. It's only a bit of coldness and thirst but I wouldn't have been able to maintain it. I eye my discarded jewelry. He shakes me again.

  “Sorry, my thoughts distracted me. I think reaching my other half is more important than ever. Stone Cleaves for Profits, please get me to Atlas.”

  “Aye, Mourns, I'll help ya if there's a chance of endin’ her. Be just right for a monster to do it.”

  I give him a toothy grin. He rears back again. I tilt my head.

  “Your teeth are all very sharp.” He says.

  My smile widens. “Good.”

  -----

  We got some good distance south after I cleaned up. The robe had a rather awful burn spot where my heart was. But it was still serviceable.

  We settle down at the fire. Stone pulls out a piece of metal and starts fiddling with it. I keep my peace.

  “What’s that?” Said apparently doesn't and prods Stone.

  “Eh, oh. This is that metal plate we ripped out of Mourns. Figure if I break the Elf part it could do for a heart beat.” He says.

  “Why do you even still have that?”

  “I have the three nails as well. ‘Tina wanted the evidence to reach Atlas. The guild ain't a fan of enslavement, ‘specially of their own. If this is something new to expect from Cea'nila, it's best to understand it now. Blasted things.”

  I wander over to him and look over his shoulder. I point to a part, “That part is the [False Soul] that's higher then apprentice, that piece is the percussion, that piece forced a rhythm for moving the chest if it hadn't moved in the last few seconds, that part is the mana interface.”

  He looks at me, “For a girl without memory, you seem rather knowledgeable.”

  “It's in [Quintarl?ne], and I have metal etching skills. I couldn't tell ya how to adjust it.”

  “Still, you recognize [False Soul] being better than apprentice level.”

  “I have the skill myself.”

  He quirks a brow at that but returns to his fiddling without broaching the subject.

  Left to my own thoughts again. I contemplate how quick I was ready to end Cea, to kill my own mother. My laughter…I read my status screen again. I feel it was madness. I know she wants me dead but only to rid me of this madness. To cleanse my soul. She just didn't seem all too concerned whether she would succeed or not. I don't recall laughing till today. I look to the bag of Stone pulled the plate from. A nail to prevent a reaction. I shudder.