Mage Of The Abyss

'This kind of low balling on the immersion. To have a post-new-game Character Creation, but then again, there is Respec in this game so…'

'Hmm, should I make myself like my future self?'

That might be a good idea. I was so gorgeous back then, so much so that people started to call me a Diva, worshipped me.

'Let's see… change my eye color to silver, clean my freckles, have natural makeup with a slight purple-ish shadow. Smoothen my jaw and bones on these parts – actually, cancel that one, my face is what makes me me, baby. But for these b.o.o.b.s, gotta be a little bit bigger, and then remove this non-existent board.'

'Hmm… should I go with my silky long hair from back then, or stay with this short wavy one? Nah, I'll choose neither. How about this tail one? Fuh, looks cute as hell. Cut some of the bangs a bit and boom! Oh, gonna color it white and pink to match my makeup. Aha, I just created a masterpiece!'

As for the Respec, 'I've actually… been pretty well adjusted with my current build right now so I don't really think I'll make any changes to them as they are fine the way they are.'

"Mm, I think that's all of it."

"You're happy with the choices you've made?"

"Mhm."

Lifting her hand, she waved it out, and then the shaking words beneath my feet all crawling up to my body. Every symbol, at every part of my body. The black substance was created from these things and they covered me up from head to toe for a good ten minutes before revealing… the new me.

Miss Replica raised her brows at the sight of my new body.

"Wh-What do you think?"

"What do I think? Are you purposely trying to seduce me by going with this 'Colorful' theme as the spell I cast?"

"Ahh, no, Hehehe."

"Hmph, just to let you know. The days of me loving somebody are long gone now, so don't ever try me."

"Um, d-do you really hate gays?"

"…" going into stance and spins her arms vertically, and then a menacingly black portal appeared behind her. After relaxing herself again, she responded, "Yes," with such a killer look in her eyes.

"Um," I think that's my cue to get out of here, so I tiptoeing to that portal but miss Replica suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

"Tell me, what's the reason for you joining our little community?"

"Eh?"

Should I really tell her? I mean, there's nothing to hide, "Uhh, when miss Avarice brought me here,"

"Mhm."

"... I was captivated by her beauty…"

"Huh?"

Squeezing my brows as number them with my fingers, "… Her plump and juicy b.r.e.a.s.ts, thicc muscular arms, tall. It all adds up of me bei—"

*Kick*

"Ah," as I fall down in slow motion, miss Replica looking down on me with the same eyes as when I objected to being with her.

"I shouldn't have even asked."

Slapping her hands together, the portal was closed within an instant, and a whole new light wrapped behind me in amazing fa—

*Bam*

{-600}

"Owwwwww!!"

Quickly rolling around as I hold my head. Even though there was no pain, the impact was so surreal that it made me think I got wounded— no, wait, "I am!"

Fell so hard... get it? Hard, as in a rock is- I'll see myself out.

"Hm?" as soon as I held my head up, there's a whole new environment… right in front of me, "Where in the world… is this?"

Sand, as far the eye can see.

"A desert, huh."

Somehow, my heart beating so fast right now, "Not good. For the first starting area to be a desert of all places."

And in Realism Mode no less. This is not gonna be a smooth ride, and not to mention, the quest "Breakout" is still yet to be completed.

! {Quest Completed}

~ {Retrieving Reward…}

! {Level UP}

"Oh, never mind then."

As I move the slider, I heard footsteps going on behind me. When I turned around, I saw multiple dinosaurs traveling past me, "Mm?"

Long legs, small body frame, and small beak, 'A herbivore. Should be fine as long as I don't offend them somehow.'

This reminds me about the demon I saw in that trailer earlier, what even is that?

[Luosa]

"Hiiiiiiiiiii– yes?"

[…]

[Your time on the surface is limited with the level of immortality that you have now. I need you to do these errands as quickly as possible while delivering a satisfying result]

"Oh," a message skill, eh. So, NPCs do use such a thing, "Um, what exactly are these so-called errands you have for me, miss Replica?"

[Very simple. I need you to search for a certain artifact inside the ruin close to your current location. I forgot to ask you this, but do you know anything about our world?]

"I know enough, I think."

[Hm, all right, that sounds good enough for me then]

[I've attached an Appraisal magic into your eye. When you're close to the item, you'll know it, and you can use it to appraise whatever it is you found. Just never appraise the artifact or it will all go to waste]

"Eh, but why? How am I supposed to know that the item is the real artifact if I don't appraise them?"

[It seems that you are familiar with Appraisal Magic. This one is decent for it sure, but I wouldn't have to attach it to your eye just to give it to you. It's a mix of both Appraisal and Detection magic that was made by yours truly just for this purpose. All you need to do is being close to the artifact and you will know which one it is]

Her tone of voice changes, [I'll have to hunt you down like a hyena chasing after a wounded lamb. Once you're in my grasp, I'll rip both your face and tongue apart until you scream and shivering like a little girl, but by then, all that is left will only be your carcass being eaten by some parasites, and I'll revive you again, and kill you again, repeated until I saw every last drop of your blood leave that small body of yours and I'll eat every last piece of meat you have left until there is nothing—]

*Psst*

[…]

S-Second time.

[Just search your surroundings. I'll be in touch when you're nearby]

>,<

And so started my journey, here in Ekolia.

There are so many things in my mind, questions that I want to be answered. Like, who exactly are those people, and what are they doing in the Prison Realm. Why are they connected to the Purgatory Faction, why are the girls so hot, why exactly did I join them… I don't know. I lied to miss Replica, but even I myself don't know why.

It just feels like I have the feeling of wanting to join them not because of anything in particular but because I just want to, and that's it.

The guardian of the West Gate. Ludtleth, Avarice, and Malice. What exactly are their relationship? Avarice called him lord, but Ludtleth is also not the top dog.

That Skeleton who sat on the throne. The one that I killed in my past life who asked me why I did that to him. No, he said "Us" instead of "Me" but I never encountered anyone else besides him back then.

Our encounter was brief and not a coincidence. At that time, I heard one of the top players managed to kill a world boss all on his own. Then, me and the gals - Kurira and Rakuri - went to the rumored location he was fighting it, but what we found was a dragon being patted by a shrouded man who turned out to be an enemy. It was the skeleton, and the rest was history.

And that history was actually not that long ago.

Too many things happening in such a short amount of time. I want to know and think about it all, after catching my breath here on the surface.

Chuckled, "The gals…" I wonder what're they doing now. Those bitches better be breathing because I hope that someday... someday, I can meet them again.

====== First Checkpoint has been Reached ======