The increase to my willpower stat, didn't come with pain like my physical and mental stats came with. No, I felt a shift in my being as I felt a small connection between me and the world thicken for a moment and then my ability to see it faded.
'Hey, boss what happened you disappeared for a moment' Anastasia asked concern filling her eyes as she stared at me.
'the guy used some skill that teleported me to some strange world, its hard to explain but anyways I managed to fight back, and weaken it to the point that I could win, then boom the guy turns into some sort of weird octopus thingy.' I summarized for Anastasia.
'Huh, what do we do now?' she asked me looking further down the passage of the cave.
'I need to rest, I barely survived against the secondary Host so I need to be in tip top shape for the big bad, and hopefully this time me and you can tackle this guy together' I said walking down the opposite direction of where I assumed the primary host of the [Ophiocord Mushroom] was.
Walking down the passage way, I walked by the mushroom ridden corpses. My senses telling me that the mushrooms had died with their hosts. As I walked I felt gentle thrumming, like a phantom sensation just above my skin. The vegetation around me hailed me. It was a truly unique feeling, something not intended for a human to ever experience.
Wait... Could I still call myself human? I still look human, and other species recognized me as such. Brushing off the chain thought mentally As I reached the wall. Walking through the hole I left it open in case the spiders needed to move about, and I figured most of the Ophiocord's puppets had been slain. Looking around I saw a battalion of silken puppets, the thin strands of spider silk twisting together and glinting with a sliver twinge. They were truly remarkable.
Sending a strand of Mana I manipulated a section of earth. I laid out a mental blueprint, it had three sections, an outer wall with lookout towers. The second section was training yards and a space for a garden. The third section was a keep filled with empty spaces and hallways.
After the previous fight, I had made a decision, I needed to spend some time practicing. From the system Messages I new regardless of how fast I went I had a year. So after I kicked some mushroom ass I was going to train. I had one to many close calls and I needed to get used to my new skills, abilities, and stats. Or one of these days I won't get lucky, and I'll end up dead.
The remedy, absolute overwhelming power, I wouldn't earn that in a week, but a step forward was still a step. With a push of will the modest castle rose up, sucking up what little Mana I had left save a small amount. Turning back to the battalion of Anastasia's puppets, I spoke.
"Man the walls and alert Anastasia if you see any more of the mushroom puppets." I Don't exactly how the silk constructs worked or how the processed commands, but they did as I said. Entering through the main gate of my temporary castle, I looked around.
Already Spiders were climbing the walls and observing the new protrusion in the landscape. Ignoring them I walked into the keep, into the main hall. This part was the history nerd in me getting excited as I had no need for one really. At the center piece of the hall was a modest 'Throne' really is was just a chair with arm rests and a big back part. Ignoring the throne I moved to the staircases tucked behind it.
Walking up them, I entered my 'bedroom' a mainly empty room surrounded by thick stone walls and a rectangular protrusion tucked in the corner. Resting my club against the bed. Pulling out my silk blanket which I kept tucked in my jacket I laid it out. Taking off my jacket and then my armor I created a rock to serve as a nightstand placing it neatly on it alongside my dagger.
Grabbing my jacket I rolled it up into a makeshift pillow. Sitting down I felt a pulse as a group of spiders dragged my golem into the courtyard. Laying down fully, I noticed something, I could see in the dark, pretty obvious I know but In the chaos of the past I can't remember how many days or weeks I had somewhere gained the ability to see in the dark or at least in caves.
Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.
...
"My darling §∆π" a voice warbled and distorted spoke out. A fog laid down heavily on my mind.
"I can't come to you for a while but I \∆√μ ¥∆μ, I will come for you when I can but stay strong" the voice spoke, and I felt a passing familiarity but when my cloudy mind tried to recall from where a tendril of pain shit through my skull.
...
I woke up to a pounding headache hammering at my skull. I remembered having a dream, but not the dreams context. Looking around the room I saw Anastasia nestled in a web in the corner. As I looked fondly at her I saw her twitch before she started to wake up. Standing upwards I looked down at my armor and dagger I nodded.
Shaping a whetstone I sent a mental probing to one of the awake spiders asking for some water. Next I formed a thin needle as Anastasia crawled down from her perch. Looking at her she looked at the needle and nodded no words mental or otherwise needed.
Soon enough I was sitting sewing up the small rips and tears of the jacket and the armor. I felt a mental probing from one of the spiders, they had the water. Using magic I transported the flask of water into my room. Grabbing it I realized it was a bronze flask. Popping open the strange cork like stopper on it I smelled the copper notes in the water. Shrugging I poured some on the whetstone, slowly I began to resharpen the dagger.
...
Having finished maintenance of my gear, I ate a humble meal, and walked into the main hall.
Anastasia had apparently been busy as rows of her silk puppets stood in neat rows of four with ten columns separated by an open space between them. Looking I saw the 'throne' had a menacing looking spider web behind them. Smiling at it, I walked onwards with Anastasia on my shoulder.
Behind me the puppets formed up the two groups forming into one behind me. Exiting the keep and Into the courtyard I saw several spider webs, each one like a small house.
I saw more puppets lined up on the walls, as I walked towards the entrance of the outer walls of the castle. Seeing, a few spiders scavenging the ruins of the village far off into the distance. I still had the puppet army following me and I saw the giant wall standing untouched.
Walking through the holes in the wall, I entered the passage way. Passing the corpse of the second host, I entered a medium sized circular cavern.
A portion of it was raised up, with a staircase raising up to it, from my current position I couldn't see it. Looking at the rest of the area I saw the ruins of a small city. Cobbled roads worn and with chunks missing, no buildings were in tact with most being just piles of stones or just the skeletons of the building remaining. The large staircase was man-made, or at least made by the hands of whatever species the mushroom had been raised by.
Deciding to get a better vantage point, I walked towards the stairs. As I walked closer to the staircase I saw the signs of long ago fought battle. Rusted weapons and armor strewn about left by the owners and dismissed by their killers left to the ravages of time. Walking up the staircase I saw a mixture of red rust of iron, the green oxidization of copper, and the more blueish green hue of bronze. Several eras of battles, hundreds of years no doubt past between each of these battles.
I flinched as I saw a puppet but it gave no sign of being threatening. Instead it waved on to follow further up as it began climbing the steps. A deep voice came from the puppet.
"His Majesty awaits you above, Princeling" it spoke, not the Ophiocord speaking through it but speaking of its own accord, inspecting it I saw its name.
...
[Amantian fungi Lord] Lvl: 21
Rank Two Fungal Treant
...
It wasn't a host, rather it was a mushroom Treant. Interesting, and it called me Princeling and the Ophiocord 'majesty'.
As we walked up the steps eventually I saw wrought iron gates sperating a garden from the outside world. Mosses, ferns, and lost of mushrooms where present in the garden. I could also make out a figure tending to them.
The fungal Treant opened the gate, and held it open for me as it bowed it's head. Stepping through, the figure rose up and I could see it, a face serene unblemished by the mushrooms that typically rose up from the face of the Ophiocord's Hosts. Adorned on its head was a crown of bronze with several rough uncut gems. It's appearance was that of a weird elf, its facial features sharp and pointed, high cheekbones, sharp nose the works. The most most prominent feature were the ears, rising above the elf host's hair where rates reminescate of a bat each where huge.
...
[Cave Gatherer of the Cave Folk[The Ophiocord Mushroom] Lvl: 29
Rank Two Animated Undead
...
"Ah, I see you are not used to the appearance of a Cave Elf" the Ophiocord spoke, as its host's lips moved it showed the mushrooms living underneath painting a horrid sight.
"No, my worlds mostly humans" I responded, as I took my surroundings. I noticed no others like Fungal Treant.
"Hmm, interesting, human the tribe of elves that I was cultivated by told stories about Apekin, short eared violent savages." it spoke as It began moving further into the garden. Following the Ophiocord I saw the Treant follow behind.
"Huh, my world possesed stories of elves, and some did live in caves, Dark Elves I believe they were called." I responded as I felt the thrum of the mushrooms reaching out me like a mental hug.
"Dark Elves, are the ancestors of the cave elves and honestly quite different, they are known for either possessing bright white skin or a deep almost black skin depending on the goddess they were sworn to." The Ophiocord explained, halting for a moment and began to breath a green energy into a mushroom with sickly spots that faded.
"Huh, not to be rude but why go through the nice garden walk?" I asked the Mushroom.
"Oh this, Well I don't want to fight in my garden there's a clearing further in." It explained as it continued walking deeper in.
"Ah, understandable" I replied taking in the beauty of the garden around me.
"Any, questions?" The Ophiocord asked me.
"Not really" I replied as we entered into a silence. Eventually we entered a large courtyard with pillars encircling the courtyard. There was an ornate quartz throne with mushrooms and vines growing around it. Entering it we faced the opposite of each other.
"Oh, and just so you are aware, Lord Armeant has declared neutrality in this conflict" the Ophiocord spoke signally to the bipedal mushroom.
The deep voice of the mushroom Treant permeated the courtyard.
"Let the challenge began!"