A Snake's Life

by Kenneth Arant

  The puppet rushed at me like an angry bull: head down, in a full sprint. And as soon as it was close enough I ducked my head down and fired directly into its face. The force of the shot drove my head into the ground. But, unfortunately, Nargas had ordered the puppet to jump to the side at the last second, so all I managed to damage was its left arm. However, that wasn't all I was aiming for. The shot flew past him and impacted the ground in the middle of the kobold army. Thousands died from the impact and subsequent explosion, which served to infuriate Nargas even more.

  "You bastard!" he snarled at me.

  I tilted my head to one side, as I dodged a swipe from the puppet. "Why do you keep cursing at me?" I asked, while ducking under another swipe and winding through the puppet’s legs. "If you put half as much effort into finding a boyfriend, as you do cursing at me... you might have gotten laid by now." I said from directly behind the puppet.

  Nargas screamed in rage and the puppet attempted to backhand me, but I charged up another blast and took off its other arm at the elbow. The puppet howled in apparent pain, and Nargas screamed, "I'm going to kill you!!"

  I let out a laugh and said, “You know... It's funny because I thought you were already going to do that!"

  The puppet lifted up its left foot and attempted to stomp on me, but I moved around it and wrapped myself around its waist, then used my weight to throw the creature off balance. The puppet fell onto its back, and Nargas was sent flying off.

  Without its master there to control it, the puppet became inert. I charged up a final blast and sent it directly into the puppet's face, causing its head to explode and its body to begin dissolving... I looked over to where Nargas had landed, only to notice that he wasn't there.

  "Do... do you know why they call me the Devourer?" I heard from just beneath my head.

  I glanced down and saw Nargas, who was beaten and bloody. He reached out to touch me, and as soon as he did a pressure instantly attacked my mind.

  "They call me the Devourer... because I devour the 'heart' and souls of my enemies!" The pressure increased a hundred-fold and I almost fainted, until Nargas said, "Oh ho... What's this then?" He paused as he went through something that had appeared in his mind. Then, he began laughing. "I can't believe it. You want to marry an elf? Please, a monster like you will never be able to make her happy." The cruel smirk reappeared on his face. "But a hero like me? I think I can make her an incredibly happy woman indeed!"

  I glared at him, and I lowered my head until we were nose to nose with each other, then I said, "Oh... I'm sure a piece of you might make her incredibly happy indeed. Maybe I'll rip off that ugly mug of yours and make her a glass out of it? Or better yet, you can just become my food and I’ll pass her your regards." I opened my “eyes,” and though he wasn't affected by the petrification ability like I thought he would be, he still staggered away from me while holding his face. I used the opportunity to snatch him up in my mouth, then crunched down on him. His bones snapped, his blood gushed inside my mouth, and I bit down on him until he was little more than mush inside my mouth.

  I ignored the screaming protests of the innumerable kobolds and left shortly after my fight with Nargas. A few kobolds attempted to stop me, and those that did ended up inside my stomach, while I left the rest alone.

  After falling asleep that night, I was visited by someone in my dreams. He was a tall, thin man in a red tuxedo. His slicked-back hair and thin mustache would make the average person think him a man of nobility. Except both his hair and eyes were pitch black without the slightest bit of color, and he was a skeleton.

  "Greetings ol' chap. Amaar's the name, and death is my game." he said, with an over-the-top flourish. A few seconds later, a top hat and a cane appeared in his hands. He placed the hat on his head and slammed the cane's end into the “floor.”

  I stared at him for a few seconds, then looked down at my body, only to realize that I was back in the “shadow” body. I let out a sigh, then asked, "Why are you here?"

  He snapped his finger and Nargas appeared between us... Though he appeared to be bound by a thick rope and had a gag in his mouth.

  "It has come to my attention, that you killed my champion."

  I looked between the two, then said after a few moments’ pause, "You're the God of Death?"

  He gave me a nod. "Indeed I am." He paused for a few seconds to look me over, then smiled, somehow. "But fear not, mortal. I have no desire for revenge. In fact, you actually did me a favor by killing ol' Nargas here... isn't that right, Francis?"

  Nargas' eyes grew wide, and rage built within them. He began to thrash around in an attempt to free himself, but it was to no avail.

  "You see, Francis here made a deal with me ten years ago. In exchange for allowing him to reincarnate as a powerful monster, he would champion my cause."

  I nodded so he would continue.

  "However, I don't really have a ‘cause’ per se. So, I told him that as long as he entertained me, I would grant him his wish. But, ol' Francis here isn't the humblest man around. So, I turned him into what he is now."

  "Why?" I asked, while tilting my head in confusion.

  He shrugged his bony shoulders and replied, "Because I just love pissing people off... which is why I'm going to help you this once."

  "I'm guessing that by helping me, you’re going to be annoying someone?"

  He gave me a slight chuckle. "Oh, you have no idea how many people this will piss off. There are gods and goddesses, heroes and villains, kings and queens, and a hell of a lot of monsters that will despise me for this... which is why I'm going to do it."

  I scrutinized him for a few seconds, then finally asked, "Why risk yourself to help me?"

  His eyes glowed an ominous red and he said, "Because, my boy, I'm Death, and I don't give a flying fuck what they like." He snapped his fingers and both of them disappeared.

  A few seconds after they vanished, I received several pop-ups.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  You have gained the following skills and a trait, due to consuming Nargas, the Kobold Hero.

  You have unlocked the following trait: Immunity to Mind Control.

  No one but you may control your mind.

  You have unlocked the following skill: Puppet Maker

  The ability to consume the mind and turn the body into a puppet under your control.

  *Note: You must touch the target with your jewel to use this skill.

  *Note: Because of the Gluttonous trait, you gain a small amount of energy from consuming the mind of your target.

  You have unlocked the following skill: Body Possession

  The ability to consume the soul and possess the body.

  *Note: Your body will be drawn inside of your target for the duration of this skill.

  *Note: You must touch the target with your jewel to use this skill.

  *Note: Because of the Gluttonous trait, you gain a large amount of energy from consuming the soul of your target.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  "Oh... Well, that certainly solves some problems." Just before I tried to wake up, I received yet another pop-up.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  Note from Amaar:

  Oh, I'm also not supposed to tell you this, but your theory is correct. If you eliminate the “Heroes” that are in line before your wife, then she can be born sooner. However, despite the entertainment I would no doubt receive from watching you interfere with my “siblings” plans, this course of action will draw unwanted attention onto you. So, be absolutely certain that this is what you want to do before you act against them.

  They aren't as nice as I am...

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  A few moments after reading the note, I finally drifted off into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 26

  WHEN I WOKE UP THE next day, the first thing I decided to do was test out my new skills. However, unfortunately, I’d eaten the last kobold in the area before I fell asleep. As such, I needed to find another “volunteer
” to test my powers on. But I had a pop-up to read before I could do anything...

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  Because of gaining an ability pertaining to souls, you have unlocked a new evolutionary path.

  Consume 100 souls to unlock: Dark Serpent

  *Warning: Continuing down this path may lead to corruption.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  I was rendered speechless after reading the warning... What was it about this path that could corrupt me? Another pop-up gave me my answer...

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  The Dark Serpent

  The dark serpent, otherwise known as the “demon serpent” is a creature of ancient power. This race is believed to be responsible for the corruption, and eventual fall, of the angels, and is known as the first demon.

  There have only been three dark serpents in history, and all of them were attacked and killed before they could control their power.

  This race is the natural enemy of the gods because only this race possesses the ability to consume the vital essence that all gods need to maintain their power.

  This evolution does not cause your physical body to evolve. Instead, it evolves your soul. Should you continue down this evolutionary path, then your soul will never be the same again. When you die, your soul will be consumed by your power and you will never know peace. You will also forever be forbidden from becoming a god. But with great risk, comes great reward.

  The antithesis of a god. The ancient power of a devil is what awaits you instead.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  I read through the pop-up several times, just to make sure I understood exactly what was being said. Then I asked if I could pass up the evolution and gain something from it.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  No, if you unlock this path, then you will evolve.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  The Dark Serpent was apparently some form of demon, like the kind I'd eaten back on Iorus. Only, this one seemed to be different somehow. From the description the pop-up had given me, this wasn't just some evolution I could unlock to gain power, then forget about. If I gained this power, then it was for good.

  Which meant, using my new powers will have consequences. If I use the Body Possession skill too often, I could accidentally unlock this path and then I'll have no choice but to evolve. The only good thing is if I do decide I want this “devil power,” then even if I evolve, it won't affect my current evolutions.

  According to the description, this path will evolve my soul and not my body. So regardless of my choice, my evolutionary paths will remain the same. Whether or not that's a good thing, I honestly don't know.

  If I go down this path, then it's fair to assume that I will eventually gain the power to kill anything, even the gods. But is my desire to protect Sarah really worth my soul? I stayed where I was for approximately five hours before I decided that I needed to take a break from this train of thought. So, I got up and followed the kobold's directions to the goblin nest.

  I searched the area until I found a large stone totem pole, then I searched more until I found a peculiar scent. Though I had prepared myself for an “awful” smell, what I actually found surprised me. The smell of burning flesh, mixed with that of a pig is what I was currently smelling. In other words, I smelled burnt bacon.

  I lifted my head into the air and had to tilt my head back to keep my venom from leaking onto the ground. The smell was so appetizing, that I actually forgot what I was worried about. However, that same smell kept me from realizing that I'd been seen until an army of goblins had appeared in front of me.

  I stared down at the army and took the opportunity to look the goblins over. The creatures varied in size, build. Hell, most of them weren't even of flesh and blood. But those that were “normal,” had green skin, a long-hooked nose, pointed ears, and black eyes. Most of them were naked, though some did wear loincloths, or a tunic made of “leather.” And the largest goblins even wore skulls on their heads, as if they were helmets. Much in the same way the kobold king did.

  The other goblins were even more bizarre looking. Some of them were made of a dark stone and had white glowing eyes. Then there were “flame goblins.” These creatures were composed entirely of a bright orange flame that turned blue at the top of their head. And lastly, there were “metal goblins,” goblins composed entirely of a reflective metal, that would reflect the sun with every movement.

  Individually, I doubted that any of these creatures was much of a threat. But when they teamed up to attack a singular foe? Then they could be dangerous. Which is why I was further surprised when instead of attacking me, they just held their position, and a single female goblin, wearing a large skull for a helmet, stepped forward. This goblin advanced on me until she was about ten feet away from my mouth, then she took a quick bow and began to speak.

  "Please serpent, be at ease for we mean you no harm," the goblin said in a squeaky voice.

  I focused my attention on her. "Is that so?" I asked, after a few seconds’ pause.

  She gave me a quick nod and continued. "It is. Our spies saw what you did to the kobold and their 'god.'" She said the last part while rolling her eyes. "And we have no desire to see our own nest be attacked in such a way, so I have been sent to make a deal with you."

  "What kind of deal?"

  A small smirk flitted across her face before it disappeared and was replaced with a blank expression. "One where we give you whatever you want, in exchange for your word that you won't destroy us."

  I scrutinized her for a few more seconds, then asked. "You'll really give me whatever I want?"

  She shrugged. "It's what the king declared."

  I turned away from her and looked at the goblin army that was blocking their cave from my sight, then looked back to her. "Very well, you have my word."

  A small goblin came running out of the depths of the army and only came to a stop when it was standing beside the female. It gave me a quick bow, which is when I realized that it was a little boy goblin.

  "Greetings lord serpent, I'm Nato, and I'm here to deliver your demands to the king." The tiny goblin was carrying what appeared to be a quill and a sheet of very thin leather.

  I nodded to the little goblin. "I only want a few things, then I'll leave you alone. Are you ready?" I asked while looking down at the sheet he was carrying.

  He nodded then brought the quill up to the sheet.

  “Number one, I want ten goblins of various elements to be offered up to me. Male or female, it doesn't matter. However, I would prefer them being without child or partner and past the age where they are able to help the tribe.” I figured since I needed to test out my skills anyway, and I’d prefer not to attack the tribe after they’d already agreed to do what I’d asked, getting the ones closest to death seemed the most ”Humane” alternative to simply attacking the tribe and killing hundreds, possibly thousands, in the process.

  Nato wrote on his sheet, then looked up at me.

  "Number two, I want you to give me several tons of the tortoise metal for my personal use. Though I may decide to leave the metal with you to safeguard until I can come to retrieve it."

  More was written down on the sheet.

  "Number three, I would like for one goblin to become my assistant and travel with me. There are plenty of things that I am unable to do because of my size, and I need someone who can move around and do what I can’t."

  He wrote this down as well.

  "And lastly, I want to know if you have a hero hidden among you?"

  Nato looked up at me in confusion, then said, "Not as far as I'm aware."

  I stared into his eyes, as I thought over his answer. Then I shrugged and brushed it off. "Oh well, fulfill my other requests, and I shall leave."

  Nato nodded, then he and the female turned and walked back to the army. The army parted like water to let the two pass, then closed up to continue guarding the entrance.

  "Now, the waiting game begins."

  An hour after I
released my demands to the goblins, the first demand was met. Ten goblins were now standing before me. Three of which were normal goblins, two were flame, two were metal, and three were stone. Each of them was male and appeared to be very advanced in age. I appraised each of them in turn, then told them why I needed them.

  "You are going to help me test out my skills, understood?"

  I got a simultaneous nod from each of them.

  "Good, then we'll start with the base goblins and work up from there, shall we?"

  The first of the goblins stepped forward, and though he appeared to be terrified, he didn't complain as he followed my instructions. I tilted my head down so it could touch the jewel on my forehead, then I activated the Puppet Maker skill. A dark energy traveled down the length of his arm and then pierced his head through the nose. The goblin fell to the ground and began convulsing. He thrashed around for almost two minutes before he finally stopped and laid still. He remained like that for another minute or two, then he slowly climbed to his feet and I felt something. It was almost like I'd gained a limb that I hadn't quite learned to control. I tried to make him walk around, but he stayed immobile with a blank expression on his face.

  I frowned as I attempted to work out how to control him, when an idea came to me. I focused on that “feeling” and tried to send energy to it. And it worked. The blank expression vanished, and a look of focus entered his eyes. I mentally ordered him to pat himself on the head, and he complied. Then I ordered him to jump up and down, and again, he complied. A few seconds later, I received a pop-up.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  You have consumed the following race for the first time.

  Goblin: Tier 2

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  And then another.

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  Goblin Puppet

  Classification: Tier 2

  Skills: Night Vision, Consume and Adapt

  ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ

  After reading through both pop-ups, I ordered a stone goblin to touch the jewel and the same thing happened to him. Though the first goblin turned to ash after the second had been created. "I can only have one puppet at a time, it seems..." I turned one of each element into a puppet and read their pop-ups in turn.