A headache hit, pulsating my skull. I reached my hands upward, but a force tugs from my wrists, halting any further movement. Almost startled awake, my eyes opened wide. Chains. 

“Chains on my wrist, what? I was sleeping, how… how am I here?” While a bit disorientated from the abrupt awakening, a voice sounded out before I could understand the situation. 

“Do not worry, little one.” 

The rough, growling voice entered my ears. I looked up and saw a cloaked figure in a chair. Before I can question the situation or the figure further, it lowered its hood. Two things stood out, the wrinkled left half of his face and the fungus sticking out the other.

As if someone planted black and purple mushrooms into the side of his rough crater-like face. The other wrinkled side sags, as if melting. Not a pleasant sight, to say the least. 

But something much more concerning than his look existed, existing beyond the physical plane. The turbulent mana fluctuated around the man. Its wild nature made me shiver, causing the chains to crackle against itself. It brushed up against my mana core as the butterflies in my stomach grew. 

Despite the discomfort, I used [Identify Soul] before thinking further. 

[?]

Well… Yark! That’s fantastic…

“Identifying me won’t do any good.” With my mind struggling to think, he spoke again. 

Yark. 

“Nice to meet you, but I need you to answer some of my questions. You could choose not to, but I wouldn't recommend that.” With a powerful gaze in his eyes.

After the threatening comments, I looked around, the words from the figure not quite setting in yet. Dirt and rock walls with intermittent rotting wood planks supporting the room, similar to that at the cave entrance I saw earlier. 

Pushed up piles of dirt laid against the walls’ base, with bits of wood littering the floor. A cracked wooden door sat across the room with some light shining from beyond.

I somewhat ignored his statement from earlier as the words passed in one ear and out the other. “Whe… where am I?” Needing to understand the situation, I asked a question, not thinking, just asking.

After speaking, the man responded. “Normally, one would introduce themselves at the first meeting, but I can understand your confusion. As for your question, we are at my home.”

Taking a minute to think, I realized where I was. The rooting wood planks matched, and the carved out room wouldn’t make sense otherwise. I thought that far, but I had yet to connect the dots. 

Correcting myself after the blunder “Ahhh I’m… I’m Ayla.” The man raised an eye and thought before speaking again. “Ayla and not Alysia?” 

“Ahhh.” Yark! I just messed up. 

I tried to correct myself. “Ahhhh It.. It is Alysia, but I.. I prefer Ayla.” Stumbling over my words, I somehow got out something that made some sense. 

“I suppose there's a reason behind that?” Questioning further, he asked.

Don’t stutter, don’t stutter Ayla. “Ahhhh, it’s just what my dad has called me since I was little.” Guess that excuse will have to do. 

“Hmmmm, ok. I suppose that makes enough sense. Since you introduced yourself, the name’s Stool. Now let me get on to the actual questions. Do you mind telling me what you're doing on my mountain?”

On his mountain!? How does he own a mountain? Is he crazy or something? “I’m just trying to get somewhere safe. Apologies for any problems I caused.” I tried to bow my head a little at the statement, but the chains restricted my movement. 

“Killing some of my minions is not something solved by a simple apology.” His minions? Wait… he was the one controlling them? 

Then, I put it all together, and realized just how deep I was in this hole. Sweat caked my back, the shaking intensifying. I pushed my hands against my tights, trying to stop the rattling of the chains. I HAD to act calm, and the constant noise wasn’t helping. 

Reaching to his side, he pulled up a cloak to his side, one similar to the one I was wearing. I looked down at my clothes and realized…

Yark…

“Do you even know what this is?” He asked. 

With my cloak gone, I looked down again, seeing what else I was missing. Only the cloak and my bag. I looked back up, meeting his stare before shifting it to the side as I responded. “Uhhh, a cloak?” Holding back my shaking voice. 

“Wow, you’re even stupider than I thought.” After setting down the cloak, he continued. “I’ll ask again. Do you mind telling me what you're doing on my mountain?” This time the words felt forced as his breathing gained some weight. 

What do I say now? Is he going to kill me if I don’t answer? “Uhhhh I’m just passin..” before I could finish, Stool interrupted me.

“I ASKED YOU WHAT THE FUCK YOU WERE DOING ON MY MOUNTIAN.” Stool’s chair moves back because of the now standing individual. His heavy breathing permeates throughout the room as the turbulent mana increases in response. 

Now shaking at the outburst, Stool’s eyes gaze at me. I stared back, unable to think as the true nature of the situation dawned on me. I could die here. My life… in his hands with these chains that bound me to the wall. 

I didn’t know what his 4 letter word meant, but even an idiot would understand the implication; although, my four letter word was certainly much better. 

The room turned silent, with me unable to respond. His clothes rustled in the silent room to the movements of his arms, accompanied by a distinct sound of air whistling through his nostrils. 

Stool relaxed after a moment, regaining whatever composer he had as his face softened, returning to its original state. The anger went away as his eyes opened wide, realizing his own outburst. 

“I… I…” Stuttering, He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself as he looked back at me. “I apologize for my outburst. It seems I will need to come back at a later time.” With that statement, he grabbed my cloak and shuffled with a limp, exiting the room and closing the door with a bang. The clinking of metal sounded out a moment later, locking me in the room. 

It all becomes still in the room. Well, all except for my bated breaths. The mana fluctuation left with him, but I still felt sick, disgusted, afraid of the unknown. 

Yark. Yark. Yark! I am so dead! 

I felt my chest tighten as a pounding resounded from my chest. If I say the wrong thing again, he might actually kill me. “Ahhhh ahhh. hahh. ahhh. ahhh. Ahhh.” I continue to push air through my nose, trying to think, and somehow preventing another panic attack. 

After a minute, I somehow gathered enough for a single thought. Wait… Why hasn't he killed me?

Why hasn't he killed me? What does he want from me? Come on, gotta think, gotta think, gotta think… 

“Ahhhhhh.” I deeply exhaled to collect my thoughts. “One thing at a time, Ayla.” He seemed to focus on my cloak so he knew about its ability. The ring was still on my finger and he couldn't take it. Does he want my ring? But Hollow said that it's unlikely for someone to recognize it, well it had been 10,000 years. Or was he just interested in how a random [Villager] got a cloak that can hide one’s status? 

He also had that outburst about being on his mountain. Yark, I should have been more careful. How do I deal with a crazed, temperamental old man? Come on. Yark, I am so dead.

“Ahhhhhh.” I let out another calming sigh and closed my eyes. Come on, one… thing… at… a… time. 

Let's go back to the cloak. He asked me if I knew what it was. Why would he do that? Wait... I set the soul bound ring and cloak to display the same thing. So he identified me and figured something was amiss, as it displayed the same thing after he removed it. He doubted I knew what it was, since it appeared like I wasn't using it. Just like Hollow planned. Oh my mana, I didn’t think this would prove useful. 

So, I’m some random [Villager] who trespassed onto his mountain and he found something valuable on me. Is that why I’m not dead yet, to get more information out of me? What information would he want? He already has the cloak. What more could he get?

Yark, I don’t know. 

I don’t know what he wants, so if I can't deliver it, I’m dead. So I need a plan to escape or somehow get Stool to release me peacefully, which is unlikely if not impossible. First things first, let’s check my abilities.

I activated [Mana Gathering] and [Mana Bolt] one at a time. The mana gathered in both cases before cutting them off. I can still use my mana, so I had a way to fight him using [Mana Bolt]. 

“Ahhhhhhh.” I exhaled for the third time, trying to calm the rush of thoughts, but my near runaway heart made it challenging. If I remain calm, I can get out of this alive, but If I freak out, I’m dead.

Peaceful thoughts, Ayla, peaceful thoughts. 

Ok, I’m chained to the wall with two chains, each to my wrists, so moving is not an option. A sitting duck to speak, but I just need a moment for [Mana Bolt] to work. I also need to worry about the Evil Myconids that he has under control. Not sure what killing Stool would do, so they might still be a threat after their controller is dead. Well, if I get that far. 

Without waking me from my night's slumber, he brought me back to the cave. Probably using an ability or something to keep me asleep, so the sooner the better, before it happens again.

Then there's also the surrounding mana that gave me the hibbie-jibbies. I’m not sure what's with that, but something’s definitely wrong. The mana looked forced, as if it was resisting. I continued the rush of thoughts, trying to put a plan together. 

 

---

 

He shuffled across the cave with haste. Swaying back and forth more violently compared to the night before. Making his way to another room and sitting down on the nearest wooden chair. 

“I must not scare the little one, must not scare the little one, must not scare the little one. I must not scare the little one, must not scare the little one, must not scare the little one. I must not scare the little one, must not scare the little one, must not scare the little one.”

Laying his head in his hands, he mumbled chaotically. The same words over and over, the mumbling got quieter as time passed, soon turning inaudible.

His unstable breath turned to a soft release of air before long. He remained bent over for some time before stoutly standing up. Looking to the ground where the cloak laid. 

“I must not blow it. I can finally… make my way into town with this cloak. Just need to be careful and remain sane.” He moved to the table against the wall, grabbing a handful of ingredients. 

A few crunches later, he threw it into the nearby pot; afterwards, he moved it over a glowing stone. The stone turned a dull red as the soup transitioned to a bubbling mess before turning into a sludge-like substance. Satisfied, he removed the pot from the glowing stone and walked out of the room. 

 

---

 

“Knock knock knock!”

Oh mana, I wanted more time to think. Ok, Ok, Ok. Remain calm and think before talking. If he has another outburst again, I’m screwed.

“Hello Ayla, I’m coming in.” The door opened up and Stool entered, much calmer compared to when he left, even bothering to introduce his entrance. He shuffled back to the chair and sat down, this time without my cloak. In stark contrast, the crazed fluctuation of mana returned, albeit a bit more relaxed, to match his attitude change. 

“I apologize if my outburst scared you earlier. I haven’t talked to anyone in a while.” A light smile formed on the right side of his face, the baggy skin side not responding accordingly. A shiver went down my spine, not comforting in the least.

Is he trying to be a gentleman? This guy is just… just stressful, messing with my mind. 

“You don’t need to talk if you don’t want to, but help me help you.” That's a YARK no, a blatant lie if I ever heard one. 

“I can help you to the nearest town or wherever you need to go. Just let me guide you there.” Let him guide me, but how am I helping him in this situation? Why does he need to guide me? 

“Sh.. Sure, I can go with you.” I responded, afraid of answering incorrectly like before. A wide grin formed on Stool’s face, his yellowed teeth showing through magnificently. “Excellent. We can depart after some food. I’ll be back in a moment.” With that, Stool got up and left, this time in a much better mood. 

When the door closed, I thought again. There’s no yarking way. It's definitely not that simple! What is he planning? And no way I trust that food he’s getting, especially with that fungus growing out the side of his face. 

I can tell he’s crazy, but I don’t want to kill him if I don’t have to. I just need to get away, so playing along could be better. With my mind running, I closed my eyes.  

Come on, get it together. The man is crazy, unknown, and dangerous. 

He chained me to this wall and his minions have ‘evil’ in their name. There’s also the message I got when I killed them, ‘one who was controlled.’ Is someone controlling something a good person? No. The way the mana was moving is the biggest danger sign. As far as I’m concerned, I trust the mana far more than anything else. 

It's me or him, and I’m choosing me.

On queue, the door opened, followed by Stool carrying a wooden bowl, placing it on the ground before me. “There you go. Be careful, it may be hot.” He then backed away and sat back in the chair.

I looked down at the bowl and felt the urge to throw up. A blackish soup with purple lumps growing and contracting. One lump expands, popping a moment later as it excretes over the nearby ground. 

Yarking no, that is not right! I lifted my head and stared back at him. After a moment, his smile disappeared as my back sweat increased twofold. Just staring as I sat with the chains tied to my wrists. 

“Ummm, can you unlock these chains so I can eat properly?” I asked, lifting my wrists, before he thought the worst. 

Silence returned with the unease only growing as I prepared for the worst. His blank stare left nothing to interpret, but a few mushrooms twitched, whatever that means. 

I waited, looking for the slightest movement, determined to react first. 

Our contest came to a quick close before things took the next step. “No need to worry. I’ll release you from your chains. That was just a precaution, but obviously no longer required.” He said, standing up as I flinched backwards, too absorbed in the moment. 

A smile formed as he watched, only making the hibbie-jibbies worse. 

I barely calmed my shivers as he walked, his heavy steps getting closer. The turbulent mana encapsulated me, but I resisted its whims, as the pit within my stomach only deepened. 

Stopping just a couple feet away, he reached into his cloak, taking his eyes off me for just a moment. 

Yark, it’s now or never. 

The moment his eyes broke contact, I activated [Mana Bolt]. I place the bolt next to the nearest oil lamp along the wall, letting it blend in with its natural luminescence. 

I heard the jingle of keys before Stool abruptly froze, looking up with wide eyes a moment later. My heart rattles in my chest. Too late to stop, I had to commit. 

He made half a step backward, raising his hand the moment [Mana Bolt] fired. The flow of the world froze in my mind, my life on this one shot. 

The light streaks towards him, passing right through his hand, attempting to block the shot and straight into his forehead, disappearing within. He stood there, staring at the origin of the shot, unmoving.

Every second palpitated, my shaking disappeared, replaced by an unnatural calmness. But I didn’t even notice, I was too absorbed in the moment. The mana fluctuation originating from Stool sped up, almost causing me to throw up on the spot, but I held on, remaining vigilant.

Stool’s expression dulled from the panic just a second ago, returning with the familiar expressionless look. As I watched, his expression softened. And a moment later, he collapses backwards, hitting the ground with a splat. 

A message popped into my head, but I ignored it. 

[Human Myconid Controller. One who was infected]