No, I need to get out of here first before questioning what that was.

Using my one remaining hand, I pushed my damaged body up. 

Thankfully I don't seem to have broken my spine, I can still walk. 

But this still hurts like hell. 

I could numb the pain with magic but....

Theres no point. It'll be a waste. However small my reserves are, doesn't mean they are useless.

Pushing my body to its limits, and ignoring the searing pain across my chest, I ran. 

I ran as fast as I could, until I stopped hearing those things behind me. 

I could feel my heart pounding. 

I closed my eyes, letting my body lean against the wall. 

I could feel my eyes begin to moisten, I brushed my hand against them. 

With a sharp exhale I stood up straight again. 

Well this really isn't going to plan. 

Guess I'd better figure out whatever that thing was though. Not quite sure how I'm supposed to do that... 

I don't know if it would be possible... Maybe I was just seeing things, hearing things. 

A hallucination. 

I guess it wouldn't be too bizzare, I'm not sure how mental health works but. Being trapped in a lead box for so long surely isn't healthy. 

I slowly slid down the wall as a long exhale left my mouth. 

What am I supposed to do in this situation? Basically all the odds are against me. I'm skilled, sure, but...

Well there's no point complaining about it. 

Resting my body against the cold floor, I suddenly felt a wave of fatigue hit me. 

My eyes closed and I drifted off. 

ㅤ

My body jolted awake. 

Damn, I can't pass out like that again. It's too dangerous.

My eyes opened slowly, to reveal surroundings I'm certain weren't there before. 

I stood on the top of a dark spire, erupting through the somber, dull clouds of some magical landscape. 

Everything was... Clear, yet so... Off-putting. 

Something about it was just wrong, maybe it was the bubbling pits of lava that launched themselves against the Palace walls, or the crimson walls the seemed to continue on forever into the distance.

I remember this. Somewhere deep inside me. I recognise this. 

{̴̪̍Y̷̨͆o̶̹̕υ̵͚̃ ̴̧̈́m̷̤̿υ̴̰͝ƨ̸͔̎Ɉ̵̧̄ ̵͔͑ɿ̵̘̆ɘ̸̳̑m̴̹͂ɘ̴̹͌m̶̛̟d̵͑ͅɘ̵̨͊ɿ̸͉̕}̵͕̋

That voice again, I don't know what it's saying but.. 

I keep scanning my surroundings. Somethings changing I can feel it. 

{̴̼̎Ä̵͇̻́̊͂ẁ̶͇á̵̡̨͐̈́k̸͇̓e̷̞͂̂͝n̴̨̗̾̃ ̵̮̺̩͆̍̂y̶̠͖͉̾̽̒ö̴́̀͜u̸̟̥̒r̸̡̙͊͛ ̸̗̙̗̚ẗ̵͖͓́̍ȑ̴̰̥̑͘u̷̱̺͒é̸̙͋ ̸̺́̉̔ͅs̷̗̱̩̏͂̐e̴̤͔̻̋̂l̶̟͑f̸̧̱̮̏}̶̰͝ ̴͍͓̆̊͛

The voices, they're getting closer. 

Around me, I saw the air shaking. And then a figure appeared before me. 

My eyes widened. 

I remembered everything. 

{Yₒᵤᵣ ₛₒᵤₗ ᵢₛ fᵣₐcₜᵤᵣₑd ₘy cₕᵢₗd, ᵤₛₑ ₘy gᵢfₜ cₐᵣₑfᵤₗₗy. ᵢₜ wᵢₗₗ ₛₗₒwₗy ᵣₑₜᵤᵣₙ yₒᵤᵣ ₘₑₘₒᵣᵢₑₛ ₜₒ yₒᵤ.} 

{Yₒᵤ wᵢₗₗ bₑ wₕₒₗₑ ₐgₐᵢₙ.} 

"I will..." 

ㅤ

My body lurched forwards as I was startled awake. 

ㅤ

{Booting Complete} 

{System Now Fully Active} 

ㅤ

Soliffa Supra (Awakened Daughter) 

Species: [Magical Monster - Humanoid] 

Sub-Species: [Awakened Fire Elemental]  - Level 1

Skills: 

[Blasphemy] - Level 1 (Maxed) 

[Magical Self Healing - Level 10 (Maxed) 

ㅤ

Now this, is something I've never seen before. 

It seems like a sort of, personal file. However.. 

What does it mean by species? I knew I wasn't human but...

I guess it makes sense, the magical monsters it's referring to do rely on manan to survive. Like me. 

But the sub species doesn't help at all, I guess I just have some sort of additional affinity to fire magic? 

Well, what am I kidding myself. None of this makes sense. 

The most interesting part of it all though is that skill, [Blasphemy]. Now would be the time I'd love to see what it does, but I don't exactly know how to do that. 

Unsurprisingly I'm used to casting and channeling magic through my body, not using some random skill from a screen. 

Why am I even so calm about this? I woke up and this thing just appears in front of me! 

No, I didn't just wake up, something happened. The feelings vague, but I know more. 

Interesting. 

Pssht I've been thinking too much since I got out of that tomb. 

I need to loosen up a bit, and this skill might help. 

Time to do the obvious.

Ahem

"Blasphemy!" 

The feeling of someone slamming an iron into my brain immediately hit me. 

"Aghhh, you piece of stupid floating text!" I screamed, letting the smug text know my opinion. 

And as if it was listening to me, the pain went away. Only to be replaced by... The feeling of incomparable power. 

Oh, now this is what I'm talking about! 

Putting as little strength into my legs, I stood up and almost instinctually I slammed my hand into the wall behind me. 

It felt as if the stone itself was running away from me. I pulled my hand back and saw a fist sized hole left where it was, surrounding the newly found hole was a massive web of cracks. 

If I use this I should be able to get one of those cores... 

And I fell to the floor. 

The feeling of my mind being slammed by an iron repeated, as if it happened 10 more times. 

"s-stop," I muttered between the pangs of pain. 

Between my laboured breaths I felt warmth spread underneath my head. I slowly touched my finger towards it. 

I was bleeding, heavily. The stone must have damaged my head very heavily. 

I closed my eyes. Hoping my small remnants of mana would fix it. 

"Where did I.." I muttered between gasps. 

I had suddenly gained vast swathes of mana. With a sigh of relief I pushed some of it towards my head and wrist. 

With my mind slowly clearing I noticed what the skill had done. 

Tearing apart pieces of my soul and turning them into mana, which it then used to empower my body. 

So I was killing myself, destroying my already fragmented memories. 

Well I guess that is a fair exchange for essentially unlimited power. At least the damage will heal, however slowly. 

On the bright side, I do now have mana. And quite the generous amount. Obviously not as much as I'm used to, but almost definitely enough to kill a golem or two. 

And this time I'm definitely not doing physical combat. Just a spell or two will do. So I suppose first I should expand my circuitry to an acceptable degree. 

With an exaggerated swish of my hand and flick of my finger, I pushed a quarter of my mana through my circuitry. 

It's all coming together. 

Now I just need to get some clothes and this problem is vaguely dampened. I suppose cleaning off all this blood would be nice too. 

And obviously, after that, finding one of those golems will be a piece of cake!

I mean after all, who wouldn't just fill this place with them? I sure would, no other way you're really going to be able to contain me. 

Well, I guess I should be careful from now on.... 

But that is also really boring so - no, no I don't think I will, I still need to loosen up a bit from that coffin. Must just be something wrong with my head. 

It does hurt alot... 

I'm sure it's fine, probably just because I was asleep for so long. I mean I'd imagine it's been a while. Sure would be boring if it hasn't!

But truly, it wouldn't hurt to just relax for a while. And this very-safe-secure-maze-of-hallways is almost definitely the place for it. 

A song to sing... 

A small grin appeared on my face. 

ㅤ

“αὐτὰρ ὁ Δήμητρος πολυφόρβης ἐς λέχος ἦλθεν,

ἣ τέκε Περσεφόνην λευκώλενον, ἣν Ἀιδωνεὺς

ἥρπασε ἧς παρὰ μητρός: ἔδωκε δὲ μητίετα Ζεύς .”

ㅤ

Mid verse I noticed something ahead of me, it was covered in an old, dark cloak. 

"Now what would this be?" 

I crouched down next to the skeleton. 

It was obviously humanoid, it was wearing clothes as well. 

"I sure do hope you won't mind if I take these," 

I eagerly ripped them from the skeletons body and slid into them. 

They feel awful.. But it is better then wearing nothing I suppose. 

The clothes were some sort of long cloak, completely black and very aethsetic. Underneath the cloak was a cheap, almost destroyed tunic and pair of trousers. 

From inside the cloak I felt something pressing against me. 

"Is there something in the pocket?" 

I reached in, feeling a rough piece of paper. Pulling it out I see something wonderful. 

It's a... Really bad map. 

But it is a map! 

So it seems like I'm on some sort of island? Can't exactly tell how big it is, but it's got to be at least vaguely large. 

"Now this is wonderful news!" I sing while putting the skeletons boots on, they were very large compared to me, but I simply didn't care. 

And now I'm ready for an adventure!

And with a smile plastered on my face I very awkwardly walked down the dark tunnels. 

As common sense would define, going further into the dungeon is best. I do want to eventually get out of here after all. And I presumably started at the centre, so. 

"Onwards!" i shouted for the fifth time, trying to sound even the slightest  excited. 

It failed. 

"I've been walking for so long. And I've seen nothing." I whispered to myself. 

These stone, dull, pathetic walls and my awful singing. Hours of that. It isn't healthy for your mind, I'm sure of it. 

Realising my growing insanity - I embraced it. 

"All I've seen for four hours is these stupid stone walls! Where's the security? The challenge?" 

Well all tantrums aside, I was beggining to lose hope in there being anything inside this dungeon. 

"Well colour me red and throw me at a wyvern, it's a room!" 

That's right, something that isn't a hallway! 

Truly the effects of isolation on your mind are astounding. 

Well to be fair, it wasn't just a room. 

It was another tomb. 

"So either I've gone in a massive loop or..."

They've been using multiple people for this? 

Well this mana harvesting machine is much smaller then mine. Perhaps they are some sort of back up mana generators? 

"The best way to deal with anger, is to open up tombs, or at least that's what I'm going to believe," 

Already next to the tomb itself, I slowly pushed away the lid. Immediately noticing the lack of lead. 

"I can't tell if I'm supposed to be honoured or offended.." I spoke to myself absently. 

Well I thought I was speaking to myself. 

A hand surged out from within it, grasping around my neck and lifting me into the air. 

"Where am I?" It spoke, its voice a deep rumble. 

"I-I don't know, I was in one of these tombs too!" 

Looking across the body of them I noticed something. 

"You're a skeleton?" I questioned. Hopefully it's not what I think it is.. 

The small orbs of flame, dancing around inside of their eye holes, focused onto me. 

Their grip on my neck loosened and I fell to the floor. 

"So I have died then, I'm fortunate the spell has worked and preserved my soul." Their voice spoke in monotone. "You, child. How are you still alive?" Their Ruby eyes returned to me. 

"I'm not alive anymore. Not too unlike you, I've been turned into some sort of magical monster." 

I replied to them, showing due respect. Just based on their aura and speech they were surely someone powerful. 

"Now isn't that interesting. Well, fellow monster what is your name? I am a Professor of the Dark Arts, Vivus," He announced with a short bow. 

What a.... 

Bizzare person. 

"Ah, my name is Soliffa. A once powerful mage. At least to my memory," 

I'm not lying, that is all I really know about myself. Other then a few fractured memories, but I can't exactly understand them. 

"A broken memory you say? Well I suppose we're both lucky enough to still be alive. But these new bodies might take a while to get used to," 

His teeth clattered together as he looked across his milky white body. I stepped away from his tomb so he could fully step out and take in his surroundings. 

"I suppose you awoken in a similar room? They're quite crude," He scoffed. 

I don't exactly disagree either - compared to the obviously high standard of my room his was very... Rushed by the looks of it. 

It being quite literally just a stone box with a coffin in it didn't help it's case. 

"No, I'm fact mine was far more.. Grand. The tomb was made of pure lead," 

I explained, looking at him in his eyes. Well I'd you could call them that. 

"I suppose I should be offended," He replied with a silent chuckle.

I let a small smile slip onto my face. Who would've thought I'd find a friend in a place like this. 

"Well then Professor Vivus shall we get going? Surely there's an exit in here somewhere." 

"Ah, that would be very likely." He agreed. Stepping outside of his tomb, "What have you figured out about our captors so far?" He questioned, his white flames glancing towards me. 

"I have figured out... Almost nothing. Though I suppose their golems are quite resilient." I muttered beneath my breath. 

"Well, it seems luck is in our favour Lady Soliffa. I shall evaluate them personally."