The taste of a kill

[Hmph.]

The orange screen showed it's dismay for a moment before promptly pulling up the status screen.

-------------------------------

{STATUS}

• Species: Low-level skeleton

• Class: Null

• Affiliation: Null

[STATE]

• Health: 30/30

• Chakra 0/0

• Wisdom: 78

• Agility: 45

• Constitution: 9

[SKILLS]

INNATE SKILLS

-> Relentless || Level ? (E)

-> Will || Level ? (D)

ACQUIRED SKILLS

-> Null

ACTIVE EFFECTS:

-> Null

ACTIVE BUFFS:

-> Null

TITLES:

-> Asura's Traitor (NEW)

-------------------------------

Cal carefully inspected the status screen. He knew that the Asurian monsters immediately gained a small amount of strength whenever they had taken the life of another, whether it be a monster or a human.

However, the stats remained unchanged.

But there was *one* glaring difference.

'Traitor?'

Cal traced a bony finger over his newly acquired title.

Titles were doled out automatically by the system whenever its user achieved something of value, they were symbols of pride and honour for the few who had managed to acquire them in their lifetime. Cal himself had been trying to get the infamous "Bane of goblins" title during his time as a human; that title gave him the benefit of some additional damage to goblins, as well as making it harder for any goblin or goblin-based creature (creatures who evolved from goblins) to detect him.

For an adventurer of his skill level that faced many goblins, that title would've increased his hunting potential and profits immensely. He was envious of all those who had achieved similar titles and had extensively looked into any and all titles that would be possible for him to gain.

However, this one was alien to him.

'No way, is killing a goblin enough to be a traitor? Hell, I never even aligned with the Asuras in the first place!' Cal thought in disbelief.

'System... please expand information on Asura's traitor'

An orange screen appeared to the right of the current one.

-------------------------------

ASURA'S TRAITOR (Goblin variant)

Trash! Even amongst other trash, you are the trash that is identified as supreme trash! They say that even villains have some honour but that doesn't apply to a filthy backstabber like you! How dare you kill your siblings created from the same cloth as you! This is an achievement that deserves naught but scorn!

- >Goblin-based creatures show immediate distrust towards you

- > Goblin-based creatures do increased damage against you

- > A specific Asura is hostile towards you

-------------------------------

'...'

'WHAT THE F*%K?!?!'

'DISTRUST? INCREASED DAMAGE?A HOSTILE ASURA?!!' Cal spat out furiously.

'OY! SYSTEM BOY! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?'

The orange screen popped up right next to Cal's face.

[Hey hey, I had no part in this! You're the guy who killed that innocent goblin!]

'Pft! Innocent?! He was probably friends with the same ones who killed me!' Cal thought, incredulously.

'Bah, I've been around long enough to know how the minds of those creatures work! It's me or them!' Cal argued back.

[Hmm, but aren't you technically a part of "them" now? I mean, the title does say that you guys are of the same cloth right?] wrote the system.

'Screw the title! That senseless, violent goblin and I are very different!'

[Well if you say so~]

'Urk...' If Cal had eyes, they'd be staring dagger at the screen right now.

This orange system was an expert in annoying Cal, he sorely missed the Deva system, one that didn't talk back or annoy him.

Cal squinted imaginary eyes at the title.

'I've never heard of a title that impacted it's owner negatively...'

'Oh!' a flash of a memory went through Cal's mind.

'System! Turn off the effects of my newest title!' Cal commanded.

During tournaments or other sports in the outside world, all titles had to be disabled until the competitors had either concluded their time at the match or when the match itself had finished. Cal had never thought about joining any sort of competition so disabling titles was something he had thrown out of his mind as a viable action.

[Um, Don't think I can do that~], the chime that accompanied this message made Cal want to give it a smack.

'...'

'Whaddya mean.'

[I don't know how to!] the orange screen defended itself.

'What? Just like... stop it!' Cal replied back.

[I mean, I would if I could but, I don't think it's possible!] the system sensed Cal's spite and stopped its chime this time round.

'Just do it the same way you open my stats or pull up information on a title, how is this any different?'

[Those things were easy! I could just think of it and it'd happen, but this isn't working!]

'Ah...'

'I see...'

Cal looked dejected.

Goblins and goblin-based creatures were one of the most common archetypes of monsters that one could encounter inside this particular dungeon, if a high-leveled goblin managed to find him, he'd be dead meat/bones.

Cal felt upset at this system's inability to do things but he swallowed his words and didn't blame "system boy", even if it was annoying. The Brahma system was the only "person" near Cal who was both capable of thought and didn't want to kill him for the experience.

The skeleton grabbed the goblin's club and attempted a few swings, but the weight of the club was too much for him, he abandoned the thought of becoming a club-wielding skeleton and dropped it back to the ground.

'Not only did I get the world's first title that hurts its owner, but my stats are also the exact same!'

Cal's hope of getting stronger and escaping the dungeon dwindled as more thoughts like this flashed through his mind.

He was broken out of his stupor by a familiar chime.

[Oooo, I sense something!]

'Hm? What do you sense?!' Cal readied his knife and did a 360, he hadn't detected anything nearby but he trusted the annoying system nonetheless.

[No no! Not out there! In here!] it chimed loudly.

The orange screen swiftly drifted away from Cal and hovered over the now-deceased goblin's chest, its orange body illuminated the goblin's dark green skin.

[Hey hey! Open this guy up!]

'Oh!' Cal leaped onto the goblin and plunged his knife into its chest.

With all the new things to keep track of being in a new body, Cal had forgotten the first rule of adventuring, never leave loot behind!

All Asurian creatures, from dilapidated zombies to grand dragons, had magical "stones" embedded inside them called cores, these cores grow alongside the body of the creature. As the body gets stronger, the core's properties also become much more intense. Monster cores could be used by any to enhance their Ki or Mana, not only does it increase the amount of it you have, the quality of your current Ki/Mana could be improved. Cores with greater powers could even be re-purposed as armour or equipment for any who could afford it.

Cal expertly sliced the goblin's chest open and stuck his bony hand inside. Even without skin, Cal could feel the goblin's slimy interior; after years of hunting these creatures, Cal was used to this disgusting feeling.

'Tch, this new hand isn't suited for this...' Cal could feel the core inside, but grasping it with bones for hands was a difficult task, by the time he got hold of it, the skeleton was up to his elbow in crimson-red goblin blood.

'Ta da!'

The skeleton fished out a small pebble from within the monster's chest, goblin cores were very familiar to him and this one looked to be of surprisingly high quality.

'For a goblin with that amount of strength, this core is fitting!' Cal thought excitedly; he was quite happy.

The core wouldn't be of much use to him currently, but if he managed to stack up some more, perhaps he could find some way to bribe a passing adventurer? Use it to pelt other monsters? Ideas for using the core started to sprout in his mind.

All the while, the orange screen was fixated on the pebble. Even with the screen's lack of eyes or a face, its greedy glare was obvious.

[Woah...] the chime was deep and quiet.

'Pelting is a bit much but if I ever get out, I bet this core would be enough for a few luxurious meals! Or even a-'

[GIMME!] A loud chime interrupted his train of thought.

'W-what?' Cal squinted his imaginary eyes at the orange screen and hugged the tiny pebble closer to his body.

The screen jumped forwards into Cal's face.

[P-please! You have no use for it right now right?!]

'No- wait... hold on! I can still use it! And even if I couldn't, why do you want it? In fact, can you even do anything with this?' Cal retorted back, no way would he let this prime goblin stone go without a fight.

[Ah! But it looks so good!] The chime was now disturbingly deep.

'...'

'Looks... good???'

Cal was at a loss for words.

This system was beyond comprehension before, but now it was begging him for a monster core? Even ignoring the fact that this system had a personality, this sort of behavior made his mind hurt.

This creature went against every previously held belief he had of the systems, and even the world as a whole.

Cal opened his palm and stared at the core. Finding a use for this would be tough, almost all of the core's value relied on its use in the outside world, and even absorbing the stone couldn't be done without proper preparation. All of Cal's ideas depended on him being able to communicate or trade the stone for something of value, but even that was a far-out idea.

'Sigh...'

Cal outstretched a bony hand and offered the pebble to the screen.

'Tch, to think there'd come a day where I'd let go of such a nice core...' Cal thought wistfully. It hurt Cal in his soul to let go of such a thing but he was also very curious as to what this system would do with it.

[Oh! I can have it!?] it chimed cheerfully, it had gone back to being an annoyingly high-pitched noise.

'Er... sure' Cal shrugged and motioned to the pebble with his hand.

[Awh sweet!] the system wasted no time on a chime.

The orange screen darted to the stone and passed through it, after it phased through Cal's hand, the stone that was previously there was nowhere to be found.