In the past

I've felt my heart stop in panic.

I've had my body disintegrated from a carnivorous, transparent cyst of monstrous proportions. Vile veins pulsating foul liquid into its single eye before unleashing it in a brutal acidic force that evaporated my body as if I was nothing more than steam.

I should have woken up in the cubical room. I should have opened my eyes to a dirty silver chamber with scattered bones and rusty chains - scorch marks covering the floor as a testament to my sick ambition.

Yet here I am, trapped in the dark. First came the confusion, then the familiarity, and finally the realization.

It felt like I was drowning in blackness until my feet found solidity to stand as the darkness peeled away like a stage curtain to show my inner nightmare. The horrified, disturbing area my twisted imagination conjured in my childish sleep and had only gotten worse as I grew older.

I've had dreams of this traumatizing place, and I barely remember them, but it left a horrifying impression on my little mind - scared and crying with no one to comfort me. That's what made it worse, having no one to confide in, and paradoxically it just felt better that way. They happened less frequently after I was adopted, but no amount of therapy, dream magic, or sweets, could coax me to open up and talk about it.

I used to be able to lie about it, pretend that it never happened, never acknowledging it; concluding that if I ignored it, I would eventually forget it ever happened. Yet if I told others about it, showing how it deeply affected me, then they will be able to remind me of how it is real, that the nightmares did happen, and no amount of self-denial could make it go away.

The darkness receded, and air stank of rust and blood.

I found myself standing on an absurdly wide and gigantic staircase coiling around a grand metallic pillar of inconceivable hight. I looked up to see there was no sky, for instead there is a ceiling of erratic brain-matter greeting me instead. Twitching and pulsing, convulsing with metal veins that twisted smoothly without fault, surging down before retracting.

I kept to the edge of the staircase, leaning forward to look down to see an ocean of blood. So still and perfect, rich with vitality as its horrible stench carried its way up. It explained the blood.

Then I found the reason for the rust.

I never paid attention to the details of this nightmare when I was young, and I thought this impossibly huge pillar was made out of cubical cuts of iron haphazardly layered over one another. But now that I am older, with a sharper mind and a bad habit to satiate curiosity, I craned my neck upwards to see all the erratic grooves and rusted dents of the pillar had, unfortunately, revealed an abstract, macabre portrait so complicated that a metallic canvas of this size only made it possible to be.

For that twisted image created from the depths of my mind showed a severed, feminine head. Indescribably brutal in her execution. Eyes full of power and unfocused. A soft mouth barely closed and unhinged. Her overall expression is so gentle, relaxed, and even motherly.

Then she started to move.

She looked down.

Her eyes started to bleed puss that hummed a cursed tune no instrument can recreate. A maddening song of damnation. A silent choir of malice that promised the unspeakable in its lyrics.

She smiled.

Bloated mechanical horrors that were her teeth crawled out of her mouth towards me. Limbs like needles. Bodies soft like bread dough. Faces small and featureless resembling an infant.

She whispered.

I felt the flesh on my left hand rend into a bloody mess, every twitching muscle, every pulsing drop of blood, uncoil around my bones before stitching back together.

I woke up with a scream.

My throat felt as if I was being strangled, my body was covered in sweat, my heart was pounding so hard in my chest it felt as if it was trying to break my ribs. My hands were clenched into fists so hard I thought they would have bled. Instantly my eyes darted all across the room, to seek if the remnants of the cognitive horror-!

[Gamer's Mind] has been activated!

I relaxed enough to breathe, but at the rapid rate I'm inhaling would be close enough to call it hyperventilating. When I tried to stand, my legs wouldn't stop shaking. My mouth tasted like rust and blood. I wiped away the tears in my eyes and took an unsteady step forward.

My foot bumped into the skull of the filly... I never left her in that spot!

Her bones, even the ones I sharpened and turned into shivs were arranged in an erratic pattern; pointing at me even though I left them all in a pile in the corner of the room!

You have been asleep for 20 hours experiencing an unpleasant dream! All status ailments will no longer be cured! HP, MP, and stamina will only be partially refilled!

There were times that I had fallen asleep, the stress of being down here for so long made me desire for a way - if temporarily - to forget about it all. To my disappointment, my dreams were dreamless, empty, and nothing; for me it was instant, yet a maximum of 8 hours would have passed while I was rejuvenated as detrimental status effects would be cured.

Now those benefits were gone.

"I was sleeping for 20 hours?" I whispered as I looked at the bones in disbelief. "I didn't fall asleep, I died to an eldritch cyst that disintegrated me! Why was I asleep?!"

QUEST: Glutton for Knowledge(10)!
As disturbing as it is, the mental strain of these horrifying secrets does not affect you due to [Gamer's Mind]! With this protection, you can learn these horrifying rituals of evil!
-Find the other fragments of knowledge to complete this ritual!
-Search for the information called Mark of Fiery Pain! (COMPLETED)
REWARD:
-Ritual:

You have studied too many monoliths despite receiving a negative perk and continued to hoard terrifying knowledge that would erode anyone's psyche. The overload was too intense; [Gamer's Mind] was able to minimize the damage, but it will not get rid of your new perks!

"Perks?" I noticed it was plural.

For reading more forbidden knowledge, Degraded Mind over Flesh has been replaced with Tortured Mind over Matter! Your total HP is reduced by 50%!

You have gained the new perk, Primal Nightmare! A tormented mind creates tormented dreams! Every time you sleep you will experience a horrifying nightmare of your own making! The nightmares you had when you were younger has been selected and reused as the designated landscape for psychological torture!

For reaching 100 INT, the perk Small Magic Affinity has been replaced with Medium Magic Affinity! The potency of magic attacks and defenses are increased by 30%! Magic regeneration is increased by 30%! All spells are 20% more powerful!

"To hell with the magic! What about the bones that moved when I was knocked out?! Why does my heart feel like it was going to explode despite [Gamer's Body]-?!" I stopped my rants when damnable clarity touched my mind; I vaguely remember the nightmare, and a gigantic river of blood, and now my mouth taste like it. Metallic beasts had approached me, and now there was a skull and a decent amount of bones placed in a circle around me in my sleep. "...Do the nightmares in my head have consequences in real life?"

There was silence. All the previous notifications had disappeared and I was left alone to stand in the quiet space of the Punishment Zone. But when I moved to pick up the bones...

Look at the palm of your left hand.

I hesitantly glanced at my hand, palm facing the dirty floor. When my eyes were unfocused it appeared to be normal, but now that [Gamer's Mind] offered me clarity, I can now see the faded perpendicular patterns of faded scars. I turned my hand over.

YOU WILL RETURN

I quickly picked up one of the tattered clothes - nothing more than mere rags - that I dropped onto the ground, finding a long enough piece before desperately tearing out a strip to wrap around my left hand. I didn't want a constant reminder of what I experienced on my flesh, but at least I could cover it up.

That is until it started to bleed through the material, a new message was formed and said,

YOU CAN'T FORGET ABOUT ME

"Damn it!" I tore off the wrapping with a snarl. I threw it onto the ground in frustration and rage, but it was such a pathetic throw that I almost considered it was mocking me. I ran my dirty fingers through my overgrown hair. "It's fine... It's fine!" I have to remember my strengths; [Gamer's Body] eliminates biological necessities. "I don't need to sleep anymore... I can't have the nightmares if I don't fall asleep."

You don't have to willingly fall asleep: you just need to be knocked unconscious.

"Then I won't get knocked out; I just need to protect my head."

Then again, would it matter? Everything here can kill me in one hit. The only reason I was unconscious in the first place was because of a knowledge overload of my own doing. Yet there is an irrational part of me that thinks if I do die again, Primal Nightmare will consider it to be an acceptable condition, and I will be stuck in that dark world inside my head.

So once again - assuming that my paranoia is justified - would it matter to protect my head when I can instantly die and experience the nightmares anyways?

I don't think it does matter.

However, that doesn't mean it makes me feel at ease.

"I won't need to just protect my head; specifically, I need something to protect it." There was no reason for me to even make a helmet: I've already rationalized the futility of the protective headgear. But as my worries grew, I found myself pacing around, eyes darting across the filthy silver room.

With my ugly reflection staring back at me every time. I think that's what set me over the edge at that moment; the constant reminder of something so twisted and lost - alien to the world and foreign to myself.

At first, I told myself that I didn't care.

I was convinced that I was fine with my face.

I persuaded my confidence to ignore the ugly truth.

Now it's all I can think about.

Then came the excuses. "If I covered up my head, I would also hide my disgusting face... but with what?" I just making a compromise for myself; I needed something durable or at that point, it wouldn't be a matter of protection, but a reason for vanity.

My foot bumped into the filly's skull again.

I looked down. "Yeah... that could work."

I sat down on the floor as I gripped the skull in one hand, and the eldritch knife in the other. Mentally, I detached myself from what I'm doing, how I'm not cutting open a child I devoured out of desperation with a tool from maddening origins. I'm just doing a simple crafting project.

It wasn't a lie, yet it wasn't completely true.

I couldn't feel the weapon dig into my flesh, and I could care less as I used it as a saw open the skull.

It was too small to fit on my head, and I couldn't physically put it on like a hat either. I had to cut off the occipital lobe, then I had to remove the jaw. I painstakingly cut off the remains of her broken horn before using even more effort to vertically saw her skull in half.

Due to physical effort, your STR has increased by 1!

I wiped the sweat from my brow. I punctured holes along every place that needed it before I used the eldritch knife to cut off my hair. I need it for binding, but the individual hairs weren't long or tough enough. So I spent the next few hours tying them into longer pieces before braiding them together into a tougher string. I used that to sew up the skull segments with careful precision that I failed time and time again; make it too tight then it wouldn't be able to fit, but if it's too lax then it could fall apart.

Due to physical effort, your DEX has increased by 1!

My final work was uneven and crude. A patchwork of bones loosely resembling a skull rests in my hands. I had to use a few of her ribs and a femur to increase the overall size, and the eldritch knife I had made it easy to carve them into shapes I desired and to puncture holes to allow me to sew them together.

And when I put my newly-acquired helmet on? I let out a shuddering breath. That feeling of having something covering my head felt so comforting. I just let myself go. My legs and arms went slack, I sat against the wall, unable to move as my reflections had been replaced with macabre grin made out of patchwork bones. It felt like I was wearing earplugs to block out the bombardment of life hammering down on me, and for once I was left with blissful silence. For a moment I could forget my ambition, my spite, and what I plan to do.

This moment of guilty peace exists for me; I let out a breath that felt so smooth and fluid that I didn't feel the need to inhale. I just here on the floor, with lungs empty, a body exhausted, and a mind at peace.

Yet deep down there was a hint of pride of what I had done. Desecrating the remains of the dead into equipment; the great lengths of my savagery, and the extreme means I willingly go through if it could benefit me in some way - no matter how big or small - to not only survive but to thrive, overcoming any obstacle with brutality, and wouldn't hesitate to do so no matter who they are, or how young they may be.

('No, I don't regret eating the filly... because I was stuck in a hole with no food for who-knows-how-long and wasn't able to die because of a suppressed power I didn't know I had... my power didn't influence me to eat a sentient being; desperation and hunger did... I don't care that life is precious, Candace, you're a herbivore: your opinion is biased as far as I'm concerned...')

But those thoughts of hubris were muddled and washed away like sand being thrown into a raging river; blending in with the destruction to be a part of it, and indistinguishable that no one could ever think it was there in the first place.

I felt so calm.

So peaceful.

My heavy eyes shot open as I raced to stand on my feet, my heart going into overdrive in a panic as I realized I almost fell asleep. I didn't even know my eyes were closed!

I wrenched the stupid thing off my head before throwing it on the ground. Rage can cloud judgment for throwing something fragile onto the hard ground, yet a small part of me felt relieved that it was intact; evidence of my crafting ability.

"I can relax when I get out of here," I fired [Spiral Magic Bomb] at the hooked chains above me. Multiple projectiles of magic pierced through several of them before detonating at the ceiling. Chucks of dirty silver and rusted chains rained down from above me. What I was doing before wasn't enough.

I could do better.

In the future

"Then I spent so long wearing heavy rusted chains while carrying even heavier silver that I blasted out of the ceiling," I told Cadence, silent and held that fuming anger in her eyes for my easy dismissal and uncaring attitude of what I did to the filly's bones. "I just ran around the room, adding more weight when it got easier- which was hard in its own right; rusty chains are not good bindings for keeping uneven chunks of metal on bare skin from falling off, it was when I discovered that silver itself was poisonous after long-term exposure - when my physical training needed to be more intense, I would wear my weighted attire outside when I ran out of the room. With my skills so high, I was able to detect any ambushes and traps, and then I ran back to the room... which gave me an idea."

"A sadistic idea?" She accused, nausea she felt from me describing my nightmares had long been replaced with justified anger. "A new torture technique to use on foals? A new inspiration for an abomination to unleash upon the world?!"

"This was before my early years before I came to Ponyvile." I rolled my eyes with a scoff. So emotional. "Back then, I was focusing on surviving and securing my safety in the world. I had a fascination with pushing the limits with my crafts: I would make toys beyond what is normal."

"And dangerous," Cadence said. "I know the rumors of your so-called 'toys'! Everything innocent - even toys that bring joy to foals - you somehow ruin that and ponies get hurt!"

"I too was innocent before I became Sweet Tooth; I wasn't born evil. " I reminded her, which caught her off-guard. "Remember Cadence, back then I wasn't a merchant who plotted for the future and made deals with dark forces: I was just an abandoned boy in a world that didn't want me. I cared more about improving my chances of survival than profit and finding pleasure in the suffering of others. It's why I even became a toymaker in the first place, I wanted to bring joy into the world."

Especially after what I experienced after escaping the Punishment Zone.

"Then why is there is much suffering in the world... why does it seem like you are the one who caused it?" She demanded. "If you truly don't lie, if you did put in the effort to be good, why are you the way you are now?"

"Because as I stated before, caring for others - just caring in general - is too exhausting," I said with a huff, and being reminded of it made me feel older. The Princess of Love was appalled by my answer. "I just stopped caring... and when I tried to stop, when I tried to care again, it was just too much work that amounted to nothing. The moment I embrace my callousness, I realized I could do anything; being numb to violate life and its beauty. For nothing was holding me back - and my power helped me do so."

However, what I was too proud to admit, was that I would relapse back again; a terrible, toxic cycle of change and regression, habits being broken and later returning when the situation demanded it due to emotions. Yet the real game-changer was discovering my sick sense of humor. It just made it easier.

"Like making brutal merchandise," Cadence pointed out. "Or traumatizing little fillies! Wiping entire towns off the face of Equestria! Why is that anything you can only bring pain and suffering?!"

"Well for one, it's profitable," I explained. "Joy is like poison; it's a matter of perspective. For what is harmful to one, is pleasurable to another. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, but it's also a pleasant treat to be eaten separately or to be added in sweets. A sword that's enchanted to cause limbs to rot off with a mere cut won't have popular demand in a peaceful land like Equestria, but those in the Griffon Empire would gladly try to outbid each other to acquire it."

"Is that why you can't make anything harmless? Are you just dedicated to violence?!"

"Cadence, I’m not dedicating my life to violence, I just acknowledge it!" I countered. "You can be the most humble, non-violent individual who would never wish harm on others, but that will not stop others from seeking to hurt you. May it be out of envy, or seeking an advantage." The latter is something she was unfortunate to experience, and from how her body flinched and started to tremble as the bad memories started to surface, my words - once again - had a personal impact. "If that wasn’t true - if that chain of personal philosophy I have been following is somehow wrong - then the events of your wedding would have never happened, and you wouldn't be the pathetic mess you are today."

"... I guess it's no surprise that your dreams are nothing but nightmares," She spat. "Only a twisted mind like yours can make something so horrible!"

"Don't do that," I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Don't do the whole 'Dream Interpretation' bit - that's Luna's job. Honestly, I thought she would be here when I got to this part of the story."

"If you don't want me commentating on your dreams, then why bring it up?"

"It's to make you - and when you tell Celestia - understand what lies inside my head: the fresh hell that Discord's mind is forever trapped in."

In the past

I sprinted down a pulsing, flesh-covered corridor - lumps of dirty silver bounded by rusty chains shook with each step - making a sharp turn around the corner to avoid a javelin of bone being thrown at my head from a freakish, bipedal abomination made out of crystalized stomach acid that prefers ranged attacks, as every horrible flesh-thing down here had decided to use projectiles to kill me every time I stepped outside the starting room.

And I saw the door leading into it. [Detect Bloodlust] and [Sense Danger] warned me of the transparent sludge beasts preparing to pelt me as I neared the door to my safety. I twisted around one, ducked under another, and tackled the door open before slamming it shut behind me.

The monsters didn't try to break in. I've slowly figured out why this place is a sanctuary against the outside, and to why the monsters are keeping their distance away from me, resorting to ranged attacks instead of their brutal melee prowess. I would have to plan, gambling on coincidence and hoping it is fact.

Yet I managed to take three steps before throwing up on the floor and collapsing onto it.

My limbs aching while my blood pumps through my abused limbs with the force of a hammer. My lungs were strained as each inhale felt I was being punished for merely existing. My skin was painfully sensitive and soaked with terror-induced sweat. My nose burned with disgust from breathing in the grotesque environment.

[Gamer's Body] has been activated!

Then there was numbness. I moved to my feet, I dropped the rusty chains and dirty silver chunks I had attached to my body onto the ground.

Due to extreme physical extortion, all physical-related stats have increased by 4!

[Poison Resistance] has leveled up by 2!

[Detect Bloodlust has leveled up by 4!

[Sense Danger] has leveled up by 4!

I moved my way over the opposite wall. "That should be enough," I grabbed one of the discarded, rusted hooks near the silver wall before examining the scratches I placed on it.

A layout of the current labyrinth.

Every hallway I've sprinted for my life, all traps that I've activated marked with a circle, sites of ambushes from monsters represented with a triangle, but most importantly every door that led me to a dead end.

I had to fight the urges to read another monolith. It was tempting, so very tempting; especially after what I've learned, but I needed to get out of here. I feared my bottomless appetite for knowledge would be my prison and not the Punishment Zone. But there is an enraged part of my curious mind, demanding I go back to read the monoliths, to gain more knowledge regardless of the consequences.

However, it's those consequences that motivate me to leave: I don't want any more negative perks. My HP is reduced by 50%, sleeping is no longer beneficial, and I have a good reason to avoid being unconscious unless I want to forcibly experience the nightmare again. I've become so paranoid that I've resorted to wearing a helmet made out of bones.

This is why I've painstakingly charted down this map, showing all routes that I've taken every time I step out to explore, and sprint back here barely escaping danger. With my INT at a hundred to boost my memorization skills, and [Gamer's Mind] to keep me calm as I'm running for my life, I was able to see the routes I've taken.

All except one.

"I would be cutting it close," I memorized the path I need to take before picking up my helmet made out of filly bones. It was snug on my head. "If I die, then all of this would be for nothing." Especially since I've put so much effort into making the map.

But as I reached the door, my foot grazed the eldritch knife on the floor. I didn't leave it there. But I lost the reason to be frightened when it happened so many damn times.

I've only properly held it once, and that was used to craft my helmet, and while it didn't try to burrow into my hand like before, I was still unsure of using it. It was powerful - there is no denying that - but like all the rituals I've learned from the monoliths, I knew there would be a price.

And if my plan work, I won't need to use it.

I still wrapped it in what little cloth I had left and cut the remains of my hair that grew back after making my helmet, to fasten it to my left forearm. It felt appropriate, considering my left hand had been mauled by horror-soaked dreams that physically affect me; adding in a knife with disturbing origins seemed fair, for as far as themes go.

Once I made sure it was secure, along with my helmet, I picked up a chunk of silver in each hand before leaving. Small enough to leave, and big enough to have a chemical impact.

It was time to earn my freedom.

Without the additional, burdensome weight of the chains, and holding much less silver than before, running through the twists and turns of the labyrinth was a minor challenge. The monsters are keeping their distance, resorting to using ranged attacks instead, and with [Sense Danger] and [Detect Bloodlust] helping me avoid danger, it wasn't too hard to reach the only path I haven't taken in the current iteration of this place.

I was in unknown territory. I ducked from being melted from projectile-vomit from a hollowed, boar-like flesh thing that screamed like a horrendous buzzing of flies. I leaped over a crumbling floor of coiled muscle that would have sent me into a pit of boiling blood. I saw tumors lining the ceiling, with transparent and purple veins bubbling and expanding before bursting flesh-eating gas when I ran under them.

Then I saw it.

A crystal door more refined and carried an aura of elitism. Polished bones framed it, chiseled to the perfected decoration of macabre sadism with patters of frozen blood in its geometric horror. It fitted the theme of this place, and at the same time, didn't belong here at all. Not because it was more organized and elegant than the other messy doors I've encountered, but because it was too brutal in appearance. Like an apex predator in a world full of prey.

It would explain why the monsters ran away when I neared this door, but past experiences reminded me of failure, and so I didn't hesitate to rush towards it; tackling it open before shutting it behind me.

You have found the boss' room! Defeat your opponent to open the exit!

"I found it..." The surprise and realization had stunned me; I had found it after monotonous and brutal deaths, combined with the hellish repetition of using the same skills over and over again to painstakingly grind them to a higher level. I know they were actions of my own doing, yet every time I ran out into the labyrinth I would never come close to finding this place. And if my plan worked, if my theory about why the monsters were keeping their distance is correct, then I will be closer to earning my freedom.

I only had to kill the disfigured, albino fish-thing in the center of this clean stone room... and the monster is sitting on a mountain of layered, blubbery fish meat where the intestines were on the bottom on the support, and everything above was flabby, chunky and uneven skin. There were even metal protrusions at the top, arranged like a throne.

I used [Observe].

===
Antibody
Level: 2
Species: Kin
Title(s): Giver of the Mark, Boss of the Punishment Zone
===
Description:
A minor thing called from beyond through blood sacrifice; its name and physical appearance is merely a result of its vessel to stay anchored in reality, but it requires a minor amount of sustenance. It lives in a symbiotic relationship with other creatures: it marks prey with a curse making it easier to hunt, and in return gets part of the meat.
===

"It would explain all the rotting fish meat," I've encountered abominations that seem to exist outside the realm of fantasy; so even though I've never seen one, the existence of an aquatic creature wouldn't be too far-fetched. The smell was a grotesque mixture of decay, vomit, and sweat, combined thoroughly with saltwater sludge. If the description held, then it wasn't an aquatic creature; it's just wearing it as if it were clothing. It certainly had no problem tearing a chunk of meat off its throne to devour it whole in one gulp. So while it may not be considered cannibalism, it is certainly carnivorous.

The Antibody sniffed the air, before focusing on me and let out a feral squeal, revealing a tunnel of teeth that did not belong to a fish.

It raised a banner made out of a patchwork of skin, fixed onto a pole made of bones. Dark fog coiled around, and a blood-red eye with a green sclera that bleeds a deep scarlet of evil that flared and lashed. The Antibody raised the banner higher, before motioning it towards me as the banner's eyes widened to an impossible degree, preparing a wave of malice to wash over my body.

Which is why I didn't hesitate to blow it up.

I dropped the chunks of silver before aiming with my hand before shouting, "[Spiral Magic Bomb]!"

Spiral Magic Bomb Level: 45
An extreme variant of the Magic Missle spell created by the unicorns when the three pony tribes were at war with each other; a spell that allowed for great counter-measures against any pegasus for it could track the target while increasing in velocity. However, this spell proved ineffective against earth ponies, as their tough exterior was too strong, and the creation of the spell focused more on tracking the target rather than brute force. Even an alert pegasus was able to out-maneuver this spell with sheer speed and acrobatics. However, this skill had been improved; the projectile spins which allows it to penetrate defenses, being condensed with enough magic to explode on impact, and is elongated to reduce air resistance for increased speed.

• Fires a magic projectile that loosely follows its target.
• Defense penetration, projectile speed, blast radius, and damage, increases with INT and skill level.
• Number of projectiles per cast: 9
• MP cost per cast: 275

The resounding blast was loud. When the explosive lights died down, and the thick smoke was starting to clear, I could help but smile. The rush I felt when my crazy plan came into fruition: keeping myself at level 1, not using my powerful eldritch knife to kill other monsters to level up while training my stats and skills, so when I do encounter the boss - who receives a special buff of being twice my level - will be heavily outmatched.

My euphoria distracted me when [Detect Bloodlust] activated again; I didn't react fast enough when a beam of green light pierced my chest.

You have been {Marked} with the curse of the Dark King!

• All damage received is doubled!
• Enemies are more likely to attack you!
• Your movement speed is decreased by 30%!

"What?!"

Then came the laughter; mocking, condescending, as if I were a lesser being not deserving of life. The noise sounded like fish bones being coughed up and it infuriated me when I heard it.

I looked to see that stupid banner and its eye flaring with pride, completely intact, the Antibody held it - not a single scratch on the item or on the creature... as it stood on top of the gargantuan hand protruding out of the pile of blueberry, pale fish meat that seemed to grow and rise like bread dough!

It took the form of a terrible, feral mountain of decay; a semi-sentient mass of offal where I made terrible assumptions in gazing upon its disgusting form while it grew to a monstrous size. Flaps of skin received and tightened, giving the disturbing melted appearance of an upper-body with arms too long, with hands with croaked and ill-proportioned fingers, and the mocking physical mass of what could be considered the 'head' of the beast with eyes emptier than a child's neglected stomach, and were darker than the shadows cast by the sun!

Those metal protrusions impaled at the top wasn't a makeshift throne on a pile of rotted food... it was a damn crown for a mountainous, murderous beast filled with nothing but rage and compassion; an unorthodox relationship with the Antibody - as it didn't seem to mind when the Antibody migrated along its uneven arm to the top of its head before planting the banner deeply into its skull!

Of course, the boss was only double my level... that didn't apply for possible minions it summons or the one currently in its service. I knew there would be times when I would silently curse my higher INT, allowing me to grasp the difficulty and horror of what I've learned and seen.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me!" I watched the absurdity in terror, unconsciously taking a step back as the banner channeled its dark aura into the beast; causing it to grow a massive blade made out of black, jagged crystal. "[Observe]."

===
Voracious Symbiote
Level: 31
Species: Elder Kin
Title(s):Symbiotic Glutton, Unparralled Destruction, The Protective Butcher
===
Description:
A great thing called from Outer Realms by the ambition of a unicorn's dark magic through mere chance when using blood sacrifice; its name and physical appearance is merely a result of its vessel to stay anchored in reality. However, the summoner quickly realized that while its extremely docile - easily loyal to carry out orders - it lacks elegance; using brute force as a universal solution to everything while being dim-witted and slow, with the addition of it requiring a steady and heavy supply of flesh to keep itself sustained. After being abandoned by the summoner to be locked away with the other failures, it formed a relationship with the Antibody to protect it in exchange for food - sometimes allowing parts itself to be eaten - while consuming so much that its intestines burst out, as its legs degraded from lack of use and eventually collapsed under its colossal weight.
===

I immediately fired another [Spiral Magic Bomb], the Voracious Symbiote raised a hand to block the bombardment - but only to protect the Antibody residing on its head as the rest of the projectiles hit its body; they barely pierced its flesh before detonating, splitting chunks of its rotted flesh everywhere.

Holes of rending flesh started leaking out foul vapors that sent me into a coughing fit; the air became stale and dry while sending horrible sensations on my tongue as I gasped for air.

You have been {Poisoned}!

When I was able to breathe, I watched how despite the Voracious Symbiote having no legs, the beast had no problem slowly slinking forward - dragging itself forward with its free hand; leaving a fat trail of odd-colored and foul body fluids in its wake that burned my eyes - and carried rested its weapon on its shoulders. The Voracious Symbiote sniffed the air, smelling the metal near my fee and snarling when it did, and raised its mighty weapon of dark crystal to slice me with murderous intent.

I quickly picked up the silvers I dropped on the ground before leaping out of the way as a mighty impact formed a crater; unleashing a shockwave so powerful it threw my body to tumble onto the floor. [Sense Danger] caused me to roll and scramble to my feet to avoid the Antibody throwing the metal protrusions to impale me as it ripped them out of its companion's head. Laughing and jumping with glee as it did. I wasn't even a challenge in its eyes - I was merely entertainment; its painful-to-hear giggles felt as if they were shouted in my ears! I just wanted to rip that bastard's tongue out, but for now, it was merely an ill-timed dream as I sprinted away from the Voracious Symbiote slamming its weapon where I stood.

That's how the next minute went, but with how intense and how I was nearly killed every second, those 60 seconds felt like hours. To stay alive with no rest, consciously aware that one mistake would send me back to start over again, as the Voracious Symbiot got angrier when I tried to attack his companion with my magic, while my HP slowly trickled down from being poisoned. Even the opportunity to retaliate with magic was rare, as the Antibody would attack after each swing its companion made with its weapon. It was now or never to prove my theory about the silver I carried all the way here from the starting room.

If the creatures here avoided the silver, then how badly would their bodies react when coming into contact with it... and what would happen if they were to ingest it?

"This better work...!" I leaped onto the floor as the massive crystal weapon sailed over my head in an attempt to bisect me. I immediately sprung to my feet, pulling my arm back to throw, a lump of silver staining my hand due to terror-induced sweat washing off the grime, and hoped I wouldn't mess up as I threw it at the Voracious Symbiote's sagged mouth.

Its freehand predictably came up to block it - [Observe] didn't lie when it described it to be stupid, as it stopped attacking me when defending itself or the Antibody - and wrapped its disgustingly massive hand to catch the metal.

It howled with agony a moment later, opening its hand to reveal the metal painfully sinking into its hand, slowly eating its flesh to melt and boil like hot water - going as far to drop its massive weapon, causing the floor to shake, to dig the metal out with its other hand. Which made the situation worse as its fingers had terrible blisters from the failed attempt.

Due to a specific action, you have gained the skill [Throwing Proficiency]!

I threw the other chunk of silver into its screaming maw.

Its empty eyes widened in pain and started to bleed a black, mucus-like puss out of its sockets. The Voracious Symbiote clawed at its own body, digging into its already-exposed intestines, ripping itself apart. Sending chunks of itself everywhere with reckless abandon, as the impact of its flesh on the ground was enough to cause tremors. I had to run to avoid being crushed, and the ever-growing pool of muck pooling under its mass spreading across the floor.

Then I saw the Antibody, snarling at me from on top of its dying companion. Yet those smug, fish eyes were smug and cruel as it ripped the banner out of the Voracious Symbiote's head and aimed it at me.

I ripped the Knife of the Hunter from its bindings on my arm; I worked too hard to get this far, and victory was close. I wasn't going to let it all be for nothing because of an arrogant fish-thing! "I'm not going to die here!"

I threw my knife at the Antibody.

[Throwing Proficiency] has leveled up!

It was so damn satisfying when it pierced the monster's chest, the attack healing me for 5% of the damage inflicted. I didn't have to worry as its thrashing companion underneath caused unstable footing, and my attack made it lose its balance before falling off.

Landing in front of me.

When it tried to get up, I tackled it to the ground before ripping my weapon out its chest. I could tell those smug, warped eyes were now full of fear. Its shrieks of sadistic amusement were now replaced with pleading. Moving its limbs to not attack, but to escape its fate.

"Not so confident now, are you?!" I ignored its scream, the dying wails of its protector, and the gore I made when I repeatedly stabbed its body over and over again. All my frustration moved my weapon to brutalize the creature; my rage was fueled with my contempt for my pathetic life and I took it out on the only thing within stabbing distance.

Being told I'm loved and then forgotten. Being thrown into corpse pit with hundreds before me. How I was pushed over the moral edge because of desperation and hunger. Crossing a threshold of knowledge where ignorance no longer provides me bliss!

All because of the griffons.

All because of Celestia!

I tossed my knife away before ripping the bleeding creature apart with my bare hands, tearing off whatever I could grasp, giving in to the primal depravity of feral destruction. I had the urge to strangle everything young and defenseless. To cut everything that moved and breathe. I wanted to rip the organs out of anything that has a pulse, and strangle them with it!

If life were a mere child, I would gouge out her eyes, shove them down her throat, before stomping her to death! Petty retribution in the form of primal carnage-!

[Gamer's Mind] has been activated!

Then I felt empty.

A forest fire instantly extinguished.

A train engine with no fuel.

Murderous intent replaced with calming restraint.

I was frozen and relaxed. I felt my fist gripping freshly-torn flesh and felt my other prepared to do the same to the pathetic corpse under me. The motivation was gone, and I didn't resist when I collapsed onto my side, my helmet protecting my head from the impact as I landed with a thud.

I laid there with blinded eyes, eventually rolling onto my back, feeling the gore under me as I lay still as a rock in this silent room: everything in here was dead but me. I took my helmet off, tossing it aside and hearing it make a splash before wiping away the gore out of my eyes to finally let me see. My {Poisoned} status long gone, as with everything in this room, and I saw the notifications to greet me.

You have slain the boss of the Punishment Zone! Loot and XP will be rewarded! The exit is now open!

You have slain the Voracious Symbiote! Additional loot and XP will be rewarded!

XP has been rewarded! You are now level 10! You have 50 stat points to allocate at will!

[Sense Danger] has leveled up! This skill has reached the max level and will now evolve into [Premonition]!

Premonition Level: 1
Star Swirl the Bearded had hypothesized that if muscle memory can be a physical condition to a response, then could the same application be used for magic? By exposing himself to all types of dangers – physical, magical, chemical, and inorganic – Star Swirl was able to record and distinguish the immediate sources of harm through the use of magic; being able to notice it ahead of time before they struck. This, however, created an unintended effect that would start his ambition for creating time-manipulation spells.

• If the user has been exposed to the source of danger before, and has been exposed to it enough times to distinguish it from other hostile sources, then this skill will alter their senses to make things relatively slower and allowing to react to the incoming danger.
• Reaction time, speed, and effectiveness are increased with skill level, DEX, and WIS.

The temptations came back again: to power-level my skills and evolve them too. To earn unique loot that each creature as I turned them into XP. Forever having a challenge and a powerful foe to defeat each time, having a steady growth in power!

...Yet I was so tired of it all. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life fighting off abominations. I didn't want the only other living things besides me are the ones who want to rip me apart and eat me. I wanted to breathe the fresh air. I wanted to feel something other than hard metal or bones, flesh, or any body-related material.

"I just want to get out of here..." I dismissed the screens and got back to my feet. The body fluids of the beast pooling onto the floor have hardened into a thick paste. I went to pick up my helmet, covered in gore and the stench of death, before placing it on my head. It would always soothe me when I did.

I went to pick up my knife, only to find it changed.

Cleaver of the Butcher [Mythical]
Made out of black bones and flesh-colored metal, its increased blade size - while having a supernatural edge - is embedded with even more teeth from incomprehensible flesh-eaters from this world, written in a language that drove most insane when trying to translate it, and caused a frightening revelation to happen when they succeeded in doing so. The comfortable grip is made out of spine segments adorned with fish scales belonging to no ordinary aquatic creature.

This blade has evolved after feasting upon a minor entity that is not from this world; a delicacy unmatched when feasting upon mortal flesh in this reality, gaining additional powers and boons to help the wielder pay back an investment of cosmic proportions.

ABILITIES:

• Causes the status effect, {Hemorrhaging}, on hit.
• Causes the status effect, {Poisoned}, on hit.
• Heals the wielder for 10% of the damage inflicted.
• This weapon is indestructible and cannot be destroyed by normal means.
• Can evolve into more terrifying forms when it has been used to kill enough times.
• This weapon is bound to the wielder and cannot be separated; this bond grows stronger the more this weapon feeds.

It certainly got stronger, and the weight didn't seem to change even when I held the cleaver in one hand. Yet the fact it grew after a single kill had me realize the exchange rate of sentient life. For a single entity called upon through blood rituals and sacrifices was worth much more than mortal naturally born; this thing has a preference for its meals.

As for the loot from the monsters? The banner of the Antibody no longer worked when I tried to pick it up. Even [Observe] confirmed that it was now useless without the proper magic. The Voracious Symbiote's massive greatsword that was too big and heavy to move. I could harvest it with my cleaver, but why? I had no use for it, and there was no way for me to even carry it! I don't have any more cloth, and I cut off the rest of my hair too.

Even the medium pile of gold and jewels that also appeared near the corpses were worthless here. I had no reason to take them with me, and if money does drop from killing enemies, then I can easily make more.

I could have used the flesh from the corpses to make something - possibly a bag with muscle fibers as a binding, and sharpening bones to be used as crude needles for sewing - I certainly could have tried. But the only corpse that was somewhat intact was the Voracious Symbiote, the Antibody nothing but a splattered mess, yet when I touched the decaying, mountainous flesh I was {Poisoned} again! Even with [Poison Resistance] mitigating the damage, I didn't want the debuff to be constantly reapplied.

Then there were the books. Two of them. One from each abomination. If money could appear, then why not other things too? After witnessing and learning so much, I've stopped being surprised at such a sight. I picked them up.

Do you wish to learn [Curse Creation]?
[YES/NO]

Do you wish to learn [Obliterate Target]?
[YES/NO]

I was hesitant. Knowledge is powerful, but there are just some things too unsettling to memorize. Would I gain another detrimental perk? Would something worse happen? Sometimes its good to be paranoid. I opened the books, flipping through their pages; they were akin to research notes than terrible truths from beyond the threshold of reality.

I hit 'YES' for both of them.

I dropped them when they started glowing a bright gold color. I backed away as they started to disintegrate while the ashes flooded toward me; dissolving into smaller specks and moving at a speed that couldn't be perceived by normal eyesight.

The knowledge flooded in my mind as if I spent weeks immersed in a comfortable study session fueled by educational passion. It felt good, and - more importantly - harmless. Would all books work the same?

I checked the new skills.

Obliterate Target Level: 1
A simple skill created by a complicated, primal force trapped in a decaying mountain of flesh. For when brute force is applied over and over again, mastering the art happens at a quickening pace. But recreating the movements is foolish, as no mortal could ever have several metric tons of raw muscle to do so; magic would be the pathetic substitute.

• Increases accuracy against a single target by 40%.
• Increases the next physical attack by 50%.
• Chance to land a critical strike is increased by 10%.
• Damage increases with STR and INT.
• Cost: 1000 MP.

Curse Creation Level: 1
A powerful magic formula discovered by a unicorn who once perceived his dark fate when looking into a magical artifact made out of crystal. After years of researching for answers to the madness he saw, his ambitions went down a dark path and discovered to create the most frightening curses that could even warp space and time.

• Create curses with the use of dark magic.
• Effects are limitless as they only need the intent and cruel imagination of the user.
• MP cost is determined by curse effects and potency.
• Powerful curses can only be made at a higher skill level.

I dismissed the screens. "I can think about it later when I leave..." They are powerful skills, but my priorities now lie elsewhere. But nothing could stop the dark possibilities my imagination pondered for [Curse Creation], and the corners of my mouth tugged into a small grin before I forced myself to focus. This is not the time, nor the place; what issues I have, I'll deal with them later.

But I had to make sure that nothing will tempt me to stay here any longer than I wanted to. "Finish Quest: Embracing Gluttony."

All the requirements of this quest have not been completed! Do you wish to prematurely finish this optional quest?

"Yes." I wanted my freedom, and I let my voracious vice become an excuse to get stronger, but I don't want it to be something holding me back.

Quest completed!

QUEST: Embracing Gluttony
You have indulged in the sin of gluttony, consuming an unnecessary excess, but now it is time to push it to the limits; may they be knowledge, stats, or skills! Exploit your temporary immortality in the Punishment Zone before confronting the boss! This quest is optional, and so the rewards you will receive are based on what you've accomplished!
-Level up a skill high enough to naturally evolve. (COMPLETED)
-Increase all stats to a minimum of 20 without using stat points. (COMPLETED)
-Level 5 skills above level 30. (COMPLETED)
-Read a minimum of 10 monoliths. (COMPLETED)
-Learn at least 10 rituals. (COMPLETED)
-Die at least 50 times. (COMPLETED)
-Die at least 100 times. (COMPLETED)
-Die at least 200 times. (COMPLETED)
-Die at least 400 times. (FAILED)
-Evolve 10 skills. (FAILED)
-Increase all stats to be a minimum of 50. (FAILED)
-Read 30 monoliths (FAILED)
-Gain 2 perk related to each stat. (FAILED)

REWARDS:
-Skill: Solar Matrix.
-Perk: Magic Vampirism.
-Item: Chalice of the Cosmos.
-Item: Human knowledge fragment(x4).

Do you wish to receive the rewards now?
[YES/NO]

I hit 'NO'. I could always accept it later after I've escaped... I just had to find the exit now. I went back the way I came, prepared to confront the beasts and traps as I no longer had any silver with me to keep them at bay.

I opened the door and stepped outside.

Only to be bombarded with the sight of sunlight and the smell of flowers.

After my eyes adjusted, getting over the shock of breathing something pleasant after so long, I turned around to find nothing. No door. Just me standing alone in a flower patch in a dense forest.

"That was the exit...?" I didn't want to believe it: it looked too good to be true. I thought this is how I finally break, how dark knowledge tainted my senses to make me hallucinate once more. Providing me hope so the crushing despair would be tenfold! This is absurd! This had to be fake - it has to be! Nothing good ever happened in my life, and for good fortune to appear out of nowhere had justified my skepticism.

I even asked about the exit! The response I got was that it wouldn't be in the same place as the boss...!

[Gamer's Mind has been activated]!

I thought things more rationally. I had asked if the exit would appear after I defeated the boss, and I was told that it wouldn't be there. It would be somewhere else, just not in the same spot where the creature resided. It said nothing about the door to its residence.

I used [Observe] on the grass and saw that's what it is: grass.

Soft... gentle... grass.

"Maybe I am outside..." Then there was a pregnant pause, and I felt the world go silent with me. Eyes widening in realization a smile breaking out under my helmet! "I'm free... I'm finally free!" Nothing could stop me from my cries of joy, and I sobbed like an idiot, arms raised into the air as jumped in celebration while the sun shined down from above.

[Premonition] activated in time for me to turn around so see that I am surrounded; crossbows and swords wielded by stealthy, ruthless brigands wearing ghoulish attire with occult origins.

One of them didn't hesitate to shoot me in between the eyes.

Author's Note

I once got into a discussion with a friend of mine if you could stop and resume time at will. What would you do now that you have all the time the world? Theoretically, you could learn everything, and still, have enough time to goof off. Even in the Gamer webcomics, the MC does power-level his skills by repeating them over and over with the aid of his earth elemental while walking in a time-dilated dungeon.

Originally, I was going to make the Small/Medium Magic Capacity perks into skills like the webcomic, but considering they passively level up, and I would have to keep track of and how they would affect the stats, and it just seemed too much.

As for the silver thing, I've learned that the only reason character's in Lovecraft's stories get a fighting chance is because there are rituals, materials, and symbols that can be used against the cosmic horrors in the story, or they barely escape with their lives and are traumatized with things that cannot be explained. The problem is that mortals are not aware of this knowledge, and have to go through disturbing things to learn about them.