My now insane agility sent me rocketing through the ruins. My increased intelligence and wisdom helped my perception in choosing the best paths and my reaction time was just wild. I shot past a solo roaming chimpcrete rapscallion and I turned around to try something. The chimp threw a chunk of concrete at me as I neared it. I didn’t even feel it when the concrete struck my head, concrete dust clouding around me. The chimp jumped excitedly until it noticed I was just standing there blinking at it, then it screamed and fled. I leapt once, appearing in front of the chimp, which scrambled as it tried to flee. I grabbed it by the neck and squeezed. A small pop and the chimp was dead. I could feel that it was weaker than me and I didn’t bother eating it.

  As I drew nearer to the bubble, I noticed it was periodically flashing near the bottom. Curious, I made a final leap before activating my Guerrilla Cloak and slowing down. Sensing several creatures at least a little stronger than myself, I wanted to get a view before making any decisions. Eventually, I could see the bottom of the bubble, and hear the exasperated voices.

  “This damned bubble won’t pop,” a large man with the head of a hippo said, slamming his axe against the bubble with a flash.

  Rivermaw, Level 15. The Rivermaw are hippopotamus humanoids most commonly found on swamp type planets, often becoming the apex species because of their water-based abilities and increased Strength and Endurance.

  “And those ASSHOLES inside won’t let us in!” a short person with the face of a rat chimed in.

  Ratkin, Level 16. Ratkin are expert thieves capable of sneaking into any space they can squeeze their head through, employed by the unscrupulous to use their high Agility to their gain.

  “Do you think Donna and the others beat that bull?” a woman with snake hair said.

  Gorgon, Level 14. The most famous one from Earth myth being Medusa, the Gorgons are an entirely female race that can breed with almost any other race, taking only the best parts for their offspring. Gorgons have an ability to turn creatures to stone for a time based on their Wisdom stat.

  “I hope so, they needed to catch up on levels,” the Rivermaw said.

  A group of five other humanoids as varied as the three before me appeared around the corner of a building within the bubble, laughing amongst themselves. They walked over to those outside and tapped the bubble, pointing away from the bubble and getting mad. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were definitely swearing at those trying to get in. Reading lips became surprisingly easy with a good Perception.

  “Let us in, you fucks!” the Ratkin screamed.

  “They can’t hear you, Tucker,” the Gorgon said, trying to calm him down with a hand on his shoulder. He spun away from her and punched the bubble.

  “I know that, Cari!”

  “Then why are you yelling?”

  “Because it makes us feel better!” the Rivermaw said, delivering another series of strikes worthlessly on the bubble.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Liking the spunk of these three, I decided to step out and make myself known. “Hello, I think you may need some help getting in.”

  I surprised them. Several things happened at the same time. A dagger flew at me from Tucker, Cari’s mouth dropped open and I felt a strange energy enter my body starting at my eyes, and the hippo man stepped between me and the others, his axe glowing brightly with lightning along the blade.

  The dagger movement seemed too slow, and I easily caught the blade with my lower right hand. The energy from Cari, which felt like it was trying to turn me to stone, was simple enough for me to direct into my core, easily devouring it.

  “This is a pretty nice dagger, Tucker,” I said, flipping it over to catch it by the blade before tossing it back to Tucker. “If you throw it at me again, I’ll eat it.”

  A look of confused fear landed on Cari’s face as she stuttered, “H-How are you not-?”

  “-Petrified?” I saw no reasons to avoid telling the truth. “I have a skill that lets me eat anything, which apparently includes magic that tries to change me internally.”

  That seemed to strike them all dumb, so I figured I would demonstrate. I picked up a fist sized rock and took a bite like it was an apple. I smiled widely as three jaws dropped. I noticed there was some confusion from the five on the other side of the bubble.

  “Omnis Vorare?” Tucker asked as he identified me.

  “I didn’t actually mean to pick this one, but it’s proven to be pretty awesome. It means ‘All-Devourer.’ I’m sorry I overheard your conversation, but I only picked up on two of your names. That is, Cari and Tucker. I’m Dan.”

  “Gregory,” the Rivermaw said, not loosening his grip on his axe.

  “Thank you,” I said. “May I approach the bubble? Is this from one of those Control Sphere things?”

  Gregory nodded, “We’ve tried to get into several bubbles, but no one seems willing to allow us in. We do not know why?”

  I moved to the bubble, but turned to face them again. “Oh, real quick. Was Donna an elf, orc, or halfling without furry feet?”

  They froze. Cari spoke first. “She’s an elf. Did you find them?”

  “I found the bull. I’m sorry, but they didn’t make it. Did you want to bury them?”

  “We don’t know where their bodies are to do so,” Tucker said as tears streamed down Cari’s face.

  “I have them in my amulet. If it’s any consolation I did kill and eat the bull. I don’t want to scare you, so is it okay if I take them out?”

  “You have a storage amulet?” Gregory asked.

  “I got it from the tutorial guide during selections. They called it an Amulet of Holding,” I pulled the three bodies out of my amulet and set them gently on the ground.

  “Did someone loot their bodies before you got there?” Cari asked, noticing the missing magic items.

  “No, that was me. I don’t get stats from leveling up, but from eating enemies higher level than me and from consuming magic items.”

  “You ate their magic items?!” Tucker looked angry again.

  “I did. I also chose not to eat their bodies, just in case I ran into anyone who knew them.”

  “That’s fucked up, man,” Gregory whispered as he stared at the corpses. Tucker, in his building anger, decided it would be a good idea to throw that dagger at me again.

  I caught it, again, and tossed it in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Hmm, not too bad, tastes kind of like one of those green popsicles.”

  You have devoured Frostbite Dagger, Inferior. All stats increased by 5. Consuming magic items does not grant experience.

  “You ate my knife!” Tucker’s voice was an octave higher.

  “I told you I would if you threw it at me again,” I said simply. “I appreciate the stat boost. Thank you!”

  “You owe Tucker a new knife,” Gregory said as his eyes narrowed.

  “I owe Tucker nothing. He tried to kill me not once, but twice,” I said, widening my smile to show the shifting rows of teeth.

  “Alright, alright, enough dick measuring, damnit!” Cari shouted at us.

  “That’s fair,” I said, turning back to the bubble. I had nothing to prove to them, after all, and I did want to see what the control spheres were all about.

  More specifically, what they tasted like.