500th Time Reborn, A World Only Known By Women: The Karma System

With a sigh of relief, I dropped my makeshift shield and looked over to see Lexi standing tall and victorious. Her victory was short-lived, however, as the monster suddenly rose again and let out an eerie and menacing laugh. It had somehow managed to survive the attack and prepared to continue its assault.

The Labyrinth Hellion let out a blood-curdling screech before charging toward Lexi once more. Both combatants seemed determined not just to defeat their opponents but to annihilate them. Rocks flew from the force of their blows, and the air sizzled with electric energy as it filled the chamber.

Lexi tried her best to keep up with the monster's ferocity but was eventually overpowered as she was sent flying across the room. The Hellion roared in triumph, its giant form towering above Lexi. However, instead of delivering the final blow, the creature suddenly stopped, and an eerie silence filled the chamber.

I watched in amazement as the Labyrinth Hellion slowly shrank down into a small wurm girl, her red eyes glazed over in an odd trance. She shook her head, clearly confused by her sudden transformation, before collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion.

Lexi quickly recovered, looking upon the creature with both confusion and pity. "What happened? What did you do?" she asked me as I stepped forward with my hands still shaking from our fight.

"I don't know," I replied, still unable to comprehend what had occurred. It was then that I noticed something strange about the Hellion's eyes; they weren't red anymore, but rather a deep blue.

Suddenly, the wurm girl began to speak. Her voice was soft yet powerful. "My name is Martha," she said. "And this is my story."

"Huh?" I asked, but she ignored me and started to explain herself to Lexi, who was now interested!

Martha had been a small, curious, and playful wurm for most of her life. Her parents and siblings were part of the underworld wurms who roamed the underground labyrinths searching for food and shelter. Martha was different from them, though; she was always drawn to light and beauty and dreamed of exploring the world above.

When Martha was young, she often found herself drawn to the entrance of an ancient ruined temple deep within one of the labyrinth's tunnels. The temple seemed to call out to her as if trying to tell her something. One day, she finally decided to go inside, determined to find out what secrets the temple held.

Inside the temple, Martha discovered a massive painting on the wall depicting a giant woman surrounded by swirling flames. Upon closer inspection, she realized that this wasn't actually a painting – it was a door inscribed with powerful magical symbols.

With a wave of her hand, the door opened to reveal a vast chamber filled with treasure and magical artifacts. But more importantly, at the center of the room was a massive gemstone that glowed with a strange and beautiful power. Taking the gemstone in her hands, she suddenly felt a rush of energy and knew that this was the cause of the calling she had felt before.

The gemstone transformed her into a towering creature made of flame and stone, a Labyrinth Hellion. With newfound strength and power, Martha ventured forth into the world beyond the labyrinth, only to discover that some monsters weren't meant to be loved. Everywhere she went, people ran away in fear or attacked her in anger due to her monstrous form. Everyone she encountered considered her nothing but a monstrosity, and Martha quickly grew lonely.

Eventually, she returned to the labyrinth seeking solace. But the creatures there feared her just as much as the humans did, and she became increasingly reclusive and isolated. Without anyone to turn to, Martha's loneliness only grew deeper until all that remained was her burning rage and hatred toward everything around her.

Then she met the Cat God.

"Hold on!" I said, butting in. "What about the other wurm thinger guy?"

"Just listen to her story!" Lexi scolded, and I looked at her in horror.

"You were just trying to kill her!" I exclaimed as Lexi went over and started to pat Martha's head.

"This was just a slight misunderstanding that we are never going to know about if you don't let her finish her story!" Lexi scolded, and I rolled my eyes but motioned for her to continue as I looked at the mess of the Bull Demons cave after this "Misunderstanding."

Eight hundred years ago, Martha had finally found someone who didn't think of her as a monster. I was kind and understanding, seeing past her monstrous form and treating her with compassion and respect.

During their time together, I showed Martha the beauty of the Underworld, guiding her through its lush forests and caves. At night, we would curl up in front of cozy fires, telling stories and singing songs. Martha slowly began to let go of her hatred and despair, finding joy in the simple pleasures of life.

Eventually, my time came to an end, and although life was short, we filled it with love and laughter that was supposed to have kept Martha going long after I was gone.

That wasn't the case, and for the past 800 years since my disappearance, Martha had grown increasingly bitter and angry. Without her beloved companion to keep her company, she grew more and more isolated from the world around her, feeling nothing but hate and despair in her heart.

She took out her frustrations on those who crossed her path, consuming the essence of any living creature that got too close. As time passed, her rage only intensified until it consumed her entire being. The males she would take for a mate were never like me, so she ate them... and the reason she was killing the Bull Demons was that her meal had been stolen.

So when Martha spotted me with another woman after all these centuries, a fit of deep-seated jealousy rose up inside her. The sight of me standing so close to someone else filled her with rage, and all she could think about was revenge. She wanted to tear them apart and devour their souls and reclaim what she believed belonged to her - me.

"Well, that was a fun story, but it is far from my fault for you becoming such a man-eating carb," I said, shaking my head.

Martha Puffed out her cheeks, and Lexi scowled at me. "Is that really how you are going to treat your long-lost lover?"