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

I opened my eyes, but I was a cat. It took me a moment to remember what was going on, but then I remembered jumping into the looking glass. I was back in her world again, but something was wrong.

I couldn't transform back into my normal body because I was completely out of Astral Energy. I seemed to be able to pull some to me, but the stream was incredibly weak. This was not good, but not the end of the world. Tallia was still a little girl, and it would take me quite a few years to gain what I needed.

I looked around, and I was in the forest that was not far from the village. I had hunted in this place most of my life, but the things in here were not your normal beasts. Riftwalker Spawn and Brood drifted up from a blood witch den that was over a hundred miles away.

That was the purpose of my coming to this world, but now I would have to defend these people until I could get stronger. I had not planned on being stuck in a cat form.

Suddenly, there was movement up ahead. It had darted out of sight, but there was no mistaking the tentacles. A Riftwalker Brood. One had attacked me the first time I had come here, but I was a Cat God.

Now I was just a cat.

This was going to be annoying.

I darted forward, heading directly to where the movement had been. The creature had ducked behind a bush, but when I came around the corner, I was forced to jump and dodge a tentacle from the Brood.

Then I saw what it was doing and cursed. The blob of eyes and tentacles was puking out Spawn, small humanoids with long claws, no eyes, just a smooth face with a massive mouth of teeth.

I grew my claws two inches long and then became as hard as diamonds. The Spawn were little shits, but there were only four now. If I could kill the Brood fast, then this would be easy.

I dove straight at the Brood, but one of the Spawn hopped up and tried to bite me, but I cut its head and an arm of its body in a single stroke. Then I was smoked by a tentacle into a tree but flipped, landed, and then darted back.

The Brood was huge, easily the size of a small car, and it had dozens of eyes and tentacles. It was also oozing a black ichor that was burning the ground where it pooled.

I needed to be careful.

I launched myself at the Brood again, but this time, I stayed in the air, dodging tentacles and biting at eyes. I landed on its back and then began to claw my way towards its head.

The Brood was thrashing now, and its ichor was spraying everywhere, but I finally made it to its head. I dug my claws in and then ripped its head clean off its body.

The Brood died, and the Spawn were easy to pick off after that. I was exhausted, but I had won. I would have to be more careful in the future. I was not invulnerable in this form.

That was not fun in this form, and now I was covered in black ooze. I shook myself hard, and the black ichor flew off, leaving me white and fluffy.

"What is this, I see? What is an Astral God doing back here? Do the Guides know that you are here, Ophiuchus?"

The voice made me freeze as ice filled my veins. I slowly turned around and took a step back.

There were very few that could make me do that, even in this form. My father's equal and the Queen of Chaos and Negativity was one of them.

"What does the Goddess of darkness want with this world?!" I demanded.

"Me? Nothing, or I didn't, but you never go anywhere that you aren't sent, and I know you weren't sent here. What is it that intrigues you about this world, Odd Child? This is not like you to step out of line," Nemoria said, crossing her arms in a dress that covered her like pure shadows, and a red blaze burned in each of the eyes that bore into me.

​ This wasn't right, and she shouldn't be able to come here like this... but neither was I.

"What is it that you want?! I am not going to tell you anything! My reasons are my own and none of your concern!" I snapped, and my hair started to stand up, but I wasn't sure if I could do anything.

Even if I had my powers, this was my mother I was facing. One of the most powerful beings to ever exist, but I was not going to let her steal this from me.

That was all the woman knew how to do. Take. Consume. Devour. And this creature was the one that birthed me.

"Do you really think that you can hide her from me, boy? If I want to take her from you, I will! I was trying to have a conversation with you, but you are the same as ever. One day you will learn about the darkness that lies inside of you. You will hate it, but you will need it. This life was never meant for you, and you are breaking the Laws set by the Guides for your own greed. I know of the deal, and that is why I am here now. No one runs from fate, boy! It will always catch you!" Nemoria hissed, the darkness flaring around her, consuming the life of everything that it touched.

"You think that I will let that stop me? I always stop you! THAT IS MY DUTY! I have always done it, but the one time I ask for something, more tests. My entire life has been one test after another, but I have no clue what the test is!" I snapped.

"That is because, in all these lives, you still don't understand it, you stupid child! You must learn this lesson on your own, but don't worry. As your mother, it is my lesson to teach you important lessons," Nemoria said, pulling her darkness back in, but the forest was desecrated in this area now.