B2A1 - The World of Myths

Chapter 35 : Batibat, Mambabarang, Mangkukulam

Chapter 35 : Batibat, Mambabarang, Mangkukulam

            Batibat - It takes the form of an old, fat woman residing in trees, and is very vengeful. Most punishments they endure includes suffocation. They punish people who cut the tree to where they dwell. Whoever rests or sleeps on the wooden bench or bed which came from the wood of her tree, will die by sitting over that person.

            The only way to escape her is to press hardly the thumb toe of that human sleeping on it.

            Mambabarang - Mambabarangs are ordinary human beings with skills in black magic. You will know if you are ‘nabarang’ (cursed by Mambabarang) if you see a white centipede in your house. Albularyos are called to reverse their curse. 

            The Mambabarang uses insects and spirits, and occasionally other material to enter the body of anyone they curse. They result of the curse manifests disgustingly. Although often compared to Mangkukulams, they are different because their curse does not only inflict pain or illness.

            Mambabarangs use a strand of hair from their chosen victim and tie it to the bugs or worms which they will use as a medium – the victim immediately experiences the intended effect and displays grotesque symptoms.

            Mangkukulam - They are witches that cast evil spells to cause harm to human and plagues. They use a doll (Vooddoo Doll) with a hair strand on it then cast spells to for a curse. Mangkukulam or bruha are witches, wizards, bruho, or sorcerers who cast evil spells to humans. This kind of witch uses dark magic.

            The difference between a mambabarang and a mangkukulam is that the mambabarang uses magical insects to bring harm to his victims. These insects are released after incantations, when they will search for their supposed victim and burrow under the skin, impregnating her.

            After some time, matruculans return to the house to kill the pregnant mother, open her abdomen, and eat the growing fetus.

-Darxi-

            The villagers started thanking us after we defeated all the monsters and freed them at last. They all came towards our direction as we sat down for a moment to take a rest as they smiled at us. After saying their words, they quickly left to get to their huts since it’s already late at night.

            I suddenly heard something that seems to be a notification. I checked to see what that was…

            *You received 21200 EXPs*

            *You leveled up to Level 26*

            *You leveled up to Level 27*

            *You leveled up to Level 28*

            *You learned the skill: Command Inducement*

            This is amazing… command inducement, I can just make everyone do whatever I wanted them to do. Command inducement is the ability to command other beings by giving them orders to do their bidding no matter what the victim thinks or feels.

            *You learned the skill: Motor-skill Manipulations*

            Almost the same with the other one, but this one is just making them do it, not controlling their whole consciousness. The user takes control over motor functions of others against their will as if they were a marionette, subjects are still conscious, but can’t resist the user's puppet control.

            *You received an item, Jade necklace*

            *You received x5000 golds*

            *You received x5000 silvers*

            *You received x5000 coppers*

            *You received x3000 crystals*

-Elliot-

            “Thank you so much for your help” the villagers walked towards us as the monsters disappeared. They are the only ones who remained since almost half of them turned into monsters. It must have been so frightening living in a community where half of the people living in it will devour you unknowingly.

            “Though half of the village is wiped out, but at least we’re safe” another man agreed with the first one who spoke. They smiled at us showing how thankful they were that we freed them from fear that they felt the whole time.

            “We will not forget what happened here and what you did to save us” someone added. The villagers started walking back to their houses after that short conversation since it’s already late at night. As we followed their gazes, we saw Nunong Banoy in a corner signaling us to come with him.

            *You received 20156 EXPs*

            *You leveled up to Level 26*

            *You leveled up to Level 27*

            *You received an item, Eyeglasses II*

            I received Eyeglasses at level twenty-five last time. It has too many features, like night vision and so on… I wonder what’s with this second version and how does this works.

            *You leveled up to Level 28*

            *You learned the skill: Panmnesia*

            Panmnesia? Isn’t this a great skill? Ahahahaha The power to remember absolutely everything one thinks, feels, encounters, and experiences. The user can remember and recall everything that they have ever experienced, encountered or learned in their lifetime.

            The user needs only to read, hear or see something once and they will never forget it. They continue to learn for the rest of their lives and their brain will simply compress neural synapses to contain it all, allowing memory of every event, experience or bit of knowledge from birth to the present.

            *You learned the skill: Immutability*

            And immutability is the ability to be absolutely immune from any alteration or change by outside force. The user has absolute protection from any alteration or change, regardless of the source or cause, other than their own and retain the state they currently are.

            *You received x5000 golds*

            *You received x5000 silvers*

            *You received x5000 coppers*

            *You received x3000 crystals*

            We all stood up and fixed ourselves then walked towards where Nunong Banoy is standing. Wait a minute, his daughter has become one of those busaws, does that make him on too? Oh my gosh, he’s gonna kill us as we got there! I looked at everyone as we all walked silently.

            “Guys, isn’t his daughter one of those monsters, aren’t you worried that he is too?” I said silently talking to them in case Nunong Banoy would hear us.

            “If he is, then we can defeat him though, he’s all alone and there are nine of us” Avery answered not stopping from going to where Nunong Banoy is, as well as everyone, and that includes me.

            “And even if he does, it’s part of the story line and we all have to do it” Lucy said agreeing with Avery

            “What is it Nunong Banoy?” Darxi quickly asked as we approached him

            “It’s already late, stay in my hut once more and we’ll discuss something tomorrow morning” he said as he gestured his hands and looked at us. He then walked towards the path back to the nipa huts. We all followed him back to his nipa hut. Well, I guess he’s not killing us at all.

            As we got to the nipa hut, we all sat down on the chair where we also sat down this morning. I checked my watch to see what time it is, and it showed me ten in the evening. We all laid down to sleep then Nunong Banoy turned the lights off making the whole place dark.

            So much had happened the whole day…

            I closed my eyes trying to sleep to gain my strength and my health back. So this is an alternative way of healing aside from healing potion. I can feel myself getting better as well my body getting strong. I almost drained fighting all of those monsters, they were quite strong and there were too many of them.

            Good thing we managed to defeat them all and to keep the remaining villager who didn’t turn into one of the busaws. I really didn’t expect that kind of twist. Not even the village head or Nunong Banoy’s daughter. I mean, she helped us all along, since that part where Raizen’s foot had swollen.

            Not even the village head since he’s the one who asked our help to kill all the monsters that bothers their village. Then it turned out that he’s also one of them just disguised as a person who happened to be the one above all the villagers. This village is so scary to live in.

            But it’s good thing that we already solved their problems though. And the village is finally free. Nothing’s to worry about, except that thing that Nunong Banoy will be telling us tomorrow morning. I just wonder what it is again, is there something in this village that we have to deal with again?

            After a long time of lying down, the sun quickly rose above the skies implying that it’s already morning. Everything went clear in my eyes already as the light coming from the sun came crawling giving clarity upon everything it passes through. I didn’t totally fall asleep, yet I felt I just regained everything I lost from battling a hoard of monsters last night.

            I saw the others standing up as well, though I know, just like me, they haven’t fall asleep.

            “Good morning…” we greeted each other as we sat down waiting for Nunong Banoy to came out from his nipa hut to talk with us. This is the first morning where we all had a rest, unlike last time where there always some things that occur, keeping us awake even at night.

            “Now that you’re awake…” we heard someone speaking calling all our attentions, it’s Nunong Banoy walking towards us from the door “I have something to ask you…”

            “What is it Nuno?” Darxi asked looking at the old man approaching us. I knew there will be something that he’ll ask us ahahahaha but I don’t care as long as it will help us to progress along the story line.

            “My other daughter just moved to the next village a long time… I wanted to give her a gift. The problem is that, I’m too old to go find something for her and get to their house” he said sitting himself down on a chair just near him. Let me guess, he’d ask us to go get something for her daughter

            “So what do you want to ask us to do Nuno?” Vic asked him directly so that he’d say whatever it is

            “I need you to cut down a tree from the forest and make it into a long chair that you will give to her… please? Do it for the old man…” he said explaining to us what we have to do then begged us to do it for him

            “Ok… Nuno, we’ll do it for you” Lucy said accepting Nunong Banoy’s quest

            “Thank you so much… once you’ve chosen a log, bring it here and show it to me” he added as he smiled at us. I think that’s the end of the conversation so we stood up to go to the forest to get a log that we will be using to make a long chair that Nunong Banoy is asking