《The Heaven Breaker Chronicles》 Chapter One: Grog and the Oak - Part 1 In this modern era, science and psychology have shed light on the inner workings of a child¡¯s psyche and the long, dark history of poor parenting that has lent to generations of self-perpetuating abuse. Among the myriad of crimes committed against a child, there is one that stands out among the others. One deed, among the very first that could be exacted against a person, stands apart from the following lifetime of shame and turmoil. Many in their life would suffer far greater tribulations, torments, and abuse, but few would be made to suffer so early on in their lives as those given, against their will, a trendy hipster name. Oukleigh Leif Eierkuchen had resented his name since the very day he was taught how to spell it. He had decided early on to just go by Oak, for simplicity''s sake. The name Oak was normal enough and easy to remember, it allowed him to fly under the radar most of the time. Truthfully, a name that sounds out to be ¡°Oakley¡± wasn¡¯t all that terrible anyway; in fact, Oak could think of at least a hundred other names that were far worse. This wasn¡¯t what bothered him. It was the fact that His parents had to spell it so damn weird, mixed with the fact that he was named after his father¡¯s favorite brand of sunglasses. It was the way it felt so¡­ unfeeling, like they didn¡¯t care to put any more effort into his name than its unusual spelling. After deciding to name their son after a pair of glasses, they chose his middle name because oak trees have leaves and, of course, Leif is a name and why should his middle name have any more meaning than his first name? To his parents, they went together like milk and cookies and not like the graham crackers and cottage cheese that it was. Finally, his last name, a traditional German name that was pronounced like a bear sneezing into a garbage bin while simultaneously farting like an elephant rampaging in a bubble wrap factory, as most German names happen to be pronounced. The name Eierkuchen means ¡°egg cake¡± and has no further significance than that. Altogether, his name meant ¡°tree leaf egg cake¡± and once the other kids at school caught on to that fact, they never let him live it down. It was common enough for kids to have weird hipster names while Oak was growing up but most of them at least had a normal last name so that, when teachers gave roll call, they could at least call out kids by their surname instead. For Oak, every teacher on the first day of school or substitute teacher would pause, squint their eyes, and inevitably say something along the lines of ¡°Ooklay Earkoochen?¡± and laughter would ensue. By the time he reached high school, Oak had mostly come to terms with his name and embraced the long-running joke with his school friends. Honestly, the name Oak itself wasn¡¯t terrible and he had found it unique enough to be set apart but normal enough to not be a complete laughingstock. Oak attended Prarie Hills, a public high school in Colorado Springs, a town located in one of the most beautiful locations in the States but felt as underwhelming as a bowl of buttered noodles when one was promised a heaping plate of spaghetti with meatballs. Don¡¯t be mistaken, for rock climbers, mountain bikers, and avid hikers, the city was a dream come true, but for anyone who just wanted a decent place to eat and any form of non-outdoor entertainment, the city was as exciting as a sigh. Oak went to school in a nice part of town, where most of his peers lived in homes bigger than his, with parents richer than his, and had most things in their lives handed to them. His school had a chronic lack of drive and he often found his peers insufferable in their incessant complaining. By his senior year in high school, Oak had started taking classes at the local college, as he found his high school classes simply didn¡¯t push him anymore. Even the AP classes had failed to push him to the level where he felt challenged. To him, it seemed like the standards just kept going lower and lower, doing nothing but a disservice to the other students at his school. Oak mostly tried to avoid socializing at his school but, every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, he would rush out of his Bio1000 class to drive back to his high school and join in with the one extracurricular activity he was excited to be a part of, the anime club. Oak wouldn¡¯t have considered himself an anime fanatic or anything close to that, but his best friend, Greyson, had started the club and was desperate for members in its early days. Even now, the club only has eight loyal members, Grey and Oak included. Oak had watched several animes with Grey over the years but hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to watch many on his own until he joined the anime club. Grey was adamant about Oak helping him run the club and insisted that he at least be caught up on the most relevant animes. So, while Oak did his homework for classes, he did his homework for Grey and watched every season of Naruto, Bleach, and Hunter x Hunter as well as many of the highest-rated animes that Grey hadn¡¯t already forced him to sit through. Early in their Junior year, Grey had gathered together as many anime enthusiasts who were bold enough to publicly proclaim their love for the medium and convinced them to join the club. In the course of the next two years, all eight of the club¡¯s members had grown fairly close to one another. The anime club felt something akin to the Island of Misfit kids but it had also become a safe and welcoming space for those students. It was the very reason the school even let the club exist in the first place. One of their teachers, Mr. Clinley, had advocated for them and offered his classroom to host them. He had convinced the principal that there should be a space, outside of the classroom, where every student feels like they fit in. The club was composed of six guys and two girls who, aside from Grey and Oak, didn¡¯t share a single thing in common outside their affinity for anime. Mia was a typical small, quiet, alternative girl who wore black clothes all year long and alternated between her two favorite graphic zip-up hoodies. She appeared shy at first glance, rarely talking¡­ until she started talking, then the trick was trying to get her to shut up. Ashley, on the other hand, was a cheerleader and the least popular of the popular girls. She tried to emulate their styles and likes but had always been the one at the back of the group. She had joined the anime club on a whim in attempt to break her mold and find friends who would appreciate her for her and not the mask she put up for her friends. Of the boys, Haven was the largest of the six, standing at 6¡±3¡¯ and a solid 260 lbs, he was a gentle giant. He was also one of the only kids at the school that could grow decent facial hair. The varsity football team had begged him to join even just for the intimidation factor but he adamantly refused, joining the C-team instead. He had said it was because he didn¡¯t have enough time for varsity but Oak suspected it had to do with the other members of the varsity team. Caine was the smallest of the boys and best friends with Haven. His arms looked like chopsticks and a thin, fuzzy mustache plagued his upper lip and made him look twice as cringe-worthy as he already was. ¡°It requires a woman with refined tastes to truly appreciate a good mustache,¡± he would say, pretending to twist the edges of his lip caterpillar. He was the club¡¯s clown and resident perv, to a mild degree. Regardless, Mia made sure to meet every pervy or stupid comment with swift retribution, often in the form of physical abuse. The scrawny boy could do little against her assaults and Haven rarely stepped in to defend his monkey-brained friend. The last two boys, Hayden and Alex, hadn¡¯t known anyone in the club beforehand and had joined out of their pure, unadulterated love for anything and everything anime, and that means anything anime. The two would often get into long-winded arguments about the best battle sequences or the most voluptuous women depicted in the more cringe side of anime. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°There¡¯s no way Sasuke beat Meruem, he¡¯s the strongest apex predator, even with his susano, Sasuke doesn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Hayden would begin. ¡°You¡¯re not getting it, I¡¯m talking about Sasuke with the full power of the Sharingan eyes, his visual prowess is arguably better than even Madara¡¯s by the end of the series and Meruem only uses nen,¡± Alex would reply heatedly, and the debate would continue through all of club time, then into the hallways, out into the parking lot, and their whole walk home. It could get exhausting. Outside of the club, Alex was also a massive history buff and knew everything there was to know about war tactics and medieval weaponry. This knowledge often found its way into his arguments with Hayden and had left the other boy sulking in the corner on more than one occasion. Hayden was less the nerdy, scholarly type and was the only other jockey in the club besides Grey, who was on the soccer team. Hayden had been a runner his whole life and had won several state track meets. If Alex began to win an argument, Hayden often tried to convince him to settle the matter over some sort of physical competition which he, of course, always won. At the end of their senior year, Oak and Grey had been debating who they should leave in charge of the club once they graduated. Haven was their first choice but he was also a senior. Oak had just finished his last Bio1000 exam and had come to the club to boast about finishing most of his classes a whole month before everyone else. Grey had met him at the main doors and they talked as they walked to Mr. Clinley¡¯s classroom. ¡°If we elect Mia she¡¯ll never muster up the courage to invite anyone and then anyone who does come will have their ear talked off before they even take a seat. You remember how she got when we asked her opinion of Fullmetal Alchemist.¡± Oak argued as Grey begrudgingly nodded in agreement. Grey had developed a crush on the gothic Junior over the last two years and had yet to muster up the courage to say anything to Mia. He always had an excuse like ¡°I¡¯m just biding my time¡± or ¡°She has a test this week, I dont want anything to distract her¡±. Eventually Oak gave up as she somehow had some test or major event every single week that simply made it impossible for Grey to express his feelings. ¡°Ashley¡¯s a good choice but she¡¯s not the most consistent in attendance. Hayden and Alex are off the table, they would undoubtedly abuse their power and every meeting would be more arguments than even the debate team has. That just leaves Caine but I¡¯m not sure anyone would ever come if they knew he ran the group,¡± Grey replied and the two of them walked in quiet contemplation for a while. ¡°Hey, Caine¡¯s got some leadership skills, he¡¯s just too¡­ easily distracted,¡± Oak said with a shrug. They rounded the corner and stepped into Mr. Clinley¡¯s room. A bang sounded next to Oak¡¯s ear and something rough smacked his face. His ear rang for a moment and he swatted away confetti from his shoulder. A chorus of kazoos sounded off and Oak looked up to see everyone standing around a table with cake on it, adorned with colorful balloons fixed to the table with scotch tape. Oak smiled and walked toward the table before Caine leaped from beside him and latched onto him. He would have tackled him to the floor if he had any more mass on him but only managed to make Oak stumble a little. ¡°If only I weren¡¯t so straight, I¡¯d kiss ya, right on the lips, but alas! No, wait, I still might get one little smooch,¡± Caine said, leaning in toward Oak while puckering his lips. Oak pushed him back and nearly threw him onto a table before Haven put an arm around Caine¡¯s neck and shoulders and pulled the scrappy boy away. Grey punched Caine lightly on the shoulder, ¡°C¡¯mon Caine, we¡¯ve all heard how you talk about Gojo, let¡¯s not act like you wouldn¡¯t bat for the other team for the right guy,¡± he jested. Caine put on a serious expression, ¡°Listen, anyone would swing the other way if it¡¯s Gojo we¡¯re talking about. I would gladly wear heels and a dress just to be able to gaze into that man¡¯s crystalline eyes,¡± Caine said with a mock dreamy expression. Mia smacked his head with a book, ¡°Not thirty seconds in and Caine¡¯s already said the weirdest and most sexist shit you¡¯ve heard today,¡± she said as Caine voiced his protests. ¡°What is all this?¡± Oak asked with a half-cocked smile. ¡°We wanted to celebrate our seniors and give you guys an early grad party. It¡¯s just a little something Mia and I put together.¡± Ashley told him. ¡°Alex and I helped too!¡± Hayden butted in. ¡°Yeah, well, we all know how long-winded those two can be, so they helped blow up the balloons.¡± She said with a smirk. ¡°Don''t forget who funded this little extravagant celebration.¡± Mr. Clinley said, walking up behind Oak and Grey and placing his hands on their shoulders. ¡°Well, somewhat, most of the decorations are from Ms. Faux¡¯s art room but she doesn¡¯t need to know about that. The cake I bought though, I thought it was fitting. I couldn¡¯t find any egg-cake but I think I spelled all your names right.¡± The cake was a sheet cake with the printed image of Colonel Mustang, from Fullmetal Alchemist, crying over a gravestone with Oak, Grey, and Haven¡¯s full names on it. Oak and Grey chuckled a little at it and cut into the cake. The club had spent a whole meeting, several in fact, arguing over the best anime ever made and had concluded that Fullmetal Alchemist was, at the very least, one they could collectively agree stood out from most other anime. Mia was always quick to specify that Brotherhood was the better of the two versions of the show and had prepared the equivalent of a doctoral thesis on why that was the case. Oak sat down with his cake and noticed that there was a ninth member of the club today and nudged Grey with a questioning glance. Grey, being the more charismatic of the two of them, raised his voice and acknowledged the new attendee, ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t know we had someone new! Who¡¯s this?¡± He asked excitedly. The girl reddened a little after being singled out but Ashley gave her a nudge of encouragement, ¡°Maxine, but you can call me Max, I¡¯m just one of Ashley¡¯s friends, I usually have practice but the season¡¯s over already so I decided to come today,¡± the girl introduced herself. Caine took the opportunity to chime in, ¡°Another female joins the group, a pretty one nonetheless, we will soon be outnumbered,¡± he said with a smile, until another notebook connected with his head. He scowled at Mia who looked pointedly away with an indignant smirk. ¡°Well, if Caine ever does get a girlfriend, it certainly won''t be because of his incredible skills with words,¡± Oak jested. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Maxine, just know, whether you¡¯re an anime enthusiast or have never seen an anime in your life, everyone is welcome here. And please don¡¯t let Caine scare you off, he¡¯s not actually as creepy as he lets on,¡± Grey said to her. Max smiled an embarrassed smile and sipped on a cup of soda. Haven wrestled Caine into a headlock and gave him a noogie scrub while the boy squirmed and cringed. The rest of the crew fell into their normal routines while Mr. Clinley turned on a compilation of anime theme songs in the background. Alex and Hayden fell into another heated debate over the female who was the best ¡°wife material¡± from the Big Three, that being Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. Caine chimed in occasionally arguing his case based mainly upon physical attributes, which were followed quickly by a thud from Mia. Oak looked around the classroom wistfully, reminiscing over the times they had spent there. While they had made for an odd group of friends, he had found genuine friendship in all of them. None of them held anything back or tried to be something they were not, at least not here, and Oak couldn¡¯t begin to express how much he appreciated that. Oak nodded his head as he looked around and smiled. He stood up, grabbing his plastic cup of soda from the table and raising it in the air, ¡°Hey everyone!¡± he shouted to get their attention. Caine sat on a disgruntled Haven and stroked his beard gently while the others sat down in their respective seats, ¡°I¡¯d just like to make a toast to you¡­ no, to us!¡± he said looking over at Grey and Haven, ¡°All of us have-¡± he cut off, looking up suddenly as the ground shifted beneath him. In front of his eyes, the classroom vanished, along with, the chairs, their backpacks, and even Mr. Clinley. Darkness flooded around them and he watched as everyone who had been sitting down collapsed on the now hard and metallic floor. Caine collapsed on top of Haven who abruptly threw him off like a sack of potatoes. A cool night breeze blew through them and Oak looked up to see stars above him. Shock riddled his face as he gazed into the sky and saw, not one, not two, but three moons suspended above them. Oak¡¯s stomach sank and his mind reeled at what he was seeing. The first moon looked like a smaller version of the one he knew, riddled with foreign crater patterns. The second was orange with red spots on it, the largest of the three. The third, on the other hand, shimmered with dark light and had cracks marring its surface; meteors left craters causing a bright, webbed contrast to the dark surface. He tried to find his voice but all he could do was stutter. The entire group was lost for words as they stumbled and gazed about. Even Caine, the group¡¯s gum runner, was at a loss for words. The night felt eerily still and Grey seemed ready to speak when a loud, melodic chime rang out over the midnight landscape. An overly pleasant, slightly robotic-sounding voice spoke from behind Oak and he watched Caine¡¯s face twist with surprise then blanche. He turned around to see a ghostly, shimmering feminine figure standing behind him, casting a blue light over the group. ¡°Welcome to Grog: the Galaxy of Champions! Your world was selected by our benevolent lord for integration. You may offer him tribute at any time for his kindness and wisdom. Simply select ¡®Tribute¡¯ in your HUD and select the item most befitting our generous benefactor.¡± She said, holding out her hand and casting the image that showed a large, digital button that read ¡®Tribute¡¯ on it. The entire group of students just gawked at the woman, mouths agape. Caine, of course, was first to speak, ¡°What the F-¡± Chapter One: Grog and the Oak - Part 2 ¡°I am Moira, your proctor for the duration of this tutorial. Please note, I am not here to coddle you or answer your every question, you must discover this world on your own,¡± she stated tersely, ¡°Now, if you would please, designate your desired class and we will begin your tutorial. Please note, class designations are irreversible and can only be subject to evolutions. This decision is permanent so please take time to consider your options.¡± At that, a large display of text, information, and graphics appeared in the air in front of Oak. He stumbled back in surprise and fell onto his rump. He looked up, wide-eyed, as the display blocked out half the sky. He tried to read a hundred things at once and quickly became frustrated. With a thought, the text disappeared, leaving one string of boxes left in his window. Five boxes hovered in the air reading: [Swordsman], [Archer], [Mage], [Healer], [Lancer]. Oak¡¯s concentration hovered over [Swordsman] and the frame expanded with a definition, Swordsman: a standard melee class that specializes in damage-dealing blade techniques. Users can take a physical or magical approach to this class. He hovered over the other classes, seeing much of the same for the other classes, even a physical stipulation for both the mage and healer classes. He wondered for a moment how that might work. He pulled his mind out of these thoughts for a moment to take in his situation. ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± he said, getting Moira¡¯s attention, ¡°What the hell is going on here? You just throw all of this at us and expect us to roll with it?¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡± Caine interjected, ¡°A mage Class? There¡¯s magic?¡± Moira cast Caine a piercing glance then addressed Oak, ¡°First, I feel it important to inform you that the tutorial starts in 15 minutes, at which time, if you have not selected a class, one will be selected for you. I advise not wasting your time with frivolous questions. As I said earlier, you have been brought to the Grog, a galaxy curated by none other than Grog himself for the purpose of cultivating and raising up the strongest fighters in the galaxy. As a system curator, I must also inform you that other forms of cultivation, known as career paths, also exist but are not considered viable paths for ascension. Moreover, the mighty Grog has required me to inform all initiates that he ascended to the divine realm with no career class and has built this galaxy for the sole purpose of ascending powerful fighters through the paths of glory and into the heavenly realms,¡± she said flatly as she rolled her eyes, ¡°Therefore, both the world you now inhabit and the tutorial you are to participate in have been formed with this goal in mind. Now please, select your class.¡± She said, finishing with an impatient smile. Oak¡¯s face was twisted into confusion, ¡°Okay, all of that aside, what is up with these classes? We select one and then what? Also what¡¯s up with the options, we just have the five options?¡± Moira continued to smile but looked at Oak as though he were an insufferable fool and replied tursely, ¡°The classes will afford you specific gear and skills to start with. Your path will be defined by this decision and other forms of combat will be restricted from your skill trees. The five classes are there to guide your decision but are by no means fully encompassing the many paths strewn throughout the galaxy. You may select another path of your choosing but Grog has set the specific stipulation that any technological weaponry or classes are strictly prohibited in his universe, describing such paths as ¡®cheating¡¯. I implore you to avoid such selections as to not anger the lord. Now please, select your class.¡± She said, her eye twitching. Oak looked back over the classes and opened his mouth to speak again. Moira fixed him with a glare and he hesitated. The others seemed to have questions too but were scared to ask the growingly frustrated being. Oak smiled awkwardly at her, ¡°Sorry, just one more question, I see there are both physical and magical pathways for these classes, does that mean I could select some obscure path like say¡­¡± He thought for a moment and remembered a particularly heated argument Alex and Hayden had over the uses of the dramatic weapons in one of their favorite vampire anime, ¡°Say a class that uses a morning star/whip combination, like that thing from Kill Bill, and use a magical path to enhance it?¡± he asked in a quizzical tone. A ding sounded out and Moira gave him a smirk. Another voice spoke into his mind, ¡°Class selected: Magical Brutalist selected, Specilized Weaponry designated, calculating outcome: Enhanced Metal Scourger selected. Please select the first skill. Note first skills determine early skill paths and cannot be revoked. Choose wisely.¡± Oak¡¯s eyes widened as she spoke and he scrambled to pull his thoughts together. ¡°No, no, no, wait, that wasn¡¯t my selection! I was just asking a question! Please, I don''t know how to use something like that.¡± He said in a panicked tone. The others glanced at him questioningly until a hole opened up in front of Oak and a leather belt fell from it. Next, a hilt dropped and a long chain followed, the chains clanged as they piled up neatly in a circle on the ground and a loud thud ended the procession as a spiked ball dropped to the floor. The handle looked to be made of simple wood, the chain was rusted, and the spiked ball looked clunky and dented. The others stared incredulously, Ashley was the first to pipe up, ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Oak stared at the weapon for a moment and then said, in a defeated tone, ¡°That was my class weapon¡­¡± he bent down to examine it, then looked up at the others, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about classes out loud until you¡¯re ready! I didn¡¯t mean to get this but she took my mentioning of it as confirmation. Don¡¯t rush into anything.¡± The others looked at him like he was crazy for a moment and then turned to each other with questioning glances. They resumed their searches and quietly perused their options. Alex and Hayden whispered something to each other and nodded in agreement. A moment later, two blades thudded onto the ground and a leather strap with sheathes fell with them. To everyone¡¯s surprise, it fell in front of Caine who was just finishing whispering into Moira¡¯s ear and smiled as he picked up the twin blades. ¡°What? I picked a rogue, it was an easy decision. The first five looked boring,¡± he said with a grin. Oak held out his hands, ¡°Okay, on second thought, let''s do this one at a time, we can''t say our classes out loud until they¡¯re decided but we don¡¯t want to overlap, we should try to be as well rounded as we can be.¡± he said, looking around, ¡°Is anyone else ready?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Alex and Hayden¡¯s hands shot up and Oak looked at them flatly then nodded to them. They looked at one another and nodded, Alex chose a Swordsman and Hayden chose Lancer. Oak was surprised at this decision and had expected Alex to pick some obscure weapon from his vast stores of knowledge on the subject, like a halberd or something. A rusty sword and steel-tipped wooden spear fell in front of them, leather bracers accompanying the spear and a belt and sheath with the sword. Grey stepped up next and looked to Oak, Oak nodded at him and he said confidently, ¡°Mage.¡± Then a ring and a robe fell before him, the ring was studded with a small gem and the robe looked like little more than a humble monk¡¯s robes. To no one¡¯s surprise, Haven selected a brawler-tank class and a pair of bracers and a front plate of flimsy armor fell down, easily the biggest thing yet. Mia surprised everyone by selecting a healer and a staff and robes fell before her. Oak raised an eyebrow at her, ¡°What? Every group needs a healer if they want to live,¡± she said defensively. Finally, Ashley stepped forward and Oak was curious what she would select. He had assumed she might be a healer or mage or something when she spoke up and surprised everyone, ¡°Berserker.¡± Oak wasn¡¯t quite sure what that meant until a massive, two handed battle ax fell down and thudded on the ground followed by a pair of leather gloves. Everyone glanced around in confusion as the girl picked up the ax, almost the size of her body, and slung it over her shoulder. Oak shared a wide-eyed glance with Grey and they shrugged their shoulders, ¡°Alright, that seems pretty well rounded, what¡¯s-¡± Oak started but was cut off by another female voice. ¡°Archer.¡± Maxine said from behind him. Oak jumped in surprise and spun around, ¡°What? We need more ranged fighters, it just made sense.¡± She said, looking as if she¡¯d done something wrong. Oak smiled at her as a bow and quiver fell from the sky, ¡°A good choice, thanks for taking one for the team.,¡± he said, trying to make it seem as though he hadn¡¯tjust forgotten about her. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, I was considering it anyway but figured, since I¡¯m the newest one here, I¡¯d let everyone else go first.¡± She replied. Oak nodded his head and looked back to Moira, ¡°Okay lady, first off, how much time until the tutorial starts?¡± She smiled at him with a forced smile, ¡°First, with the remaining 8 minutes, you must all select your first skill. Then I will be free to answer any questions before the tutorial starts.¡± A new notification popped up in Oak¡¯s vision and, based on the jumps of some of the others, they had received one too. Oak opened the prompt: Select one of three skills: Oak considered his options briefly before choosing Basic Weapon Telekinesis, knowing he would have nowhere near the amount of precision needed to use the other skills. This time, he was offered a confirmation screen and he scowled at the smirking Moira as he selected [Confirm]. He felt a rush of energy and information slam into his mind and he staggered back. He grabbed his head and felt a massive migraine oncoming but then, as soon as it came, it disappeared. Oak extended a wary hand forward and activated his new skill. The flail-whip lifted slowly off the ground and floated to his hand. He let it hover in the air for a moment and waved it around with a growing smile. The chain followed the hilt in a flowing pattern and danced in the air. Suddenly, the hilt dropped and slammed into his foot, crushing his pinky toe. The chain and spike followed and he danced to the side before they removed his toe completely. He glazed up at a blinking display on his HUD and saw his ¡°MogMog¡± was empty. ¡°Okay, what is MogMog?¡± He asked Moira. She smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Participants are still selecting skills, please hold your questions.¡± Oak gave her a scowl and looked back to his HUD, the blue MogMog circle still shown with a 0/100 in the center and he focussed on it. An information blurb popped up reading: MogMog, used to cast spells and certain skills. Can be refilled passively, through cultivation, or via potions. Oak saw a second circle filled in green which read Grum and was filled 100/100 points. When he focussed on it, the text read: Grum is extra physical energy that can be used in specific attacks or channeled to enhance physical stats. After reading that line, Oak perked up, he searched his HUD and found a drop-down that displayed his various stats. All of them were set to 10 points as a standard and were listed in the order of Strength, Durability, Agility, Dexterity, Awareness, and Intelligence. Oak nodded, it seemed pretty basic and he assumed the stats functioned like in games or animes he had seen. Strength would boost damage output, durability would boost defense, agility increased speed, dexterity accuracy and control, and intelligence would make casting magic or ¡°MogMog¡± easier. He wasn¡¯t too sure about the application of awareness other than the assumption that it sharpened the senses but that seemed to affect the body more directly than the others. ¡°Is anyone still selecting their skills?¡± Ashley asked, breaking the silence. Oak looked up to see everyone either looking around or playing with their new skill. Moira chimed in, ¡°All participants have finished, you now have two minutes to ask any questions. You may seek out Terminals for more guidance. You may also use a Terminal to exchange collected goods for points and gear upgrades. You will be provided the basic items needed for the first couple of days, after which, you will need to use your skills in order to survive. You now have one minute to ask any questions.¡± Oak tried to speak up when Caine chimed in, ¡°What the hell is ¡®MogMog¡¯ and ¡®Grum¡¯?¡± Moira smiled at him and Oak wanted to slap him, ¡°MogMog and Grum are derived from the ancient language of our overlord Grog who hails from a tribal planet which was integrated into the seventh colonized galaxy. Upon the formation of this universe, Grog established these as the standard terminology for what your planet might call ¡®Magic¡¯ and ¡®Stamina¡¯ respectively.¡± She said, smiling brighter now and seemingly looking right at Oak as she said, ¡°That concludes the pre-tutorial orientation, now raising shields.¡± ¡°What, that wasn¡¯t a whole minute!¡± Oak protested. ¡°What does she mean shields?¡± Grey asked with wide eyes. Just then, Oak finally took a moment to gather in their surroundings. They had been on a platform seemingly suspended in the sky but now he could see the outlines of rolling, forested mountains below them. The platform began to tilt to one side. Everyone stumbled to find their footing as the incline continued to grow. They were being tilted toward the one wall on the platform that stood a little taller than Haven. ¡°Shields are up,¡± Moira said and spheres of shimmering light surrounded the members of the group. Their feet were lifted from the ground and they each collapsed into the soft ball that surrounded them. They quickly rolled down the slope and slammed together into the wall below them as a great heap of rolling, shimmering balls. Moira gave them one last smile, this one seeming far more sadistic than the others and pulled a lever saying, ¡°Happy hunting!¡± Mechanisms clicked and something whirred beneath them. Oak¡¯s bubble had landed next to Ashley¡¯s and they shared a panicked glance. The platform stilled for a moment then a loud clang rang out and the nine balls of light were launched into the night sky. Chapter Two: In Dire Need of a Wash Oak¡¯s stomach lurched as he barreled through the sky, the turbulent wind slowly spinning his sphere faster and faster and he tumbled within. The initial acceleration had nearly sent his brains out his backend and the gradual acceleration of gravity put his stomach halfway up his esophagus. Still, none of this could hold a candle to the disorienting and jolting forces he experienced when the sphere finally landed. Oak¡¯s sphere plummeted from the sky and crashed into the forest below. His world became surrounded by massive trees with branches wide enough for a car to drive on. He slammed into the bark of a tree with the velocity of an airliner and ricocheted off. His sphere bounced and rolled down a branch and tumbled over the edge. He fell another fifty feet before bouncing off another branch and pinballing between multiple trees. He finally hit the forest floor and bounced off a root, sending his velocity into a horizontal trajectory and causing the sphere to spin rapidly. Oak¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with the motion around him and he shut them hard, praying for an end to this torture. He tried to throw up but the motion kept jostling his body so violently he could hardly find a moment to heave anything out. His bladder was far less patient with him, and he thanked his lucky stars for taking care of his other business earlier that day. The sphere bounced around the forest and slowed its roll. It banked up the curved root of a tree and rolled slowly through the forest. Oak was still tumbling inside only less violently now. The ball rolled into a clearing and slowed as it rolled over a small tree, its trunk snapping and branches encompassing the sphere. Oak finally got a handle on his surroundings as it rolled to a halt atop the half-broken tree. His stomach lurched again as he looked down and saw the tree holding him haphazardly over a several hundred-foot drop and his body began to shake. Oak¡¯s stomach finally decided to release its stored contents all over the interior of the sphere and he tried desperately to not shake the sphere too much as he emptied his lunch and the cake from the party all over himself. A voice chimed in his head, that same melodic, robotic voice from before, ¡°No momentum detected, disabling shield.¡± Oak shook his head in panic but couldn¡¯t get a single word out before the ground gave out and branches snapped into place around him. The crackling of snapping wood sounded from the base of the tree and he scrambled down the trunk. His weapon, the flail whip thing, bumped his arm as he did and sent small shoots of pain up it. He tried to push it aside but just as his hand moved down the tree snapped and he felt the trunk give way to open air. His hands clenched for anything they could find purchase on when his right hand jerked upward. Chain snapped tight around his hand and he yelped in pain. The several-hundred-foot drop hung below him as the tree cracked and thumped against the rocky ground. Oak¡¯s whole body trembled and sweat covered his body. He looked up to see the ball of the flail lodged firmly in a crevice of a rock. About twelve feet of chain extended down and wrapped the remaining three feet around his hand. One of the fingers was bent back and red with blood. The rest of the hand was growing purple from the pressure and he winced as white-hot pain shot up his arm. Oak reached his other hand up and grasped the chain, pulling his weight up and planting his feet on the cliff wall. As pressure eased in his hand, the pain redoubled. Oak gasped from the pain and clenched his teeth. He looked back down and took in a shaky breath. He pulled himself up with his left arm and pushed with his legs, each time he progressed he wrapped the chain around his right arm and pulled with the left. It took him longer than it should have to reach the top and he swung his leg over the lip of the cliff and rolled onto the rocky surface on top. Gravel dug into his skin but he paid it little attention. The chain loosened on his right arm and he slowly began to unravel it. Bruises and cuts riddled his arm where the chain had dug in and pinched skin together. He reached the section that had wrapped his mangled hand and reached a shaky hand over to unravel it. Each movement of the chain sent another wave of pain up his arm but he grit his teeth and continued unraveling. Beneath the chain, the hand looked even worse. His thumb and pinky had been broken and bent at odd angles and the bones in his palm were shattered. Skin had been peeled up in several areas and had nearly degloved his hand. Three of his five nails were cracked and splintered, two of them missing chunks of the nail. At the sight and resulting pain, Oak doubled over and vomited again, managing only a small amount of bile this time. He rocked back and forth on the ground and tried desperately to breathe through the pain. On his HUD, a blue silhouette of a human body was shown next to his MogMog and Grum wheels. One of the arms was blinking in a deep red color, his other hand was slightly lighter blue while other sections of his body flashed with small orange light. A massage had been blinking in the corner of his HUD and he just now came to notice it. He focused as much as he could on it as he winced through the pain in his body. A screen popped up and read Tutorial Inventory: A temporary pocket space where a few provisions are given. Only Official Tutorial items can be placed in the space. Once an item is removed it cannot return to the inventory. Oak felt a twinge of hope in his heart as he opened it up and let out a gasp of relief when he saw what was inside. The third thing down on the small list read Basic Healing Potion x3: Heals non-fatal injuries over 10 seconds. Oak gave the mental command to pull out the potion but a portal opened in front of him instead. A shelf sat in front of him with three bottles sitting on it labeled: Health Potions. He reached his good hand in and grabbed one of the vials of clear liquid. The round, oblong bottle seemed to be made of crystal and had a glass stopper on top which Oak quickly flicked off with his thumb. He tipped the flask up and let the contents pour into his throat. The taste of bitter herbs flooded his mouth and the burn of alcohol chased the liquid down his throat. It was all he could do to not spit it back out. He swallowed its contents and sat for a moment as he waited for the effects. He felt the cool liquid settle into his stomach and then a blinking countdown appeared next to the silhouette on his HUD. As it began the countdown, Oak winced and grit his teeth. His arm had begun to mend and bone shifted back into place. Two pops sounded in unison as the broken fingers snapped back, Oak stifled a cry and doubled over again, tears pushing the edges of his eyes. The skin began to mend itself and a strong burning pain accompanied an irresistible itchiness. Oak writhed under the intolerable sensations and resisted the urge to scratch the skin back off. The rest of his body experienced similar sensations as the potion healed all of his cuts and bruises. He held his hand up, shaking violently, as he examined it. He took several calming breaths and the shaking slowed to a tremble. He sat there, at the edge of the cliff, his body shaking and cold, and let out several heaving breaths, the tension of the last couple minutes releasing from his body. He crawled over slumped against a tree and let the tears that had built in his eyes slowly trickle down his cheeks. He had never felt pain like that before and his body still tensed at the thought. He gathered himself and stood up, looking around the forest for any signs of where he might be or where he should go. A crackling whistle sounded from behind him, just over the cliff, and a light shot up into the sky. A few moments later, another light shot up, accompanied by another whistle. He looked down into the section of the forest it had come from and hoped that was one of the skills his friends had picked up. Oak grabbed his flail off the ground and started to fasten it back to his belt when something else caught his attention. Distantly, Oak heard another sound, a voice from behind him and up the hill, it was Ashley¡¯s voice, ¡°Grey! Mia! Oak! Anyone!¡± she called out, continuing to cycle through their names as she cried out. Oak opened his mouth to reply when something large and furry knocked him aside. The air was driven from his lungs and he raised the chain of his weapon just in time to catch the snarling maw of a massive wolf. The jaws of the wolf gnashed against the chain which drove further into its mouth. The wolf fought between gnashing its teeth and gagging on the chain. It made a guttural growling sound and coughed over Oak¡¯s face. Warm, sticky fluid splashed his face and he winced. The wolf¡¯s paws scratched at him making it difficult to hold up the chain. Oak let a small length of chain slide out of his left hand and quickly wrapped it behind the wolf¡¯s head. He let another couple of feet out and wrapped it around the neck of the beast. The wolf thrashed and struggled, tightening the chain around its throat. Its paw came up and pressed on the chain but this only added to the growing tension. It reeled back and tried desperately to free itself. Oak redoubled his efforts and wrapped another loop around its neck. He grabbed the handle and shoved it between two chains against the wolf¡¯s fur. They pulled tight against the hilt and he grabbed the chain nearest to the ball of the flail. Oak tugged hard on the chain and yanked the beast toward him. He looked around frantically for a way to finish the beast off. An idea popped into his head and he yanked violently on the remaining nine feet of chain. The wolf coughed and struggled but couldn''t manage to free itself. Oak wrapped the ball around the base of a sturdy branch and locked the chain in place. The spikes dug into the bark as the wolf struggled and secured the chain further into place. Oak ran into the brush and grabbed a large, broken branch, a product of his abrupt entry into this world. He hefted it up at chest level and charged the struggling wolf that was trying to lower its head beneath the chain''s pull. He slammed into the beast with as much force as he could muster and prayed he hit it at just the right angle. The wolf stumbled to the side and snarled. Its paws slipped out and Oak caught a glimpse of its panicked look as it tumbled over the edge of the cliff. The chain went slack for only a moment then snapped itself taught again, the links singing out as they clanged together. Oak heard a stifled yelp from over the side and heard claws scramble on stone as the wolf thrashed about. Gargled grunts and growls escaped its maw but the struggle slowed as the beast was robbed of air. The chain went still and a low gurgling sounded as the last breath of the beast escaped through its collapsed throat. Oak shut his eyes and lay at the edge of the cliff, waiting far longer than necessary to pull the wolf back up and retrieve his weapon. As the stillness settled over him once again, he heard the shouts of Ashley return. They sounded closer and more panicked now. He scrambled to the chain and pulled on it. It moved slightly but resisted his pull. He pulled off the leather belt he was given and slid the thickest part of it between the chain and the rock of the cliff. He jammed the metal loop of the belt into a crack and moved back to pull on the chain again. It moved more smoothly now and he was able to pull harder and faster. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Ashley¡¯s cries became more clear helping to motivate him. If she needed help, he would need every weapon he had to help her, which currently was limited to the flail that was tied around a dead wolf¡¯s throat. The hide of the wolf peaked up over the edge and Oak moved down to grasp the chain around it and the fur of its neck. Oak¡¯s face turned several shades of red as he hoisted the wolf up over the edge. He stumbled back as its corpse collapsed onto him. He shoved it off and quickly undid the chain around its neck. Part of the chain had dug into flesh and Oak had to rip it free. Once finished, he scrambled to the tree to release the ball and finally free his chained scourge. He wasted no more time with the dead wolf and ran toward Ashley¡¯s voice. As he ran, he tried to coil up the chain and, in doing so, created a knotted mess at his hip. The dense brush whipped him in the face and snagged on his clothes. He followed the sound of Ashley¡¯s voice which had devolved into screams and grunting. He charged through the brush, ignoring the sharp protests of thorns and broken branches. He tumbled out into a clear space between trees and paused. Her voice had disappeared leaving him glancing about in the darkness. Oak heard a rough growl followed by the scream of a feminine voice, Only this didn¡¯t sound like a scream of fear. Oak was close, he could hear Ashley and whoever was with her, he assumed not someone friendly. Oak ran through the bushes and burst out into a clearing. In the dim light, he saw Ashley waving her large ax at a pair of wolves who were trying desperately to corner her. Her eyes flashed with red light and she leaped forward, slashing at the wolves. The blade of her ax grazed the shoulder of one wolf and it yelped. The small wound served only to fuel its fury and it jumped around with erratic and disorienting movements. Ashley swiped at the wolf again, missing this time, and the other one took the opportunity to pounce on her. The wolf leaped through the air and nearly connected with Ashley if not for the dark mass that connected with it mid-air. Oak fell on top of the beast and felt the wind of Ashley¡¯s clumsy swing fly overhead. Oak felt proud of himself for a moment until Ashley cried out, this time in pain. The other wolf had leapt onto her and dug its teeth into her shoulder. Oak tried to look back but the beast beneath him snarled and struggled violently under his hold. His weight wouldn¡¯t be enough to hold the wolf down and he quickly worked his flail-whip free. He tried to wrap the chains around the wolf¡¯s neck, like the previous one, but the chain was tied up in knots and had pieces of broken underbrush jammed in the links. At best, it extended into a couple of feet of clumpy metal. Oak¡¯s confusion and hesitation afforded the wolf a chance to free itself and jump back. Behind him, Ashley struggled with her own beast. The wolf bit down harder into her left shoulder and ripped its head back and forth. She gripped her ax close to the head and bashed at the face of the wolf, trying desperately to free herself of its vicious maw but her blade was dull and its hide was thick. Her eyes glowed red again, for only a brief moment, and she smashed its skull with tremendous force. A crack sounded out in the clearing and both the snout and jaw of the wolf, along with her collar bone beneath, shattered under the blow. The wolf fell free and she cried out as the pain in her shoulder made itself known. Oak flailed his weapon around wildly, warding off the wolf he faced and beginning to understand where his weapon had gained its name, or at least he assumed it was some kind of flail. The messy conglomeration of chain links and a metallic ball clinked and whipped about in the air clumsily. The wolf danced around furiously, looking for an opening to charge him. Oak could see that the instincts of this beast far exceeded his own and knew he stood little chance against the primal fury of a beast. Oak swung too wide and the momentum carried his body. The wolf leapt for him and dull claws scratched at his chest as a gnashing maw lunged for his throat. He brought his free arm up in time to catch it between the jaws of the canid beast. Hot, piercing pain echoed up his arm but he barely felt it past his adrenaline and panic. He bashed the head of the wolf with the hilt of the flail and jabbed at its eyes. A small voice in the back of his mind spoke against his instincts to pull away and he pushed his arm deeper into the wolf¡¯s mouth, hoping to drive it deep enough to trigger its gag reflex or at least strain its jaw. The wolf¡¯s paws clawed at him and dug viciously into his skin. The wolf tried whipping its head around, sending jolts of pain up Oak¡¯s arm. He stabbed the base of his hilt into the wolf¡¯s eye and it growled with pain. Still, it dug its teeth further into his arm. Oak pushed harder into its eye but could barely see any longer past the blood and saliva flowing down onto his face, he could only hope some of the blood came from the wolf. A force lifted the weight of the wolf off him and tore it away, along with a chunk of his flesh from his arm. The wolf scrambled but stayed on its feet. Ashley screamed at it and gnashed her teeth like an animal. Oak scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain as he placed weight on his injured arm. The wolf took a defensive position, facing its two opponents with a primal and scornful look. It bared its teeth at them and growled. Oak and Ashley charged at once, lifting their weapons to strike.. Oak swung back his flail and whipped it forward. The head of it cracked on the wolf¡¯s shoulder and it yelped. Oak had less than a moment to revel in his successful blow before the flail rebounded and slammed his shin, drawing blood. Oak stumbled and fell in the way of Ashley¡¯s charge. She tried to swerve but was still unused to the weight of her ax, she stumbled and missed the wolf. Oak quickly rose to his feet and Ashley spun to face the wolf. Oak grabbed his flail from the ground and finally spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go first again, this time, wait until I can get it tied up, then you can finish it with that thing.¡± ¡°Just do it already!¡± Ashley snapped at him with a hoarse voice. Oak could hear the pain in her voice and noticed her left arm hanging loosely at her side. His own wounds started to voice their protests as well and he gritted his teeth, shoving the feeling back. Oak looked up at his MogMog briefly and saw it was more than half full. Inside, he chastised himself briefly for forgetting about his skill. He charged and swung the flail for the wolf¡¯s neck this time. The wolf moved but he used his skill to move the ball with the wolf. The middle of the chain slammed into the back of its neck and swung the ball around to thud into the side of the neck. Oak slammed his left hand onto the ball and gripped it tightly, causing the chain to tighten around the wolf¡¯s neck. He threw his body over the top of the wolf, just barely clearing its shoulders, and used his momentum to jerk the beast to the ground. His hand struggled to hold the ball due to his injuries but he only needed to hold it in place. Oak was shocked at the strength of the beast as it struggled against him and he pulled it halfway over his body. The wolf thrashed and smashed its head into Oak¡¯s jaw, causing Oak to see stars for a moment. A second later, Ashley stood over them, ax held high, eyes aglow once more. Her swing looked like it would land short but she allowed her hand to slide down the handle mid-swing and the blade slammed down into the chest of the wolf. Blood sprayed out and then gushed down onto Oak. She wrestled the ax free from the wolf, who was still struggling and making gargled, panicked sounds now. She let the ax fall again, spraying up more blood and viscera. The wolf¡¯s body convulsed for a couple of seconds more and then fell still, its weight fully resting on the blood-drenched Oak. Oak struggled to pull himself out from under it and Ashley offered him a hand to help him up. Now on his feet, Oak got a good look at Ashley¡¯s wound. Her shoulder was bleeding profusely and nearly doubling over in pain. Oak¡¯s own arm howled with pain and he quickly summoned his inventory to pull out a healing potion. He paused before bringing it to his lips, considering it for a moment and looking at the one remaining potion. He drank half the bottle and pulled it away from his lips. The timer next to his silhouette read ¡°5 s¡± and counted down. The familiar burning and itching caused his left hand to clench. The wound began to mend and close then paused, leaving small, scabbed-over teeth marks on his arm and several bruises and abrasions on his body. Ashley stared at him incredulously, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Healing potion,¡± Oak said, ¡°You should have some too, in your inventory. Just focus on it and it should pull up. You only get three though so be careful. You don''t have to drink it all for it to work.¡± He said, glancing at her shoulder which had large chunks of flesh removed and visible bone underneath. The rest of her body was riddled with gashes and bites. ¡°Although¡­ you may want to drink the whole thing this time.¡± Ashley followed his instructions and pulled out the clear vial. She uncapped it and lifted it to her mouth. ¡°Wait!¡± Oak exclaimed, she paused and glared at him, ¡°First, it tastes awful but you have to swallow it all. Also, it''s going to hurt a little and itch like crazy.¡± Ashley looked back at the bottle with more trepidation now. She shrugged her shoulders and promptly downed its contents. Her face contorted in disgust and she swallowed reluctantly, coughing a little once it was down. ¡°Okay, now what? Nothing¡¯s happening,¡± she said with disappointment. Then her body twisted as pain erupted in her shoulder again. Oak heard a bone snap back into place and cringed as he remembered his first experience with the potion. Ashley let out a strained cry of pain and then bit her lip, holding her breath. Oak gave an awkward, sympathetic smile and said, ¡°And here comes the itching.¡± Ashley gave him a glare that was both angry and afraid as if to say, There¡¯s more? How could you do this to me? Oak rubbed the back of his neck and only wished he could help her. She began to breathe in and out through her teeth and clutched her shirt tightly with her good hand. Her body shook and she wriggled under the uncomfortable sensation. The healing subsided as her wounds closed and the time ran out. Ashley stilled a little, her hands still trembling and she just stared up at Oak. Ashley had fallen to one knee and Oak helped her up. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have made it if you hadn¡¯t shown up.¡± She pulled away and their blood-stained shirts stuck together for a moment. Oak cringed at the gory image of the two of them but Ashley just broke out in laughter. Oak watched the tension leave her body and couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little himself. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He asked with a chuckle, finding it hard to see the humor in this situation. ¡°It¡¯s just that, earlier today, I was in math class. Math class!¡± She said, her laughter returning. Oak shook his head with confusion, she laughed and spoke again through her laughter, ¡°I was crying over logarithms earlier and now I¡¯m holding an ax, drenched in blood, in the middle of some crazy forest with my friend from anime club,¡± she said, laughing softer now. Her laughs turned into sobs and Oak felt it appropriate to embrace her again, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all going to be okay,¡± he said reassuringly. ¡°How?¡± she asked, her voice cracking, ¡°What the hell are we supposed to do? Where the hell even are we?¡± Oak searched for the right words to say, for any sort of answer, but he let his shoulders fall, ¡°I¡­ don''t know. I don¡¯t know.¡± He said, feeling tears tempt the corners of his eyes as well. Ashley stumbled and he guided her to the trunk of the closest tree. They sat down together and leaned back into the tree, allowing their heads to fall back and gaze up into the sky. Two of the three moons were visible through the canopy. Ashley took in a deep, calming breath, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know either.¡± Chapter Three: Multitudinous Legs Of the nine people launched from the Anime club¡¯s starting platform, six were hurtled over the cliff''s edge and into the valley below. The valley funneled most of them toward its center, dispensing them closely together. Hayden and Alex were dropped near Haven and Mia and Grey landed in the same clearing together. Caine, on the other hand, was not so fortunate as the rest. Caine¡¯s ball had been sent on a similar trajectory to Oak¡¯s but, unlike Oak, his ball did roll over the cliff. The shield slammed into a jutting rock on the way down, slowing his momentum toward the ground and propelling him into one of the oversized tree branches. Snapping twigs broke his momentum and he slowed when he smashed into a soft mass at the main branch¡¯s base. Caine stared bleary-eyed out of his sphere as the world slowly shifted back into focusl. Beyond its impenetrable walls, splatters of something thick and wet covered the ball. Small, angular sticks were plastered onto the shield along with the viscous fluid. All around it, white, cottony material clung to the ball. It wasn¡¯t until Caine noticed the movement all around him that horror set in. Hundreds of legs crawled frantically about the ball. Spiders. It was spiders, crawling out from the nest he just destroyed and surrounding his sphere. The spiders looked like standard wolf spiders, only much larger, and visibly angry. Many of them were at least the size of a tarantula, some as large as a dinner plate. Caine tried to control his panic as he looked around. Beyond the spiders, at his back, there was an opening in the webbing he had partially destroyed. He moved and the ball shifted, settling further into the webbing. A shudder went down Caine¡¯s spine as a voice chimed in his head, ¡°Stability detected.¡± ¡°N-no, wait a second,¡± Caine started to protest. ¡°Deactivating shield¡± ¡°Please, God, no,¡± he whimpered. Caine tried to scream in protest but his shouts were cut short as the shield dissolved rapidly from existence. Caine felt the soft thud of several objects on his body and tried to hold extremely still. Small legs padded all across his body and a shiver ran deep down his spine. ¡°Please not the face, nod da fashe,¡± he said, mumbling between tight lips as one crawled over his mouth. The spider crawled around his face and to the nape of his neck just as another tried to sneak under his shirt. Caine caved and he wriggled and shivered. He danced about and shook violently, knocking a few spiders off but causing several more to fall on him. He moved as quickly as he could toward the entrance of the web cave, desperately trying to keep his feet from tangling in the web. He tried to ignore the new additions that fell from overhead and climbed up his legs. One dashed up his neck and onto his face again, pausing on his cheek. Its large fangs hung right where his eyes could see them and he prayed it would move on. The first sting of pain came from between his legs where one had been trapped between his thighs momentarily. He jerked at the sudden pain and pressed another against the wall, causing it to bite his shoulder blade in protest. He tumbled out of the entrance, half a dozen spider bites on his body with a veritable swarm still crawling over him. The only thing keeping him from screaming was the thought of one crawling into his mouth. Once out of the makeshift tunnel, he quickly brushed all the spiders off and either sent them scrambling away or tumbling over the edge of the branch. Caine slammed his feet down on a few others and half stomped, half danced over them while his body fully caved to the shivers running through him. His body pulsed with a strong shiver and he wrung his hands. ¡°Spiders, why did it have to be spiders?¡± he said, trying to control himself from shivering again. He glanced over the edge to see that he still stood about 75 feet off the ground. He looked for a way down when a dark shape on the branch caught his attention. Caine glanced over with wide eyes, body shaking with fear. Walking down the branch with an octopedal stride, a massive spider, roughly the size of a small car, crept toward him. It looked like the others only with a much larger abdomen relative to its size. As it drew closer to him, his horror grew. The abdomen wasn¡¯t just larger, it was moving. A massive clump of smaller spiders writhed on its back and Caine resisted the urge to scream or throw up, although soiling his pants seemed like an equally apealing option at the moment. Caine¡¯s voice shook as he made a vain attempt to address the creature, ¡°H-hey mamma, no need to freak out¡­¡± he glanced back at the half-ruined nest and the many spider corpses at his feet, he laughed nervously, ¡°Someone wrecked your home but I chased them off, heh heh.¡± The spider continued toward him with the glossy blank stare of an arachnid. Caine¡¯s hands moved back and he felt the twin daggers at his hip. He drew them out quickly and held them in front of him to ward the spider off. To his dismay, she continued forward with little thought. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, I know how to use these! Kind of¡­¡± he said, waiving the blades around frantically, ¡°They¡¯re razor sharp!¡± He backed himself up to the web and gulped audibly. He glanced down and saw a branch several feet down, wide and flat like this one. ¡°I hope they¡¯re sharp at least,¡± he said and then leaped over the edge. Caine¡¯s jump was slightly short but he had anticipated that. His blades dug into the bark on the side of the branch, hoping to find purchase in the dense wood. Instead, his blades bucked back and sent him hurling into the night. Caine flailed his arms and tried to twist as his stomach lurched in the momentary free fall. His small frame slammed into another main branch and bounced off, sending him into a web of smaller branches and hurtling for the ground. He landed hard and heard the crack of multiple bones as his body bounced once off the solid ground and came to a rest. In his HUD, a silhouette blinked all over with a red, flashing light. A notification blinked in his vision, blocked partially by the stars and growing dark spots in his vision. Caine struggled to hold lucidity and, a moment later, pulled a small, clear vial from a portal with his only good arm. He flicked the stopper off and drank its contents. Moments later, his scream howled up into the canopy of trees. In the end, Caine used two whole vials of healing potion to mend all of his broken bones, open wounds, and spider bites. He still felt a strange numbness around the site of the bites and figured it was probably the venom. He thought wolf spiders weren¡¯t venomous but maybe that¡¯s just when they¡¯re small enough? What did he know? He stood up, picked up his daggers, and sheathed them. He shouted a few profanities up into the tree before gathering himself again. He cracked his neck and looked for a hint of a direction to travel in. Before he could make his mind up, he heard a soft patter above him and glanced up to see the massive spider barreling down the tree toward him. It appeared she did not appreciate her unwelcome guest nor the mess he left behind, including the various accounts of arachnid infanticide. Caine took off running but found his two legs struggling to outpace the eight of the enraged mother. He weaved back and forth through trees and jumped over the underbrush. He slipped and scrambled around several times as the giant spider quickly closed the gap. A whistle sounded off to his left and he glanced at a bright light shooting into the sky. A moment later, another one shot up from the same area. ¡°That had better not be more spiders!¡± he said through rapid breaths. He whirled around the side of a tree and flattened himself against the bark, activating his one rogue skill: Active Camouflage. The description said it would make him nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, particularly if he held still. He just prayed that was still true for eight eyes. The spider blasted past him a moment later and dashed back and forth. Caine held his breath as the eight eyes panned over him. The spider paused and stared directly at him. Caine¡¯s heart pounded violently in his chest as his hands began to tremble. The spider drew in a little closer and lifted its mandibles in a warning gesture, its fangs raised high. Caine prepared to bolt when a massive pair of legs pinned him to the wall. No, not two legs, four legs¡­ ten legs? Even more legs and chitinous segments poured over him in a long stream and Caine realized what it was. The long creeping form of a centipede whipped toward the spider in a serpentine motion. The centipede¡¯s jaws met with fangs and the two creatures clashed, arthropod versus arachnid. The centipede latched onto the spider¡¯s abdomen and whipped its body around, wrapping the spider in its legs. The two thrashed around and stirred up dust.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Caine began to creep away when a smaller rope of legs, about three feet long, crawled down his shoulder. Caine reacted instinctively and threw it off him with a shout. The two fighting creatures paused for a moment and the spider threw the centipede off it. On the ground, smaller spiders and centipedes clashed as Caine looked on in horror. ¡°Why do you all have to have so many babies?¡± He yelled as he spun around the tree and ran toward the direction he saw the light shoot up from. The spider took chase and the centipede followed close behind. Caine screamed as he ran, hoping someone with more than a couple of rusty daggers would hear and help out. He heard a snarl from behind him and a crunch as something collided with the spider. Caine whirled around a tree and looked back to see a group of wolves attacking the arachnid. Two flanked behind it and tried to hold off the centipede. Caine shouted with glee, ¡°Yes! Man¡¯s best friend!¡± a wolf turned to him, bearing its teeth and snarling, ¡°or at least a distant relative¡­¡± he said, turning to run again. The wolf gave chase and Caine found himself weaving through trees again. This time, the wolf turned out to be far more agile and cunning than the spider and it caught up quickly. Caine rounded a tree trunk and was hurled to the ground by the massive paws of the wolf. He hadn¡¯t had time to pull out his blades before it pinned him to the ground. Its jaws opened as it lunged for his neck. Before its teeth could sink in, a blast of light erupted from its side. Heat washed over Caine and caused him to wince. Caine¡¯s arm singed and the wolf for its part, stumbled and ran away. Caine looked up to see a hand stretched down toward him. It was Haven¡¯s hand. ¡°Haven! Oh man, I¡¯m glad to see you!¡± Caine said with a sigh. He stood up and saw Haven wasn¡¯t alone, Grey and Mia stood behind him, clad in oversized robes. Mia pointed her staff at him and shot a green bolt of light over his shoulder. Caine ducked and scowled at Mia, ¡°What the hell Mia? You could¡¯ve killed me!¡± Mia scowled back at him, ¡°I¡¯m a healer, dumbass! Or did you already forget?¡± she said, repositioning her staff, ¡°Not that I''m any good with that either. This thing is way too hard to aim,¡± she said, throwing her staff on the ground. ¡°Glad you¡¯re okay, man,¡± Grey said, walking over to him. The sounds of snarling and crashing branches sounded from within the forest. Grey looked over at Caine, ¡°Friends of yours?¡± Caine shook his head, ¡°Objectively no, but I think I¡¯d take the wolves over the alternative.¡± ¡°Which would be?¡± Grey asked. As if summoned, a tangle of legs and fur tumbled into view. Grey couldn¡¯t tell what it was but he didn¡¯t like the look of it. ¡°Uh, that,¡± Caine said, turning to run. The others followed and quickly caught up to the scrawny boy. Grey ran next to Caine, ¡°Anything else you want to tell us about?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Caine said, out of breath, ¡°Centepedes, also big, not fun.¡± They stumbled and crashed through the forest until they came out into a clearing. They slowed their pace to an eventual halt. Everyone was breathing heavily and Caine held his side where a stitch had formed. ¡°You care to explain what that was that suddenly turned you into a track star, Caine?¡± Grey asked with a frustrated tone. Caine rasped his answer out between breaths, ¡°Spiders,¡± he wheezed, ¡°So many spiders.¡± ¡°You made us run all this way¡­¡± Grey started, breathing heavily still, anger creeping into his voice, ¡°Because of some little spiders?¡± Caine scowled at him, ¡°Car. Sized. Spiders. It was the size of a car! With rat-sized spider babies all over its back! Not to mention the bus-length centipede! With babies, they all have babies, giant babies with fangs!¡± Caine sprayed spit with the last words and the others looked at him like he was insane. ¡°Well, now we have no clue where we are,¡± Grey said coldly. Caine glowered at him, ¡°And you did in there?¡± he said, pointing an angular hand behind him at the forest. ¡°At least we were close to where we landed, the other could find us,¡± Grey argued, crossing his arms dismissively. ¡°Oh, yeah, ¡®hey guys, hope you had a nice landing. If you find the time, come to the spider-infested forest and have a picnic with us. I¡¯ve got the protein covered, hope you like giant-ass spider legs!¡¯¡± Caine said, waving his arms in the air. ¡°We can just send up another flare, this is a better meeting point anyway.¡± Mia chimed in. Haven nodded his agreement. ¡°I think you should do it this time, Grey, I¡¯m running low on mana or Mogi or whatever.¡± ¡°MogMog is a stupid name, just call it mana. My fireballs cost quite a bit but I guess having a healer is more important.¡± Grey said, pointing a ringed fist to the sky while making a focused face. A spark appeared in front of his fist and swirled slowly into a churning flame. After about five seconds, he released it. It volleyed into the sky and erupted over a hundred feet above. Sparks showered down over the glade. ¡°One of those should be good enough,¡± Mia said, plopping down on a rock in the field, ¡°Do you guys think they¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°They had shields just like us, we know they don¡¯t deactivate until the sphere comes to a halt, so they should be okay,¡± Grey said, matter-of-factly. Caine scoffed, ¡°Try slowing to a halt in the middle of a spider nest a hundred feet up in a tree. I¡¯m not hedging my bets on anything.¡± The others looked at him with sympathy, ¡°How did you make it out without getting hurt?¡± Mia asked. Caine looked at her with a sideways glance, ¡°well, you see that¡¯s the funny part, I didn¡¯t,¡± he said flatly, ¡°I had to use two of my health potions. The spiders swarmed me and I fell, I¡¯d be dead without the potions.¡± The others shared confused glances, ¡°You have health potions?¡± Grey asked. ¡°You guys should too, it was in my inventory. It heals at a set pace and only lasts ten seconds, so if you have too many injuries, one won¡¯t cut it,¡± Caine replied. The others stared distantly for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s some good stuff in here,¡± Mia said, scrolling through her inventory, ¡°Nothing amazing but a little food, clean water, a blanket, a trowel, a bag, and some potions.¡± The others confirmed that their inventories looked the same and Grey nodded as he scrolled through, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be out here but this is likely to run out fast. We¡¯re going to need to make a plan once we gather everyone.¡± Mia chimed in, ¡°It looks like once you pull something out you can¡¯t put it back, so don¡¯t get anything you don¡¯t want to use immediately.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± a deep voice said and they all turned to see Haven holding a small sack of dried meat, one piece hanging from his mouth. Mia put her head in her hand and shook it. A voice came from the woods as branches and twigs snapped, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it was over that way, you¡¯re turned around.¡± ¡°Oh? Who got us lost in the mountains behind the Academy? And who was it that saved us with his keen sense of direction that time? Oh yeah, it was me.¡± ¡°It was one time and I was dehydrated!¡± Alex argued back to Hayden. The two finally glanced up, brush and twigs hanging from their hair and clothes. They caught the stares of the four people in the glade and stood still for a moment. ¡°Ha! I told you! Your way probably would have dropped us off another cliff.¡± Hayden exclaimed in victory. Grey walked over to them, ¡°Glad to see you guys are okay! Is it just the two of you?¡± Alex and Hayden nodded, ¡°Yeah, who¡¯s all here?¡± Alex asked. ¡°It¡¯s Haven, Mia, Caine, and myself, that leaves two more of us,¡± Grey replied. ¡°Three, don¡¯t forget about Maxine.¡± Mia corrected him. ¡°Right, Maxine. The point is, we have no idea where they landed or if they¡¯re okay. We just have to wait and hope that they saw the signals,¡± Grey said. There was a pause in the conversation as a heaviness settled over them. Alex was first to break the silence, ¡°This is real, right? I¡¯m not the only one that¡¯s struggling to believe this?¡± Caine replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think dreams or hallucinations can make you feel the bites of spiders or branches snapping your bones or tearing your body to shreds as you fall over a hundred feet to the ground. I¡¯d like to believe more than anyone that this isn¡¯t real but I can still feel all of that. Not to mention, we all remember exactly where we were before we got here.¡± He said, slumping down next to Haven. The larger boy extended his arm to Caine, offering the bag of dried jerky. Caine stared at the bag for a moment, shrugged, then grabbed a piece of meat out. Alex nodded and looked down solemnly, ¡°I know, I just¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his words, because he didn¡¯t know exactly what he felt, only that he felt horribly, ¡°What if we can¡¯t go back?¡± ¡°I think the bigger question is what if we don¡¯t even make it that long?¡± Grey said, looking back toward the spider infested forest. Everyone fell back into silence. Chapter Four: Treetop Soiree Ashley and Oak sat against the tree, pondering their next move and allowing the reality of their situation to soak in. The night had grown quiet and the gentle rustling of wind high up in the branches was the only sign that the world was still in motion. Oak spoke first: ¡°I saw a green light shoot up just over that way. There¡¯s a cliff that we¡¯ll need to find a way down, but that might be where the others landed.¡± Ashley nodded absently and ran her blood-crusted fingers over the blade of her ax. The blood on them had started to dry, making their skin uncomfortable and itchy. Oak opened his mouth to speak again but paused at a strange sound. It sounded like hissing or scuffling. He couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was but Ashley heard it too and jumped quickly to her feet. The two of them shared a glance and walked to the thick brush it was coming from. Ashley raised her ax and Oak did the same with his flail which was still partially tangled. A shadowy mass moved in the brush and seemed to raise a head toward them. Oak raised his flail, ready to smash it over the beast when Ashley stepped in front of him. ¡°Max? Is that you?¡± She asked softly. Max looked up between dark locks of hair, her makeup bleeding down her cheeks, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she murmured between sobs, ¡°I tried, I really tried. I just couldn¡¯t,¡± she said, holding her bow gingerly in her hands. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s okay, you found us, we¡¯ll be okay. Now what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ashley asked, reaching out a comforting hand but then drawing it back at the sight of the blood crusted on it. ¡°I heard you screaming, I was close so I ran over, but then I saw the wolves and the way they came at you¡­ I just froze with fear. I didn¡¯t pick this class because I wanted to be helpful, I just didn¡¯t want to fight. I thought this could keep me away from all that. But you almost died¡­¡± she said, breaking into more sobs. Oak felt awkward and out of his depth but Ashley knelt next to her and reassured her in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay, given the option, I don¡¯t know if I would have wanted to fight either. We were just thrown into this world moments ago, none of us knows what¡¯s going on and certainly none of us asked for any of this,¡± she made to say something else but was cut off by a whirring sound and a bright light shining through the trees. A ball of light shot up into the sky and then burst into bright flames. It came from the direction of the cliff and Ashley and Oak shared a glance before breaking into a run. Oak charged ahead but Ashley hesitated as she pulled up Maxine and forced her to come along. Oak broke out near the cliff and slid to a halt, gazing out over the forest below. A trail of smoke snaked up into the sky where a small, smoky cloud sat. The trail dipped down below the trees but appeared to originate from an opening in the tree canopy. The other two caught up and Oak pointed to the smoke. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be them, it was just like the last two but it looks like a different skill. The first two were green,¡± he said, glancing down below and surveying the cliff. The view gave him vertigo and he drew back, ¡°We need to get down there somehow but I don''t see an easy route.¡± Maxine trailed behind Ashley, still looking shaken up and disoriented. Ashley strolled up to the edge and peered over, surprising Oak at her brazenness. She leaned a little further out and remained hunched over the edge for a moment, ¡°There¡¯s a tree pretty close to the edge, it has pretty dense branches we might be able to climb down.¡± Oak stared at her incredulously. Did she actually mean to jump off a cliff into a tree? Oak looked to Maxine for support and saw the dread on her face. ¡°Maybe we could look for another way¡­¡± Oak said cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s just a long way to fall if we miss.¡± Ashley didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°We can use that to climb down.¡± She said, pointing at Oak¡¯s flail-whip. Maxine gulped audibly and Oak stuttered before speaking, ¡°U-uh, we could¡­ I just-¡± he looked over the edge and felt a shiver run down his spine, ¡°Maxine, your thoughts?¡± She paled and shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Um, I¡¯m with him, this seems unnecessarily dangerous.¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve made jumps this big before,¡± Ashley said nonchalantly. She peered over the edge again, ¡°Although, maybe not this high.¡± Oak and Max shared a glance and Ashley rolled her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it seems like an unnecessary risk when we could find another way down¡­ probably.¡± Oak said with uncertainty written on his face. Ashley walked over to where the tree met with the cliff face. She looked over and motioned Oak and Max over to her. They walked over slowly as Ashley looked around and formed an idea. She grabbed the flail-whip off his hip before he could protest and strolled over to a tree near the cliff. She tried to extend the chain but it caught on one of the many knots. She looked up at him with a flat stare, ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°I was working on it, I just¡­ got a little distracted,¡± Oak said, motioning for it back. Ashley sighed, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll get it,¡± she said and worked at the knot, setting it loose with practiced ease. Oak knelt next to her and picked at another knot, Max joined in and they had it untangled in moments. Ashley stood up, wrapped the ball around a tree, and secured it tightly. She carried the rest over to the edge and tossed it off. About 12 feet of chain dangled over the edge with an extra foot or so for the hilt. Max and Oak just stared at her, frowning. ¡°What? The first sturdy branch isn¡¯t too far down. We could honestly all jump it but the chain will give some added security. I¡¯d go first but I should stay back to undo the chain, you guys can catch me on the branch.¡± Max and Oak¡¯s eyes widened more than they already had and they both seemed to wonder if Ashley really believed they would do this. Ashley smiled reassuringly at them and placed her hands on their respective shoulders, ¡°Trust me, you guys will be fine. If you want to play it safe, you could climb down the chain and then just swing over,¡± she said casually. Oak peered over the edge again. The cliff extended for a long way in either direction, at least as far as he could tell. Moreover, the branches of the trees did seem unusually wide. He shook his head and wrung his hands. The next words that came from his mouth were as much a shock to him as they were to Maxine. ¡°Okay, I can go first, I already climbed this cliff once. It¡¯s not so bad,¡± he said, fear written on his face. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Ashley said cheerily, ¡°I¡¯ll show you a good way to hold the chain, just let us know when you get down there.¡± Oak gave her enthusiasm a flat and slightly disgusted stare. She helped him to the edge where he sat and wrapped the chain partially around himself. He gave the chain several strong tugs to be sure it was solid and gave Ashley and Max a nervous smile. Ashley smiled brightly back at him while Max gave him an uncertain half-smirk. Oak angled his body so he sat partially over the edge, tension pulling on the chain already. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he said, pushing himself off with one thrust. He threw his body forward and, in an anticlimactic motion, slid a couple of inches down. The chain held him firmly and he eased his grip with one shaky hand. His body clung to the wall and he reached out an uneasy leg to grip the stone surface. The tree branch was positioned a few feet to his left and about eight feet below him. He eased his way down, trembling, hoping his sweaty hands wouldn¡¯t fail him. When he got to the level of the branch, he started moving to the side with his feet. The chain clung to the edge of the cliff but jerked as it caught on a rock. Oak thrust his right hand out reflexively and clung to the cliff wall. His lungs sucked in air rapidly as his heart pounded in his chest. The chain broke free from the snag and loosened in his other hand. He threw his left hand onto a hold and clung desperately to the wall. The rest of the chain loosened around his body and swung away. Oak tried to reach for it as it swung back but couldn¡¯t quite reach it. It dangled in the air, clanging occasionally on the rock. Oak¡¯s body shook and he tried desperately to get his legs under control. His feet had been on a relatively solid lip but his fingers clung to thin holds. He saw a rock jutting out to his left, near his abdomen in the direction of the branch, and slowly moved his left hand to it. It had a much better profile and easier grip, so he crouched and moved his right hand to the same stone. The branch was still a little below him but only a few feet away. He shifted his feet as he muttered, ¡°I swear Ashley, if I survive this¡­¡± He put an explosive amount of force into his legs and he pulled himself with his hands. His body lunged out from the cliff wall and the void between the canopy expanded below him. His feet fell short but his abdomen collided with the branch and he clung to it with all his strength. He dug his nails into the bark. Oak¡¯s breath came in rapid heaves as adrenaline pulsed through his body. He hoisted his legs up onto the rough bark and let his body release its tension as he lay on the branch. Ashley¡¯s face poked over the ledge with a concerned look on it. ¡°Did you make it?¡± She asked. Oak wheezed out a shaky ¡°Yeah¡± and raised a thumb in the air. ¡°Okay, get ready to help Max, I¡¯ll get her tied up,¡± Ashley said. Oak rose on trembling legs and tried not to think about the long fall beneath him. The chain snaked back up the cliff and jingled as Max was wrapped up in it. A moment later, a trembling hand slid carefully over the cliff and two shaky legs followed. Max stared over the edge, the color having long left her face. She took several quick breaths and eased herself over the edge. She clung to the chain as it took on her weight and paused before finally looking down. A shaky and timid voice called out from above, ¡°O-okay, I¡¯m gonna start coming down.¡± Max said, her fear evident. Oak shifted to find better footing and bent his knees slightly for balance. The branch was a couple of feet across but, being so far up, Oak felt he was standing on a balance beam. Max shimmied down the chain, much slower than Oak had, and eventually got down toward the end. She paused to look over at Oak and get her feet situated. Oak reached out his hand to her, ¡°Just swing over and I¡¯ll pull you in, I¡¯ve got you.¡± Max looked at him, worry in her eyes, then shifted her feet toward him. She started to walk along the wall when her foot slid out, sending her leg swinging out over the drop. She clung desperately to the chain as a shudder ran down her body. She took a deep breath, planted her feet, and then took off in a clumsy run along the wall. She sprung out at the end and flew toward Oak who caught her forearm. Her momentum nearly tore him off the branch and he had to hook a foot around the edge of the branch to hold himself on. With his free arm, he grasped a thin branch above him and used it to pull her in. Max let go of the chain and clung tightly to Oak who shifted and pulled his foot up quickly to regain balance. Max never let go, she breathed heavily as she held onto him and Oak could feel tears soaking his shirt. He patted her back briefly and tried to pull away gently. When she stepped back, Oak looked up the cliff and called out, ¡°Okay, we¡¯re both down, your turn!¡± ¡°Okay, step back and get ready,¡± Ashley called back. The chain disappeared over the ledge and Oak and Max waited as the sound of softly clinking metal filled the air. When Ashley didn¡¯t pop over the edge, they looked at each other with questioning glances. Oak shrugged and opened his mouth to speak when the sound of clinking chains and ruffling clothes grew louder and a dark form ejected from the cliff. Wood cracked and strained as Ashley¡¯s weight crashed down onto the branch. She collapsed with the fall and propelled herself forward, stumbling as she did. Her foot slid out but Oak and Max were there to catch her. The blunt side of her ax, secured to her back with Oak¡¯s chains, slapped Oak in the face. The three of them stumbled on the branch and moved toward its wider base. A basin formed at the base of this branch, collecting a pool of water, rich with green life and algae. Large swaths of moss covered the bark of the tree and made the surface slick. The bark had thick grooves in it where a myriad of insects doubtlessly resided. Oak peered over the edge, searching for the ground far below from between the many large branches. The closest branch was still a good ten feet down from where they stood. Ashley looked down as well and appeared far more confident than Oak felt about the climb ahead of them. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Right, the bark has nice, thick grooves so we shouldn¡¯t have problems climbing down. Let¡¯s just take it one branch at a time,¡± Ashley said casually. Oak stared at her, ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you were raised by a pack of feral wolves, or maybe mountain goats. Even so, they seemed to have forgotten to instill a modicum of fear in you.¡± Ashley gripped the bark and planted her foot in one of the grooves, ¡°Nah, I just grew up with older brothers, mean older brothers. Had to adapt,¡± she said casually ¡°and I¡¯m afraid of snakes, if you must know, so you¡¯d better pray there aren¡¯t any up here.¡± Then she hoisted herself out onto the bark and began to expertly climb down. ¡°Snakes? Huh, seems a little cliche,¡± he said quietly enough for only Max to hear, ¡°Guess she¡¯s a real Indiana Joana.¡± Max just stared at him, unimpressed, ¡°What? Indiana Joana, like-¡± ¡°Oh no, I got it the first time,¡± Max said and Oak deflated. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take up the rear this time,¡± he said with a sigh. Max crept out over the edge with shaky feet. She planted them in the same holds as Ashley and followed the other girl with far less grace or speed. When she got far enough out, Oak followed her, stepping carefully onto the thick bark and balancing his weight cautiously. Oak had spent some time at the local climbing gym with Grey where he learned a few basic techniques to ease the strain of climbing and use his weight to his advantage. He was thankful for this but now, standing over a hundred feet above the ground, he felt far less confident in his form. The three of them made it down to the next branch and took a break there. Oak examined their path to the next branch and noticed something on the bark of the tree. A vine that seemed to be tied to the bark only a few feet from the branch. It wrapped around the tree and seemed to go down to the next branch. He pointed it out to the other two and they hurried over to check it out. ¡°That¡¯s oddly convenient. You think someone put it there?¡± Ashley asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s tied with a knot, so it must be,¡± Max chimed in. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s sturdy enough to use, we should check it out when we pass by,¡± Oak said. The three of them began their next descent, Oak leading this time. When they reached the vine, Oak planted his feet and found a sturdy hold with his left hand. With his right, he tugged on the vine. It felt sturdy and more like a treated rope than a vine. It pulled out about a foot from the tree but then grew taught and held firm. Cautiously, Oak leaned out from the wall, holding onto the rope still with his one hand. He relinquished more of his weight onto the rope and it held. Soon, he let go of the wall with his other hand and gripped the rope tightly. ¡°It seems safe. If this goes all the way down, it¡¯ll speed up our descent considerably.¡± He said, starting to walk himself down. The other two carefully shimmied over to the vine and joined Oak in his descent. Using the vine, they were able to get down to the next branch in almost half the time. The vines continued down the tree and guided their way toward the bottom. When they had climbed about halfway down, they took a longer break to catch their collective breaths. Oak stared out into the canopy, his eyes squinting in the dark light. More vines seemed to be tied between branches out in the canopy. At the end of the branch they stood on, sat a large round mass. Oak nudged the others and drew their attention out toward the edge of the branch, ¡°There¡¯s more vines out there between the branches and something weird down there near the end.¡± Oak said, pointing at the mass. ¡°Not just this branch, the others have them too, look,¡± Max said, pointing down at another branch which also had a mass growing on the end. Oak tried to start counting them when a scratching noise came from the edge of their branch. They all turned quickly as a shadow moved in through the darkness, climbing over the lump on the far end. A rhythmic clacking sound moved with the shadow, growing in volume as it stepped closer and closer to them. As the figure drew near, they could just barely make out some of its features. The creature was semi-bipedal, using its two legs to walk but crouched over, using an arm for stability. In its other hand, it held a staff, the source of the clacking. It was an ornately carved staff with bones and talismans hanging from it. On the creature¡¯s face sat a bone mask from some kind of canid creature. Its skin was a dull gray and outlined the shape of the creature''s ribs and protruding spine. It tilted its head curiously at them, staring with black, glossy eyes beneath the mask. Oak and Ashley grasped their weapons while Max clung to the trunk. The creature shook its staff gently, releasing a musical clacking sound. It looked at them, as if waiting for a response. When they gave none, it opened its black, cracked lips and let out a shrieking cry. It shook its staff violently, making a loud, chaotic noise with it. The three of them shared a quick look and Ashley screamed at them, ¡°Get down, quick!¡± Before any of them could get to the next vine, more voices joined the cries of the first. Scuffling sounded from above and below them and Oak looked back to see multiple shadows sliding down the vines between branches. He looked back the way they came and saw more of the creatures running down the trunk, using the same vines they had only far more effectively. The creatures could effectively run on the trunk and were closing in on them quickly. The first creature charged them and Ashley slapped it off the branch with the blunt of her ax. The creature howled as it plummeted into the abyss. She swung her ax around, her eyes glowing red, and chopped down on the vine twisting up the trunk from where they had just come from. The vine swung free, sending several creatures howling into the night. Several of them still clung to the bark and climbed down with practiced ease. The three of them quickly crammed onto the next vine and began their rapid descent. Before they got more than a few feet down, one of the creatures grabbed onto the vine and cut at it with a sharp blade. Ashley caught a glimpse of this and her eyes went wide. ¡°Hold on tight to the vine!¡± She shouted, wrapping her arm up in it. The other two followed suit and not a moment too soon as the vine snapped away and dropped them into a free fall. When it finally snapped taught on the other branch, it swung them violently forward. Their stomachs lurched as they swung under the next branch down. The force of three people¡¯s weight swinging in the one remaining hook strained it and it snapped away from the trunk of the tree. In free fall, Oak reached for his flail to whip around a branch. When his hands grasped it, his legs jolted and buckled into his chest. His legs let out a snap and his back slapped into the ground, bouncing him up once and then collapsing in a heap. Ashley and Max landed with him, one of Ashley¡¯s legs slamming his side and dislocating a rib. Oak reached up slowly and grabbed his last health potion. He drank it quickly and braced himself for the ensuing discomfort. Above them, the tree danced with movement as the creatures howled in victory. Some peered down or crawled closer to see if they survived. Ashley moved to get up but Oak grabbed her. Ashley, who was the first to drink a potion, was sobbing over the broken form of Max who was losing consciousness, ¡°You need to take your potion!¡± she said frantically in a low voice. A portal opened up near Ashley and she pulled one of her own vials out. She tilted Max¡¯s head back and poured it gently down her throat. Max tried to cough but the fluid forced its way into her body. She jerked and heaved and then the potion got to work. Her wounds started to mend, her chest cavity, which had caved in partially, filled with air and ribs snapped back into place. The discomfort was painfully clear on her face as Ashley pinned her body to the ground, minimizing her movement. The creatures watched on from the tree, unable to make out the three people in the darkness. Oak¡¯s wounds hadn¡¯t finished healing by the end of his 10 seconds and he reached slowly into his pocket for the half-drank vial. To his surprise, the vial was still intact and he released the stopper to drink some. Ashley whispered over Max and she opened her own inventory now, pulling out another vial to finish her healing. She drank half and gave the other half to Ashley who drank it and healed the rest of her wounds. Once healed, the three of them looked at each other and each nodded. Oak pointed his finger down toward his feet, which pointed vaguely in the direction they had seen the flair. Ashley signaled a countdown with her hand at the end of which the three of them sprung up and sprinted into the forest. A shrill scream cried out behind them and a chorus of clacking bones and talismans sounded above them. Objects thudded into the ground and the trees around the three of them as they began to weave serpentine patterns between the trees. Claws scraped on bark overhead and shadows swung and zipped across vines. Something sharp cracked against Oak¡¯s shoulder and bounced off, leaving a gash behind. He stumbled but kept running. They weaved in and out of trees, unsure if they were even headed in the right direction any more. The ground exploded next to Ashley and had her tripping over her own feet. A flash of light pierced through the night and caused bark to fly up from the tree it landed on. The creatures had started casting spells at them, lighting up the forest and causing a cacophony of sounds to erupt beneath the canopy. Something massive and dark hurried past the three of them with a low beat of feet. The creatures screamed above them but the sound of their cries grew further away. Oak threw a glance over his shoulder and saw a lumpy mass being bombarded with spells and projectiles. Other similar forms crowded in and by the light of the many spells he saw what they were. ¡°Spiders!¡± he yelled out, ¡°It was a massive spider, run faster!¡± Max and Ashley needed no explanation as they redoubled their speed. The beating sound of spider legs on the ground and in the trees sounded all around them. Two giant arachnids accosted them between two trees and the three of them skidded to a halt. The spiders reared up their pedipalps at each other and flashed their fangs. They clashed in a disgusting show of legs and fangs, lunging violently at each other. The three humans slipped behind the creatures and continued their hasty retreat. They thundered through the forest, dodging web and fang alike, when the distant sound of cries echoed into the forest from their left. Oak pulled up and switched direction, grabbing Ashley¡¯s hand and praying Max would see and follow. The three of them burst out into a clearing, their legs beating into the earth nearly as fast as their hearts pounded in their chest. A clump of bodies clustered in the middle of the clearing and all turned to the trio, weapons and staffs at the ready. ¡°Oak! It¡¯s you!¡± Grey exclaimed, jogging toward them. Oak collided with the boy and they tumbled to the ground. He could barely breath now and was heaving in air, ¡°Behind¡­ spiders¡­ trees¡­¡± he said, panting and waving a hand toward the forest. ¡°We know, there¡¯s a giant spider and centipede in the forest somewhere. Caine already had a run-in with them,¡± Grey said casually. Oak shook his head but couldn¡¯t get the words out. Ashley spoke for him, more coherently for her part, ¡°No¡­ there¡¯s more of them¡­ a lot more. Giant spiders swarming the forest and crazed little people up in the trees. They attacked us and drove us into the spider-infested forest.¡± she said, pausing to double over and catch her breath. Max had collapsed onto the ground and stared warily back at the forest. Branches snapped and bushes rustled just beyond the clearing. Grey raised his fist, ring glowing on his finger, and pointed toward the trees. A cluster of spindley legs probed out from between two trees and the large form of a spider slowly crawled into the clearing. This spider was about the size of a car, not including the length of its legs. It slowed its approach as it neared the group of people in the clearing. ¡°And here I thought you were exaggerating its size. That thing is huge!¡± Grey exclaimed, charging up a fireball at the end of his arm. The ball swirled and spun quickly. He aimed it carefully at the creature, which stalked a little closer, and released. The ball of light sprung from his hand and jetted over toward the creature. The spider danced to the side as the fire grazed off its carapace, showering the clearing with flame. The grass caught fire and the spider quickly moved its body over the flame and thumped down on top, snuffing it out. Its body showed no signs of damage as it stood and turned back toward their group. Haven moved up next to Grey and everyone drew their weapons. The spider charged and reared its legs and pedipalps at them. Haven sprung forward and thrust his bracers forward. A burst of force issued out from it and blasted the spider back, stunning it momentarily. The entire group paused and watched for a moment until the arachnid spun around furiously and slapped Haven with a leg. The blow knocked him to his back and the spider lunged at him. Ashley sprung forward, her eyes glowing again, and swung her ax down in an overhead arc. It slammed into a leg joint and nearly sliced through. The spider reeled back and hit her with another leg. Weighing less than Haven, Ashley went flying back into the cluster of people, knocking Mia and Grey onto their backs. Alex and Hayden glanced at each other, turned, and charged the beast, sword swinging overhead and spear held low for a jab. Oak nearly yelled at them for their foolhardiness but his expression changed from frustration to shock at witnessing their incredible teamwork. Alex led as the spider swung a leg at his head. He assumed a defensive pose and blocked with his sword, digging the blade into the leg and holding it up. The opening allowed Hayden to duck under and thrust his spear up into the soft abdomen of the spider. It stumbled back and shook off Alex. Hayden lost grip of his spear and was partially trampled by the spider. The spider limped away a little, taking a defensive position. The group gathered themselves back up and faced the beast. Oak looked around at them and formulated a plan. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Alex spoke up, ¡°Grey, shoot another fireball just below it. Ashley, when it drops, run in and hack the second to last leg off the right side, our right. Oak, get your flail wrapped around that back leg and try to hold it down. Haven when it rears up again, I want you to blast its underbelly. Hayden, Caine, and I will go in for the strike.¡± Without hesitation, Grey fired off another fireball which exploded in its underbelly. The spider collapsed over the flames. Ashley ran in and hacked at her designated leg. Oak hesitated for a moment, fear gripping him, but managed to force himself to run forward. He whipped the flail around the leg and used his telepathy to hook the ball under the chain. He threw his weight to the ground and pulled. The spider reared up its front legs again and Haven rolled under it, thrusting his bracers upward and letting out another blast. The spider¡¯s body whipped back and revealed its entire underbelly. It tried to stumble back but Oak held the chain taught around its hind leg. The three others rushed in. Alex thrust his sword upward into the center of the belly and Hayden positioned himself beneath his spear. Caine drew his blades and drove them into the abdomen up to their hilts. He began to work his arms wildly, carving long gouges into its flesh. He screamed as he hacked away, ¡°Die, you piece of shit! Die! I¡¯ll kill you and smash your children and your children¡¯s children¡­¡± The spider fell and Hayden grasped his spear. He drove it deeper into the sternum, causing a sickening crack and squelch from inside. The beast struggled against them, whipping its legs around desperately and slamming its body down. Its fangs dangled over Haven and its pedipalps tried to grasp for Hayden. It dipped its head down to sink its fangs in when a shaft of wood sprung up from between its eyes. A moment later, a second one sprung up from one of its legs. The spider lifted its head and flashed its fangs, opening its misshapen maw. Max drew back a third arrow and let it fly. The shaft disappeared down its throat and the spider strained and finally collapsed. Its legs drew in toward its body and twitched. The entire clearing fell into a deep silence. Update on Chapters: Hiatus Hello everyone! I''d like to thank those who have read this far in the Heaven Breaker Chronicles. This writing journey is new for me and has helped me do some much-needed processing and grow my confidence in my creative side. I am taking a quick break from posting as my wife and I prepare for our second child to come and try to tackle the holidays at the same time. I have over 100,000 words backlogged, but as I continue the story, I realize I need to tweak and trim a lot from the early chapters so I am also taking some time to plan my book better out. I assure you, I have no plans to abandon this series, I''ve spent countless hours planning the series through to the end in larger scale events and only keep adding more to the overall story. I''m so excited to share the whole story with you all but I need a little time to build up the foundations in this first book so I can truly formulate the intricacies of the story I plan to tell. I hope to return to editing and posting by January and I hope you come back to see what''s in store for this story. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for all your support.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!