《Of Us and Void》 Prologue v1.0 ~ ‘Resolve’ Under the frigid gaze of a cloudless sky, two figures danced about in violent patterns, churning the barren ground asunder into flurries of blackened snow and ashen rain. The larger of the two suddenly slammed two massive fists into the earth, causing it to undulate in catastrophic waves around its epicenter. However, the smaller figure, now wreathed in crimson-cobalt flames of tangible smoke, continued its mad rush towards its opponent as if unperturbed by the rampaging tsunamis of soot, debris, and soaked terra. It took but a few seconds for both figures to make contact once more - the smaller of the two had drilled gaping holes through the waves to engage the bigger entity once again in a linear, direct path. KKKROooMsssh Just as quickly as the waves - and battle - had occurred, they terminated themselves without any further commotion. Silence returned once more, filling in the wounds left behind in the ground by the resulting carnage. The cries of the devastated earth evinced through the now-present gusts of icy winds remained unheeded as the sole survivor of the conflict trudged through the destitute lands, uncaring of anything and everything around it. The figure, tiny in comparison to the hills of dust and chaff permeating the area, slowly ambled through the terrain, pushing aside and occasionally walking through piles of debris.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. It eventually reached the corpse of the massive beast that had been blown far away by their final contact. However, when the figure was within striking distance of the corpse, it hurriedly went on to bisect and dismember the beast¡¯s appendages as well as its head. ¡°...Just to make sure..,¡± the figure muttered before plopping itself down on the arid soil and resting its back against the brumal, white-furred corpse. For an unknown period of time, the figure quietly observed its surroundings and the nighttime sky as dark violet clouds gently floated underneath a binary moon system and biting winds carried along with it mounds of the wreckage left behind by the fresh battlefield. Hands clasped together, the figure wrapped its arms around its legs and stared at the two moons hung in the sky, marveling at the unique sight presented before it despite having witnessed such a scene every night. Gradually, the breeze picked up and the two satellites dimmed, leaving a momentarily disheartened expression on the figure¡¯s face. But before their light truly vanished, the figure raised up a hand, cupped it in the direction of the ruby and canary colored moons, and softly whispered, ¡°Soon.¡± It clenched its hand into a fist of determination. Prologue v2.0 ~ ‘Weed Killer’ ¡°Shit! Get down!¡± ¡°GET DOWN!¡± Sergeant Powell screamed before pulling down with him a cadet to the ground as an enormous tree gracefully flew horizontally above his and his company¡¯s heads. The speed at which it was thrown made Powell breathe deeply and quickly before shortening in frequency as he rapidly stood up and backhanded the fallen cadet who was attempting to sit up, forcing him back to the damp earth once more. ¡°WHEN I SAY TO DUCK, YOU FUCKING DUCK, YOU FUCKING DUCK.¡± Raw fury taking over, Powell grabbed the stunned cadet by his head and made him face where he was now frantically pointing; across the make-shift fortification in which they had just taken shelter in were small-statured forest-green creatures and mobile amalgamations of flora. ¡°You see that? That, that is trying to kill you. Me? Well, I¡¯m trying to keep our shits together so we survive, you got that? Huh? Listen next time, yeah!? YOU GOT THAT, YOU LITTLE SHIT?!¡± The sergeant didn¡¯t bother listening to the cadet¡¯s sputtering word-vomit of excuses and tossed him back into the freshly-made concrete bunker like he would with a sack of manure into a composter - gently. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Picking up his favorite semi-auto that was dropped in due haste, Powell ignored the mud coating the rifle¡¯s exterior, fired a shot into the ground to see if the interior was also affected by any of nature¡¯s gunk, and, seeing a bullet lodged deep into the soft and loamy dirt, he grinned. It¡¯s showtime. ¡°Alright boys, we¡¯re clear to fire! Fire in the hole! HOO HA!¡± Powell roared with delight as a barrage of bullets pelted the misshapen entities from nearly every angle. Snipers carefully hidden within the upper limbs of gigantic White Cedars rained down 7.62 mm hail, completely drowning out the screeches of their victims. Flashbangs further debilitated the peculiar creatures and plants alike in tandem with standard M16s from grounded infantry in ghillie suits. After putting down a dozen of the invaders with well-placed shots, Powell placed his emptied rifle down not before easily hefting a bazooka and aiming at the sole monstrosity left - the two-storied, tree-throwing, hash-slinging-slasher of a monstrosity: the treant. But before he released the beast, Powell resolutely promised in his heart, I don¡¯t know where you fuckers come from but if any of you get close to my family or my men... He pressed the trigger with absolute confidence and unwavering focus. Die. Chapter 1 ~ Tales The silhouette of a blurry figure continued to flicker in sporadic bursts, swaying to the silent melody of passing time and shadow. Slightly bent over a table, the entity faced a wrinkled journal the size of a small marble notebook. Numerous pages were already filled with intricate drawings and nearly illegible handwriting, but the pen was not yet put down, its user refusing to do so until he could recap the events that had happened not too long ago. The sounds of scribbling softly perfused the temperate but stagnant air with a quiet story heard only by the emotions of its sole listener and speaker. It was until the echoes of the storm raging outside waking the hunched form from his writer¡¯s stupor did the pen noiselessly return to the crudely-made granite table. Glancing at the most recently finished page one last time, the figure released a long, drawn-out sigh, then closed the journal and flipped to its cover. A ghostly hand rubbed the emblazoned title a few times in seemingly practiced motions before slowly opening the tattered book to a specific page. He began to read.
Year of Disappearance: 2041 Current Date: 4/4(?)/2042(?) It¡¯s been a while, writing in this journal. A lot has happened so far and it''s time to rethink my new ¡®life¡¯ - I¡¯ve been putting this off for some time, maybe stalling for a couple of months, I think, but I¡¯m ready now. Do you remember the first entry you wrote? A year has passed since I first started jotting my thoughts down but despite all these months, trying to forget about this damn journal, I just can¡¯t forget the very first questions I wrote down. You were right, well, us - I mean, I was right. I think I¡¯m dead. Not physically dead per se, but this world, to put it in simpler words, is ¡®dead.¡¯ So by association, I¡¯m technically dead, right? I have concluded this because it¡¯s not just the lack of flora that tells me such. It¡¯s the watch. The Casio watch I had bought as a university graduation present. At first, I thought that there was some odd time dilation/inflation related to this new planet, causing the watch to ¡®slow down¡¯ or something; however, that isn''t the case. The watch, it¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­ something else, man. I don¡¯t have any proof of this, but I¡¯m beginning to believe that time is literally moving backwards AND forwards. It¡¯s subtle, that watch is. The hour-hand flickers constantly whenever the minute-hand passes it, something I would have never caught with my eyes if it weren¡¯t for my permanent insomnia. I know, I sound insane - no, I know I¡¯m approaching insanity at this rate, but trying to understand where and what this world is has been my only saving grace so far. Writing to myself seems to be working for the most part, though. Humans really can¡¯t survive by themselves, even if they no longer need any sustenance; it¡¯s the lack of society, social aspects, that ultimately kills them - insanity is only a means, not an end. I can¡¯t forget that. And that brings me to my next point. Remember how I wrote, like, several paragraphs ago that I thought I was dead? Well, my body is now fully¡­ ghost-like. Sorry, I genuinely can¡¯t describe it any further other than the fact that I¡¯m no longer human. I should have realized that a year ago when I first arrived here, even before this... transformation became apparent. Well, you ¡®live¡¯ and learn, I guess. Anyway, my body, despite looking incorporeal like that of a ghost, can still feel things. It¡¯s strange to explain because by simply mentioning what my new-found body could do, I feel unnerved. My hands, arms, body - they shake and move in wisps as if they¡¯re made of tangible flames, flickering and swaying even in the absence of wind. I can¡¯t even comprehend how much of a monstrosity I am anymore. Thank the lords that I don¡¯t have a mirror with me, otherwise I... I might¡¯ve just ended myself right then and there. Stolen story; please report. But on the bright side, whatever new species I¡¯ve become has helped my mental health quite a bit. I doubt that if I were human, I could have maintained both my sanity and sense of strange alacrity. Yes, regardless of the shit I¡¯ve been putting up with until now, I don¡¯t feel depression or any sense of lethargy. Strange. Just... strange. That¡¯s all I could say for that matter. Another thing I need to mention is that something... weird has happened these past few months. I discovered life. And much more. But not in the sense of life that I knew it to be. I found these odd, but fascinating creatures made of¡­ shadows? I had had no idea what it was that I witnessed when I looked over a small garnet-colored hill during my hourly walk. They seemed to be melded out of ¡®shadows¡¯ or darkness or whatever. Maybe it was incredibly dark fur. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have believed myself to be hallucinating, mentally on the verge of falling into the chasm that was insanity. But taking a simple glance at my body immediately shut that notion up, real fast. I mean, if something like me existed, then it was highly probable that there could be others similar to me or my condition. I wanted answers, and an opportunity just presented itself unexpectedly. As any sane person would do when finding a beacon of hope in grimy seas of uncertainty and misfortune, I ran towards it - and seized it. Or I would like to say I did. When those small creatures sensed my approach, they- these little shits actually ran, ran like there was no tomorrow. Could you believe that? Scared of the big bad scientist? What, did I turn into a monster or- wait. I can¡¯t say that anymore. Shit, keep forgetting that I actually am one now, though I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s a good thing or not. Regardless, there was no way I would let them escape, and so I chased after them only to discover something else; I was much, much faster than I had anticipated. Like faster than a car, I think. At the time, the surprise threw me off but I somehow adjusted to it and caught up with them near instantly. Their fight-flight response made me assume that those mysterious creatures were sentient AND intelligent but as my luck would have it, I determined that maybe children were smarter than they. But then again, I was rapidly approaching them... Instead of attempting to communicate like normal, civilized species, they withdrew freaking SPEARS out of their bodies and attacked me as if they had planned all this beforehand. I had been too stunned to react appropriately, allowing the closest creature to penetrate its spear of pure darkness deep into my ghostly body. But before I could even move - much less say anything - the rest of the creatures threw their weapons away to the sides and fled in all directions while screeching a noise I would like to never, ever hear again in my remaining life. Nails on chalkboard? Fuck that. Try truck horn combined with breaking glass amplified through several hundred speakers for the duration of a few seconds. Stunned for the second time in a row, I realized too late that they suddenly vanished, all save for one; the remaining creature who attacked me, simply stood there, less than a foot away from me, completely stupefied. Head frozen and facing me, legs unnaturally positioned, and arms that should have been holding a spear instead grasping air, it didn¡¯t take long for me to understand something was¡­ off. I only then noticed that the black spear, which should have remained plunged into my lower abdomen, was missing, just like the rest of the damned creatures. At the time, I didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but I did know four immediate things about what had just transpired. First, the absent spear was now entrenched in the backside of the ruthless little devil, right behind its lower abdomen. Second, the thing was dead; I killed it, somehow. Its corpse remained static and still standing though. Third, no longer was the creature wrapped in pitch black shadows, leaving behind a three-foot humanoid with mauve-colored skin, thin legs and arms, and the head of a seething anthropomorphic seel. Fourth, I had just leveled up.
?w?E#rror@@#!@#*&^$^(?ww Level -100 ? Level -99
Chapter 2 ~ Big Tales A groan emitted from the stone floor as frigid winds blew in from a hole in the nearby wall. Caressing the ground with a goading embrace, the breeze stirred Gino awake from his slumber - or ¡®daydream¡¯ as he called it since he wasn¡¯t capable of actually falling asleep or dreaming. However, after numerous attempts over the course of months, he finally learned how to maintain a mental state close enough to that induced by sleeping; all he had to do was stay motionless and think about anything deep enough to gradually lose awareness. It had been such an abrupt realization that he was dumbfounded for minutes upon discovery, unable to comprehend such a simple solution. With the draft picking up in speed, his eyelids gradually opened and, unbeknownst to him, revealed midnight-black, pupilless eyes. Despite ¡®resting¡¯ for a period of time, Gino sat up grumpily, feeling inexplicably furious about something that was at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn¡¯t quite place what it was. Then, out of habit, he raised his left arm up to look at his watch, only to see a naked, ghostly wrist. He frowned instantaneously, suddenly remembering what occurred just before he returned to his stone shelter several hours ago; his beloved watch was snatched away. Mother. Fucking. Golems. The next time I see any of you, I¡¯ll beat the shit out of you and turn you into a part of my walls. Fucking pieces of rock. Gino had been coming home earlier than usual when he was ambushed by seven truck-sized Syenite Golems. In the midst of the ensuing battle, a large, potent fist hammered directly into his arm with the Casio watch, consequently breaking its buckle and sending it flying. Helplessly, Gino watched one of the golems swallow whole the flung watch and subsequently disappear into the ground like a dolphin would in water. Recalling the scene over and over again in his mind, Gino lifted up a nearby chunk of boulder and punted it outside of his open ¡®window¡¯ before stomping away to a poorly-made stone door. He moved it aside with brute force and exited the doorway, stepping into the outside and allowing gusts of winds to make itself home in his hovel. Gino didn¡¯t bother putting the door back to its initial place because he had already left a generous number of scratches and nicks all over the place to warn roaming creatures that this territory was claimed. Calming himself down with deep breaths, Gino casually looked around and chose a random direction to head in. Eyes examining the vague outlines of extensive mountains in the distance with forced interest, he departed, leaving behind his resentment of golems in the dust. ¡°Another fine day to adventure, again. Great.¡± Gino muttered as he increased his speed. His legs rapidly pounded on arid earth and left trails of debris hovering in mid-air. Traveling over dessicated plains and monotonous scenery, his head continuously swiveled around in search of creatures or anything remotely interesting along the way. Seeing nothing worthwhile that he hadn¡¯t explored before, Gino decided to open his status screen while maintaining his pace.
Gino Faulkner
Unknown race
Level: -48
Concepts: 5
-Of Awareness [E]
-Of Reflection [CM]
-Of Conversion [JM] ¡ú [CM]
-Of Balance [T]
-Of Order [T]
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hmm¡­ apparently Conversion upgraded again, thanks to the golems. But, just what does CM even mean? Think Gino, think. What acronym could CM refer to? If nothing comes to mind, then I¡¯m just sticking with my own naming convention. CM, the letter C, the letter M, power scaling, acronym, evaluation. Uhm¡­ His legs subconsciously careened towards a soccer ball-sized rock and kicked, sending it soaring into the distance. Barely registering the action, Gino remained focused on his thoughts, grasping for any inspiration. It came when he was almost halfway there to the mountains. Command! How about Command? It¡¯s a stupid name, there¡¯s no doubt about that but it¡¯s the only word I can think of for now that has the letters C and M, and refers to power in some way. So, CM means Command, got it. Ugh, it sounds ridiculous no matter how many times I tell myself it¡¯s not. Ah chiz, whatever. Okay, now¡­ what was I thinking about yesterday? Oh yeah, the other acronyms! If CM means Command, then JM should be¡­ Journeyman? Doesn¡¯t sound too bad actually, it has a ¡®J¡¯, ¡®M¡¯, and could be interpreted as ¡®power-ish.¡¯ I do remember it means something like someone with decent skill but not exactly¡­ outstanding. Could be used in the military, I think. That makes it, what, T upgrades to JM, then CM and then E? Or is T higher than E? Where would JM and CM fit then? Ugh, for all I know, I could be completely wrong in how the ranking system works, but I couldn¡¯t care less anyway. Sick of these acronyms, though. Refocusing on his surroundings again, Gino observed the terrain and skies before taking a glimpse at the mountains that were slowly approaching. He thought of nothing significant for a while until his mind gradually wandered to the memories of his past in this new world. It eventually settled upon a particular memory - his first discovery and kill of a Tisse. That was the moment Gino finally accepted that he was no longer on Earth. When he had first stumbled upon the floating menu of words he would quickly come to call the ¡®status screen,¡¯ he had been in utter disbelief. His mind at the time, still struggling to adjust to his incomprehensible situation, nearly collapsed from mental shock and information overload. Witnessing a sight that was reminiscent of a computer game from his childhood not only brought back ancient memories of RPG¡¯s, but also made him question if reality was really a lie - just a complex simulation made of code that the founder of Tesma once conveyed to the public. But his own rationale took over, disapproving several things. First, Gino felt that the ¡®status screen¡¯ felt oddly organic, something that was a part of him that he had only then realized. Second, he strongly believed that coding was a human invention, not something that could create reality and life. Gino didn¡¯t have any evidence of such an assumption but nonetheless, he discerned it was correct on an instinctual level. However, the contents of the status screen on the other hand, still mystified him. Gino could understand why his name was there, chalking it up to sentience and the awareness of self. He deducted that if an animal¡¯s intelligence rose to a certain level, they too would have access to the screen. But he couldn¡¯t explain why ¡®race,¡¯ ¡®level,¡¯ and ¡®concepts¡¯ were included, especially ¡®level.¡¯ The negative level alone had stumped him for weeks on end. He could accept being of an unknown race, however. Guess I¡¯m already here¡­ Wow. That is¡­ Damn. Gino arrived at his destination, shaking out of his trance. He was amazed at how tall the mountains were, unable to glimpse their peaks even with his significantly improved eyesight. Over time, he uncovered with pleasant surprise that his converted race came with several perks, two of which were upgraded vision and mobility. However, right before he could walk any further, he stopped in his tracks. Gino already detected something closing on his position exceptionally fast. Whistling softly with a subtle smirk, he purposely crouched down and examined the ground as if unaware of the approaching threat. He identified several foreign footprints in mud just as a bus-sized, obsidian-black bird swooped down on him, head foremost. But right before they crashed, Gino made sure to line his own head directly in the trajectory of the avian¡¯s beak. He let out a full-blown grin, mouth widening in glee and with excitement rushing to his head. If there was one thing that made his time enjoyable in the past couple of years, it would be moments such as these; one of the very first supernatural abilities that he had acquired, the Concept of Reflection, allowed him to face perilous situations with ease and come out alive, barely scathed. However, that couldn¡¯t be said for the opponent. Observing the bird mere inches away from his head, Gino casually remarked in his head. I wonder how many levels I''ll get this time since he¡¯s such a big boy? 5? Naww, at least 5. Then how about- They collided. Chapter 3 ~ Feathery Tales
?w?E#rror@@#!@#*&^$^(?ww Level -48 ? Level -42
The leviathan of an avian harshly slammed into the ground, sending massive clouds of dust and dirt into the air; and with it, Gino followed as he was unable to stop its transfer of momentum. He flew tens of feet backwards from his initial position into several boulders protruding from the earth, creating numerous cracks that sprawled around its impact zone. There was silence for a few seconds until it was broken by a bittersweet laughter; it rang out into the misty atmosphere, slightly echoing from the rugged terrain and the curved slopes of the encapsulating mountains. Two hands and then arms reached out from the boulder¡¯s cavity and grabbed its edges. Gino raised himself up while brushing off any debris he could see on his body and completely shredded clothing. That was¡­ pretty good, hmm. Six levels too. When was the last time something hit me that hard and gave me decent levels? Those Giga Apes, maybe? Huh. With a somewhat relieved expression, Gino glanced at the rock he practically pummeled with his body alone and shrugged, stepping forwards to look around his surroundings while recalling that brief spike of pain he had just experienced in his love-tap with the bird. Ever since he was forcefully abducted into this new planet, Gino had quickly found out that he permanently lost many human abilities to feel. He didn¡¯t perceive pain, thirst, or hunger, which resulted in no longer having urges to sleep nor defecate. Surprisingly, he discovered that nothing abnormal seemed to happen with those faculties gone - aside from his skin and body turning more translucent and phantasmic. But as the first weeks flitted by, Gino came to realize that something was wrong; his human mind was once accustomed to receiving and sending signals to parts of his body to perform a specific action. However, with those signals eviscerated, Gino began to feel phantom pain from a lack of mental stimulus. It took only some beast skewering his body for Gino to register a unique form of pain that offset much of his mild mental discomfort. He still didn¡¯t know what exactly triggered pain, but upon reminding himself of this topic ever since then, he would always enter an internal conflict of whether he was now an adrenaline junkie or an outright masochist. Adrenaline junkie always won, though Gino couldn¡¯t help worry that the latter could succeed some day. With a slight shudder, Gino eagerly turned around to see if the noise he and his partner made attracted other creatures; he was soon disappointed. He unhurriedly moved over to the corpse of the gigantic bird, having determined its location earlier while he had been stuck in that boulder. Along the way, Gino marveled at the extensive destruction left by the large avian in its wake as it fell gracefully like a heavy stone mid-flight. Either my hearing is broken, which I wouldn¡¯t be surprised about, or the most likely reason nothing was attracted by the noise the bird made was because that thing I just killed was the apex predator around here. Again, wouldn¡¯t be surprised about that. I actually don¡¯t think I¡¯ve encountered anything as big as this bastard now I¡¯m seeing it this close. Walking directly up to the corpse, Gino watched as the bird¡¯s pitch-black coating vanished into the air. He waited for the beast¡¯s real appearance - something he usually did out of morbid curiosity right after a creature¡¯s death. Seconds later, most of the coating flayed off, bringing about an unexpected surprise. He whistled in surprise with an eyebrow raised. Woah, that, that is wayy too colorful. This thing might¡¯ve killed me with just how it looks without that black sludge. Is this purple? Ew - I mean, where- what did it eat to become purple? Eggplants don¡¯t do that shit, but maybe GMOs do. He touched the bird¡¯s feathers and promptly concluded that the Lesser Roc was probably the top of the food chain in this particular area. He assessed that it wasn¡¯t possible for the bird to be the king of the entire mountain because he had a premonition that more dangerous entities would be up ahead, and that it didn¡¯t make sense to him for the supposed leader of an expansive territory to be located at its fringes. Plucking out a feather the size of a TV screen, Gino wondered how something that looked so soft instead felt like the hardest of metals. Consequently, he pondered what might have happened if the avian actually knew how to use them accordingly. After a few moments of hesitation, he decided to keep the feather to potentially serve as a shield or, if needed, a weapon. Gino stepped a foot away just as a spark of an idea turned him around back to the fallen beast; enthusiastically, he grabbed as many feathers as he could before jogging back to the unfortunate boulder. Gino dug a shallow hole several feet in diameter, neatly buried the feathers, and repeated the process on nearby patches of solid earth until he was satisfied. He estimated that 80 feathers were concealed, an amount perfect for future endeavors. What if I somehow turn these feathers into a circular shape? Wouldn¡¯t that mean I could essentially have highly durable shields that I can throw, just like a certain Narvel character? I¡¯m pretty sure this feather-metal will be stronger though, I hope. A biologically grown feather with the tensile strength of metal, compared to a plain metal that absorbs kinetic energy? Yeah, kinetic energy sounds decent but I have feather-metal and quantity! And also, I am in a real world where superpowers actually exist so¡­ there¡¯s that. Suck it, Narvel. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Seeing nothing more to be done, he resigned from the battlefield and, carrying a single feather, proceeded to climb the base of the mountain, acknowledging that the bird put up a good fight. It was only that Gino was better, or so as he believed. His power, the Concept of Reflection, though confusing in function and true meaning to him, was an irreparable part of him now - Gino was as much as his abilities were him. He had learned such a simple conclusion in a difficult manner. Unlike what Gino first anticipated when the existence of the status screen was revealed to him, he never received superpowers or upgradable abilities to throw fireballs and the like. Instead, what he obtained was something similar to a force of nature; through his time here, Gino had experimented extensively and quite exhaustively about what each of his ¡®concepts¡¯ could do, resulting in his sheer disbelief. His old memories of RPG games described status screens offering the usage and advancement of skills, viewing of personal stats, and other random miscellaneous information he could only now scoff at. However, reality was vastly different from expectations, and for once, Gino was content with being proved wrong. To him, ¡®concepts¡¯ were no different from his arms and legs, just another extension to interact with the world in varying ways. When he had used Reflection against the Lesser Roc, in that split second right before collision, he felt as if he had become the beast itself until the Roc punctured his head with its beak. Gino couldn¡¯t describe such a sensation, but he knew that he could never tire of such a phenomenon. He also learned something incredible about his abilities and how they related to their ¡®rank.¡¯ Similar to how a hand could be trained to learn new skills over time, Gino believed so would his control and understanding of his Concepts as their ranks progressed. This was only the beginning, and he knew there was much more to come. Reaching a certain part of the mountain, Gino decided to take a short respite for no other reason than to admire the scenery. He looked down from his current location all the way below to the distant ground, guessing that he was at least higher than fifty feet. As Gino continued to enjoy perusing intricate-looking trees and tallgrasses of vivid saphires and emeralds, his hands tried molding the ash-colored feather into a circle. He discovered that although it was flexible, the feather could only bend to a certain extent in specific directions. After tinkering for a bit, Gino then elected for more action rather than lying around staving off boredom. Hefting his asymmetrical oval shield, he charged up the mountain with abandon, gaining ground and elevation. He hoped by doing so, the clamor that he was making would piss off as many creatures as possible. A few years ago, Gino would have never committed himself to such a reckless action, but the mental necessity of wanting to feel gradually eroded at his cautious behavior, simultaneously transforming his personality to that of a daredevil. He loudly trampled on the ground with amusement and made progress on making his own trail behind him. Wondering if he could mimic the path of destruction caused by the Lesser Roc crashing into the earth, Gino tried maneuvering in diagonal patterns and increasing stomping speed to widen his breadth of impact; he only halted his actions when he started to shudder. Where you at, big fellas? I¡¯m fun. I promise. You¡¯ll have so much fun that it¡¯ll be something to die for. So where- huh...? What- Where is¡­? Yeah, that¡¯s not normal. Usually, there would have been a clump of them right behind me by now, but I¡­ I don¡¯t see a single one. Ah shit, here we go again. Gino frowned as he slowed down, finally surveying his surroundings for the first time. There were pillars of rocks stretched up high into the sky, forming an unnatural forest of silent stone and indistinct broken shadows. He had mistaken them as unassuming trees upon initial glance; however, it was only until now did Gino recall something important that had been nagging him earlier on in the journey. Didn¡¯t I see grass and trees just before¡­? He broke out in metaphorical cold sweat, eyes widening in realization. Gino had been living on this planet for years but still had yet to see any form of plant life. Warning bells clambered to be heard in his head, his body instincively preparing defensive measures. Gino knew he wasn¡¯t invincible. He had many strengths, and few known weaknesses. However, any of his shortcomings was enough to kill him eventually. Metaphysical attacks were one, and traps were another; of which, Gino gathered he had just wandered into the latter like an idiot. With eyes narrowed and steps now sputtering to an abrupt stop, Gino ceased motion and tensely observed the terrain before him. Besides the peculiar foliage of terra and stalks of stone staked into the scorched earth, nothing in particular stood out. A faint tickle stoked at the recesses of his mind, warning him of only two outcomes - fight or flight. Any less than two, and he would bail. The last time something ominous like this happened was when I discovered that quicksand plateau. Damn Molten Antlions. Taking short glimpses at the branches of the rock trees now swaying above him, Gino grimaced in anticipation. His heart pounded in his chest despite there being no blood in his body. He relegated all his attention on everything within 20 feet of him. The instant he sees a crimson carapace, however unlikely, Gino would escape immediately - the memories of being pelted by glowing globs of superheated spit for months on end by those Antlions flashed before his eyes. What felt like minutes and then hours passed, yet his vigilance failed to diminish. Gradually growing angrier and impatient by each passing minute, Gino was about to lose it when there was a sudden change in scenery. The rock trees slowly quivered before disappearing into mist, shattering its delicate mirage and allowing him to truly understand the precariousness of his situation. Gino quickly discovered in stupefaction that the uphill path he was on, which covered an insignificant percentage of the entire mountain range, was an enormous lie. Instead of climbing what he had thought was a smaller mountain within the range, he had actually been ascending a massive cliff that led to a gaping chasm. Standing roughly ten feet away from the precipice¡¯s edge, Gino stared blankly at his surroundings and was utterly speechless. A short while later, he realized he needed to do something - anything. Furiously assessing the wisest and safest action, he decided to stand put until he had ascertained that there were no more illusions around him via process of slow movements and by throwing pebbles ahead of him. However, a barely audible noise behind Gino interrupted him, forcing him to instantly turn around in urgency. Just two feet away stood a small, charcoal-colored, backpack-sized creature. It had a spiteful intensity conveyed through its amber eyes that made Gino nervous, who was already occupied with trying to tame the tornado of unsettled emotions that threatened to tear out of him. Unexpectedly, however, Gino didn¡¯t make the first move; instead, he silently observed the undersized creature slowly collapsing to the floor, its legs sprawling out and eyes flickering shut. He stared in bewilderment. What the fuck? Is it playing dead? Chapter 4 ~ New Tales Gino didn¡¯t know what to do facing this new predicament. He was already stressed out with figuring out how he should proceed with his daunting environment. The presence of the dog-like creature in front of him only further complicated things. With cliffs leading to a cavernous abyss right behind and the fear of the unknown creeping around him, Gino could only grind his teeth in frustration as he hurriedly planned out his priorities. Worrying about cliffs and mirages are worth shit if the creature in front of me could kill me. Two things I can immediately do right now. Run or wait it out, but that seems stupid. This thing has to be responsible for creating that insane illusion- that, it covered this entire mountain! Fuck. But at the same time, I can¡¯t rule out that it didn¡¯t make the illusions, the real culprit could be some other creature hiding. But where would it be hiding? Down below or up in the sky? Neither make sense because why is it still waiting to attack? I¡¯m stranded and unmoving, a perfect target for any predator. So that leaves the creature in front of me. It appeared as soon as the mirages dissipated and tried sneaking up on me. That at least proves that it knew about the illusions, avoiding them as it¡¯s the only beast I¡¯ve seen here besides that bird brain on the outskirts. But why didn¡¯t it just ambush me when my back was turned? Unless¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s actually weak compared to its strange ability. How does it survive then, doesn¡¯t it need to eat - ah right. Like me, not all creatures in this world need to eat. Then¡­ what is it doing right now? Pretending to play dead in front of something that could kill it is stupid even for a beast. But¡­ now I¡¯m thinking about it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s purposely luring me to attack it, either. Otherwise, it would have directly approached me without being sneaky or using those illusions. It¡¯s definitely not like me, I can at least say that. I have a feeling that two entities having the exact same Concept isn¡¯t possible¡­ I can¡¯t think of what other Concepts the thing might have, but it sure as shit won¡¯t be able to use them while unconscious - or dead. There¡¯s a chance that it using its ability for a long time exhausted it. Decisively making his choice, Gino enacted upon it instantly. He cautiously took a few steps toward it before accelerating as fast as he could. Watching for any suspicious movement out of the creature still lying on the ground, and, seeing it continue to remain motionless, Gino reached for it within the span of milliseconds and grabbed the scruff of the furred bundle of onyx. He swiftly turned it around and raised it high, as far from him as possible. Because he had concluded that the creature really was knocked out, Gino, at the last second, changed his mind about killing it. Unlike any other beast he had witnessed so far, this was genuinely the first time he felt that powerless from a single creature. It had employed a variety of tactics reminiscent of human ingenuity, Gino analyzed; in other words, he felt that he was toyed around with. Initially, the creature could have attacked anytime when he was climbing the ¡®mountain¡¯ as he was unaware of the illusions during that time. However, when it most likely observed Gino unfazed by the fake flora, the beast must have waited to see if he would fall down the precipice instead, demonstrating abnormal intelligence as well as patience. Lastly, when Gino failed even that, it chose to attack from behind stealthily - probably understanding it was no match for him as it had probably witnessed the huge Lesser Roc dying. Gino narrowed his eyes in contemplation, trying to decipher more of the clues he clearly missed and other wayward thoughts. I get how I fell for the illusions as I have no way to detect them so far, but something else doesn¡¯t make sense. If the illusions failed, then why didn¡¯t the creature just run away? Why bother sneaking up on me? Is there something special about this place, or is it protecting something? I¡¯m not understanding any of this. But there¡¯s no fucking way an animal is more intelligent than a human - than me. It looks like I¡¯ve been taking everything too lightly. Shit. From his various intimate experiences with creatures of this world, Gino didn¡¯t view many as dangerous - some he even considered adorable or respectable at the very least. The Antlions in particular were neither. They weren¡¯t notable creatures to him either despite successfully trapping him. Their attempts at roasting him alive failed because he didn¡¯t feel pain and his ability to reflect attacks negated actual damage. The sole reason Gino believed why he was captured by them was due to the Antlions¡¯ numbers, not their intelligence or skills. However, the beast he held was of an entirely different mold. It had both potential and acuity to effectively maximize its strengths - and that frightened Gino. He mentally prioritized researching more about unknown beasts and their Concepts in the near future. Still holding on to the small creature by its scruff in his left hand, Gino examined it with wariness and noticed nothing remarkable aside from its amber eyes which were currently closed. He touched its fur that was still covered in the typical black coating, briefly dwelling on why every creature he encountered was enveloped in that gunk before picking up his dropped feather-shield and carefully returning to the direction he had come from. Gino stuck to the direct center of the trail that he made earlier, fearing that it had been tampered with in some way when he had passed. Although he safely managed to reach the bottom of the ¡®mountain,¡¯ he had a nagging suspicion that the creature really did weave traps throughout his trail but at the moment, investigating such a matter was not of importance.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Gino glanced at the beast to ascertain it was sleep, and elected to head on home as fast as possible. He didn¡¯t know what new monstrosity would fill in the power vacuum left behind by the absence of the two beasts, and he didn¡¯t even want to know, for now at least. Gino would have to return for the feathers he had buried anyway. He ran at his full speed while ensuring the creature was unconscious for the most part. Gino stopped frequently, constantly changing directions and backtracking to form numerous fake tracks along the way so that whichever beast claimed the cliff would have an immensely difficult time tracking him if it decided to partake in the endeavor. He faintly recalled the harsh lessons he had learned in his first year; almost always, after every short venture into the wild, he would discover that he had been followed hours or even minutes later. New beasts he had never seen before often surrounded his base, forcing him to constantly relocate. It took many failures until he had mastered the art of covering his tracks - and wasting time. Gino, finally seeing his base in the distance, subconsciously sped up and started to feel relieved. The journey had been long and unexpectedly stressful. All he wished to do was curl up in a ball, rest, and daydream despite feeling energetic and wide awake. Wondering how many hours had passed while he was away, he looked towards the moons. Gino didn¡¯t know how much time had passed ever since his watch was eaten, but he predicted at least 24 hours went by. After having spent so much time alone, he became a little bit more sensitive to it. He didn¡¯t acquire a new Concept, however. It was just something that Gino took for granted as a successful survivor and veteran of paranormal escapades. He soon arrived at the perimeter of his estate and thoroughly began checking out his humble abode for anything unusual. Not seeing any unwanted inhabitants or hints of traps, he sighed before preparing himself for what was about to occur; Gino was impatient and simply wanted to get it over with. The creature he basically beastnapped awoke since long ago. It had been trying to feign unconsciousness many times but failed miserably as it kept sneezing from wafting dust and sand during the journey. Plopping the creature that was still pretending to be asleep on the stony floor, Gino sat down as well and didn¡¯t bother raising his vigilance as there was no longer any reason to, having categorized the beast as a miniscule threat mainly after what it chose to do throughout the travel. Additionally, Gino didn¡¯t want to live in the same space as something that had tried to kill him earlier, so he already intended on confronting it as soon as he could. He still hoped to investigate the especial creature, though. On the way back to his base, Gino had deliberately offered numerous opportunities for the beast to escape, testing to see if the beast would stay and cooperate, or attempt to escape and face forced obedience. Surprisingly, despite the rough-handling by its captor, the creature stayed put for the rest of the rough ride. Observing it at a close distance once more, Gino waited for it to ''awake'' on its own for several minutes and then tried to yawn - ultimately failing. He frowned at his body¡¯s blatant refusal just before he saw from the corner of his eye a sparkle of intellect from an orb of amber vying for subtlety. It vanished under a dusty eyelid as soon as it appeared. Gino could only sigh after witnessing such an unusual spectacle. He started. ¡°Okay, then. I''ll be blunt. I¡¯m not sure why you didn¡¯t run away when you had the chance, but I¡¯m guessing you want to be here for some reason.¡± The creature remained motionless for a moment before opening one eye again, this time staring straight at its supposed captor. Gino couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was feeling, but he could discern that it was curious and oddly unafraid. He furrowed his brows as he had a hunch that the beast could actually understand what he was saying. Gino internally noted to himself to further investigate later. ¡°Soo¡­ you probably understand our situation, right? I want something from you, and you want something from me. How about we work something out?¡± The creature kept staring at Gino without moving until it revealed its other eye. For several minutes, the two of them looked at each other, as if holding an unlikely conversation between two pools of vibrant, amber liquid and two voids of indescribable darkness. Soft swirls of winds slowly sauntered through the uncovered doorway and window, surrounding them and seemingly shaping a simmering connection between one of light and that of dark. ¡°So, we have a deal?¡± Bbbaarrk! Gino watched with interest as it loudly proclaimed their clearly undefined agreement before it trotted over to him and licked his face with a sloppy, wet tongue. Surprised, he laughed before gently nudging it away, feeling strangely satisfied. But just as he was standing up, a small notification popped up in front of him, nearly sending him to the ground in astonishment. He hastily read.
Gino Faulkner Of Balance [T] ¡ú [JM]
Huh, I guess that went well. Chapter 5 ~ Tasks Hurried footsteps squelched in icy, viscous mud as frigid drops of rain poured down on the two men. They continuously brushed past large groups of ferns and low-hanging branches bristling with light blue foliage and small pine needles. One of them gasped with air just as the path in front of them opened into a familiar clearing composed of concrete and man-made materials. As they sprinted, a faint ray of light broke free from the clutches of voluminous, ash-gray clouds for a second only to be swiftly devoured by thunderous gales and unrelenting sheets of murky rain. But before the ray disappeared, it briefly touched the mens¡¯ shoulders, revealing torn insignias that denoted Private First Class. Bursting out of the last bushes of shrubs that marked the beginning of the rainforest, the two men immediately aimed for the huge metal gate several hundred feet up ahead. They were disheveled with soaked uniforms shredded in places on their knees and shoulders; bleeding scrapes and cuts messily decorated their faces and arms in gruesome patterns. However, the two men didn¡¯t care and refused to stop running, adrenaline loudly pumping through their veins and fear single-handedly urging them forward to their destination. A plastic camera was held tightly in the grips of one of them, denying it the chance to fall. They had vital intelligence about their unearthly enemies on visual tape and dreaded what would happen if that information didn¡¯t reach the ears and eyes of their camp¡¯s superiors. ¡°Raise the alarm! Hostile forces inbound! Raise the alarm!¡± One of the men decelerated quickly and kept shouting with anxiety and mounting terror towards the top of the colossal steel walls, desperately hoping for the sentries on it to briskly open their gates and prepare for battle. The other soldier, however, darted to the gate¡¯s massive doors and slammed his entire body into it. A resounding clank was heard before it was drowned out by the torrential downpour. Hair and body drenched in sweat and misty waters, he began using both fists to rapidly batter the surface of the gate, emitting noises reminiscent of a World War 2 machine gun. It slowly began denting underneath the heavy pressure, but the soldier didn¡¯t dare stop - he couldn¡¯t stop. Far too much was at stake, and far too much he had sacrificed; everyone was counting on him, and he would rather die trying to deliver that camera than give up and allow the deaths of his brothers-in-arms to be in vain. Recalling the last moments of his comrades, the soldier gritted his teeth in utter rage, forcing his punches to be harder and faster all so he could just be heard through the walls. Someone- please. Please! Someone hear me, dammit! ¡°CAM!¡± A distressed voice suddenly screamed, immediately grabbing his attention away from the gate. He turned around before gasping in horror. The last of his squadron, Deckner, stood impaled by a nightmarish creature of pure white hair and sickly dark-green skin. Visibility was heavily impaired by the curtains of rain crashing down on the concrete, but Cam could easily identify the entity within a heartbeat. Elves. He swore internally and subconsciously touched the pocket of his tactical pants holding the environment-proof camera. Deckner remained stationary, firmly grasping with two hands an ebony spear that was drilled through his lower abdomen. ¡°RUN, I¡¯LL HOLD HIM OFF! GO!¡± Cam froze as he watched his brother-in-arms struggle against the monster. ¡°GO! I GOT THIS, DON¡¯T WORRY ABOUT ME!¡± There was a lull in the ongoing storm as a flicker of lightning illuminated the area. However, in that fleeting moment, as if timed, Deckner momentarily looked away from the monstrosity and stared straight at him. With unfaltering confidence atypical of the usual Deckner, Cam witnessed the grin of his second-in-command for the very last time as a pin was subtly pulled from a grenade. That was when Cam awoke from his hesitation and sprinted as fast as he could away from the gates, the camp, and the nightmare sprawling in front of him. He had just entered the vicinity of the rainforest when an incredibly loud explosion erupted behind him, shaking rivers of rainwater off the canopies of tall, mutated trees above him. Cam ran deep into the forest with reckless abandon, mind and emotions numb and as chilly as the winds buffeting him. No longer did he treat the base that he had just departed as safe or welcoming anymore, and it wasn¡¯t because of the elf. He mindlessly recalled. Right before Deckner¡¯s final moments, Cam miraculously noticed that Deckner wasn¡¯t holding only a pin; in his other hand was a unique hand signal that was only used in the absolutely worst situations imaginable, the code for FUBAR - Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. As he continued to sprint past flora of all colors and pools of earthy ocean water, Cam finally registered why the signal for FUBAR was chosen instead of the one for retreating back to base: there had been no sentries on the walls the entire time.
Several brand new manilla folders were gently and carefully positioned on a well-varnished mahogany desk. Sat directly behind it was a middle-aged man with a scholarly displacement and composure, sporting a maintained Chevron mustache. On the receiving side was a youthful-looking, 25 year old man who nervously shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Jason Powell pursed his lips, wetting them slightly as he tried his best to appear patient, austere, and most importantly, calm. However, just sitting across from his superior made him perspire heavily. His few layers of clothing didn¡¯t help much in that regard and his army jacket with the insignia of Specialist emblazoned on its shoulders seemed to be heavier within this particular office. Jason gulped subconsciously while restraining himself from tapping with his foot on the polished, wooden floor. For several minutes, his commanding officer perused the contents of the folders until a certain sheet filled with information was removed and placed right before Jason¡¯s eyes. As he glanced at the thin paper for a second, a deep voice suddenly pervaded the air, nearly making him jolt up from his office chair. ¡°Specialist Powell. I hope you are doing well. I¡¯ll be concise here. Neither you nor I wish to strike up a pointless conversation out of politeness, so listen carefully. I won¡¯t be repeating myself. You have been promoted to Sergeant, and I congratulate you on that. I would make myself sound more thrilled, but these are difficult times. I hope you understand. Take this sheet with you and report to the General¡¯s office. You may leave. Close the door on the way out.¡± ¡°Sir, wait - what? But- ¡° Jason immediately stopped speaking, lowering his head under the stern glower of his senior. He fidgeted with his fingers and reprimanded himself for even attempting to voice out his thoughts to his most despised higher-up. When Jason was younger, there were few instances in which he had continued to talk back, unheeding of that telling facial expression; he had suffered quite a bit as punishment for each time. Trying his hardest to suppress that awful memory of stove duty, Jason internally grimaced and quietly waited out the tide that was his superior¡¯s petulant temper. Not hearing any punishment being dished out, Jason swiftly stood up from his seat, properly saluted, and nearly sprinted out of the doorway with the thin slice of paper. As he departed, he closed the heavy oak door as softly as possible. The last thing he needed today was pissing off his already pissed-off boss because of an easily preventable mistake such as shutting the door with unnecessary noise. Jason let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes in annoyance, grumbling about how bothersome Geral was. He wondered again for the one thousandth time why he had such bad luck with commanding officers. As far as he could tell, no one else in his company had Geral - not even the other Specialists. Mentally groaning, Jason looked around the plain hallway with disinterest before setting off to the General¡¯s office; it would be his first time there, and he wanted to make a decent first impression with such an influential figure, so preparing himself along the way would be the best option for him. Walking slower than usual, Jason lifted up the sheet and glanced through it, hoping for an explanation as to why he was suddenly promoted in addition to being summoned by the General. Both situations could be good individually, he surmised, but there was an inkling somewhere in his head that told him having both at the same time most likely translated into something undesirable. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Great. Just my luck. Fantastic. Huh, why does being randomly promoted sound like a death sentence now? But at least I¡¯ll get to meet the big man himself. If things go well, I might have a new superior officer soon. Fucking Geral. Jason reread the sheet one more time before neatly folding and tucking it into his coat¡¯s rightmost pocket. The sheet contained a basic outline of his profile, which included history, health, important military-related records, assessments from previous officers, and personal information. He didn¡¯t catch anything new besides his enlisted insignia; it changed into a symbol with three yellow arrowheads stuck within each other, pointing upwards. Additionally, he had just noticed his salary, making him raise a brow with pleasant surprise. Huh, guess there is a benefit to being Sergeant now. Forgot Sergeants get an E-5 pay grade. Nice. Very nice. With a slight bounce to his steps, Jason quickly approached his destination, deciding to rip the bandage off as fast as possible. There wasn¡¯t much preparation to do as the paper Geral gave him explained nothing - not even stating where he was being deployed nor whose company he was going to join. It might have been blank as well, Jason internally complained. He soon reached the building housing the General¡¯s office and subsequently confirmed his appointment through a polite receptionist. Minutes later, the receptionist guided Jason to a specially designed room filled with intricate technologies and two large conference tables, and promptly left him there. Seeing no one in the room, Jason took the liberty to sit down on one of the luxury chairs embracing the sides of one table. He then took a deep breath, sorting out his thoughts before standing up and saluting towards the foremost chair. There was a pause before a voice filled with age chuckled amusedly. In the direction Jason was facing, an well aged Peruvian man now sat, observing the Sergeant with keen interest. He then spoke with a hint of an impressed smile. ¡°At ease, soldier. I find it quite fascinating. It has been only 2 years since people received these¡­ powers¡­ but you seem quite comfortable using it. You even sensed me despite the fact that I was practically invisible. Care to tell me why and how?¡± Jason released his salute and remained standing, respectful and knowing how great the difference between their military positions were. He didn¡¯t dare move, either. ¡°Sir, yes sir! Sergeant Powell, reporting. During my childhood and youth, I spent much time reading and playing games about these powers because I found them interesting and exciting, sir.¡± ¡°Oh, interesting indeed. It really does appear that the younger generations fare much better than the older ones, how peculiar. However, you didn¡¯t fully answer my question.¡± ¡°Sir, yes sir! I apologize, sir. After discovering that I had the supernatural ability to sense things, I experimented with it in my excitement, sir. As a result, I quickly found its advantages and limitations, using them to try maximizing my strengths and capabilities, sir. I was simply able to detect your shadow, and my ability is ranked as D, sir.¡± ¡°Hmm, that is intriguing. From what I¡¯ve heard and witnessed, not many people adapted well as you and accepted their ability¡¯s rank. Some even refused to be ranked. Why did you accept all this, quite easily - if I may add. You may speak normally now. You have my attention.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir! Growing up, it had been my dream to have any superhuman power. When I discovered two years ago that it actually came true, I was ecstatic. Any power was better than having none, after all. I didn¡¯t see any point of complaining and refusing to comply when it would have made no difference as to what power I received anyways. Even if that wasn¡¯t true, I had already made up my mind four years ago to join the armed forces. It would be laughable to join the military if I was noncompliant.¡± The General took a minute to absorb what he was hearing while carefully scrutinizing the surprisingly sincere man in front of him. Hmm, he is completely different from what Geral told me. How strange. ¡°Hoh, what an honest man you are. Thank you for taking this seriously. Do excuse me for asking you those questions. They were a last minute test I made right on the spot to see if your character was as I had heard. You have proven me wrong.¡± ¡°Sir¡­?¡± Jason was startled, caught completely off guard by the General¡¯s last statement. What in the actual fuck? Someone was talking shit about me? It¡¯s Geral, isn¡¯t it? It has to be. He¡¯s the only commanding officer I have! I knew that bastard didn¡¯t like me. The General coughed once before smoothly recovering with another unusual question. ¡°Sergeant, do you know why I am called General?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. You are now called the General of the Army because of the wars going on in the North and West. You also have a unique ability out of all the other Generals. It''s ranked as B because you can manifest into shadows and- ¡± Jason was cut off, but he didn¡¯t complain. He was too busy trying to decipher the General¡¯s barrage of questions that he had too little time to feel indignant. ¡°Indeed, that is all true, but the real reason why I am called General is because I was the only one out of the candidates to offer an argument to the Senate as to why we shouldn¡¯t war with our¡­ extraterrestrial neighbours up North and South. Interesting, huh? I vowed to them that if I became the General of the Army, I would do my damn hardest to prevent any wars from happening. But, that was until our Canadian brethren were slaughtered despite surrendering to them. By those damn Elves.¡± The General turned to the side and spat on the ground, anger rising deep within him. His eyes narrowed while breathing deeply. ¡°And those monstrosities in the South, they killed our messengers, diplomats - they just killed and killed. Any humans living down there most likely perished by now.¡± He directly faced Jason before staring at him, as if boring holes right through him. ¡°Do you understand why I¡¯m the General now?¡± Jason didn¡¯t respond, only shaking his head horizontally once. Externally, he appeared tranquil and agreeable with what the General was saying, but on the inside he was shuddering in fear. This guy¡¯s a lunatic! Prevent any wars? Bullshit! Didn¡¯t the Senate nuke several of the Elves¡¯ bases and then firebomb their forests? Seeing that Jason didn¡¯t understand, the General chose to elaborate clearly. ¡°If you turn a pacifist into a warmonger, what happens?¡± Jason widened his eyes in realization before responding cautiously. Oh shit! ¡°... you get a warmonger more bloodthirsty than any other¡­¡± ¡°Correct, but not how I would put it. Sergeant, when our allies Canada and Latin America fell, there, I- there was nothing I wanted to do... other than rip those alien bastards to shreds. I wanted them gone, forever eviscerated and forgotten from the annals of history. They don''t deserve to be remembered. All those innocent humans they slaughtered will be paid back in full and much more. That was what I promised when I became the General of the Army. And that is something that I will accomplish. Now, knowing who I am and what my goals are, I have achieved my goal and made my decision. From now on, I¡¯ll tell you as your new commanding officer why you were promoted and why you are here.¡± Jason was utterly speechless. He couldn¡¯t even process how quickly this conversation escalated. Heart pounding and sweat freely falling down his neck and back, he couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. ¡°You were selected to be promoted not because of solely your achievements or power, but because of your loyalty to our country and your skills in espionage, infiltration, and outstanding bravery in every situation reported. Warrant Officer Geral tells me a lot of your successful exploits, and I do hope that you don¡¯t let both of us down. You are being assigned to investigate an important intelligence base located in the Northern Front, specifically in the northwest. Should you complete this assignment with flying colors, not only will you become Command Sergeant Major instantly, but more opportunities for promotion and benefits will come flying your way. This is not optional, by the way. I suggest you prepare yourself for the journey up north in a week. North Carolina can¡¯t hold a candle to where you¡¯re heading in terms of severe climate. You are dismissed.¡± The General internally exclaimed with glee. Geral, you owe me for this. That Cheval Blanc 1947 wine you¡¯d been saving would suffice perfectly. Hmm. Jason was already numb, baffled by what he had just heard with his own two ears. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for this. His mind was static, uselessly trying to navigate through the thick haze that was his shock. Being promoted for his skills was one thing, but moving to the war frontier where he could potentially die without even knowing how was a completely different notion. Nonetheless, Jason had to respond to his new commanding officer. And Jenny. She¡¯s going to kill me, I just know it. She might kill me even before I start the mission, hopefully...? Wait, no, I don¡¯t want that. She can¡¯t hurt a fly but she apparently has no problems hurting me. Sir General, please have mercy! Just why did I marry such a violent wife? Aargh! At least Geral wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought him to be. ¡°Sir, yes sir! Sergeant Powell reporting for duty within a week!¡± If I¡¯m still alive, that is¡­ Chapter 6 ~ Dusty Tales Gino sat on the porch in front of his base¡¯s entrance, an arm propping his chin up on a knee. A mild, refreshing breeze strolled past him, kicking puffs of dust into the air as if trying to obscure his vision. He ignored it as usual and continued watching a peculiar sight in front of him, keeping tabs on the black bundle of fur roaming around and enjoying itself on parched earth. Archie, his newly named companion, ran about in circles as it chased its tail and occasionally scratched his rear ever so often in almost predictable patterns. Gino wasn¡¯t sure if beasts here could even have fleas or that was considered normal behavior for a member of Archie¡¯s species, but he wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if there did exist a version of those bloodsuckers on this planet. The influence of Concepts, or whatever was responsible for causing supernatural events here, had a nasty habit of doing the impossible; Gino had his fair share of such experiences after all. It was only to be expected by this point, as it seemed impossible for any creature to survive without at least one logic-defying power. He quietly mused underneath the sun¡¯s bright, blue light, eventually entering deeper contemplation. Reminiscing about all he had accomplished throughout the years, Gino now marveled at his current situation. Here he was, relaxing in an alien world, sitting outside of a house made of alien rock, hanging out with an alien pet named Archie, and treating things he had once believed as fiction as the new norm and just an unassuming part of reality. Yup, nothing wrong with that. Gino sarcastically judged. He had long since stopped using the standards on Earth for this foreign environment; otherwise, he might have gone truly insane. But I¡¯m not insane though. Definitely not. I¡¯m just a man trying to survive, that¡¯s all. And getting a pet helps a lot in the mental department anyway. Gino finally stood up and stretched his arms and legs out of habit, trying to shake off the sense of boredom. He was about to whistle to gain Archie¡¯s attention when he noticed that the beast was already sitting in front of him, waggings its two tails. With an approving nod, Gino rubbed the top of its head and proceeded to return to their two-room house. Over the months he had spent with Archie, Gino and his little helper renovated the base into something barely passable but adequate enough to live in for a few more years. A wide area had been dug out from the stone walls right next to Gino¡¯s room, forming a new home for the beast. During that time, he had learned that Archie apparently didn¡¯t like small, tight spaces or sleeping outside, leading Gino to painstakingly carve a spacious room out of the granite while wondering how the creature managed to survive on that cliff. Still don¡¯t get how Archie lived in those conditions since he¡¯s so picky. He could¡¯ve dug out a hole to live in but it would have been really cramped. What a weird-ass alien dog. Both of them soon entered the house, each moving to their respective rooms and going on about their own business. Archie decided to sleep on a white pelt that was obtained months ago from a bear-like creature, while Gino went to his favorite stone desk and pulled out a frayed, yellowed notebook from a drawer that was clearly misshapen. Unpleasant screeches rang out as Gino closed the drawer with a slight grimace. His hearing was far more sensitive than what it had been years ago when the desk was created. He shook his head in distaste at the poor craftsmanship before nervously and delicately carrying out his intentions with the journal. Instead of reading from its contents or adding words to it, he began counting the number of pages present. Long before Archie agreed to stay with him, Gino had already discovered a bizarre, repetitive occurrence surrounding his journal. Every time he had opened it, he would find that a random page mysteriously disappeared. However, there were no indications that a page was ripped off or handled by anyone else other than him. To make matters more perplexing, Gino couldn¡¯t understand why any one or thing would deliberately remove a single page each time the notebook was opened. He couldn¡¯t fathom why the culprit would choose to do so, how they knew the book was opened, or how anyone even knew about the existence of the journal in the first place. Every creature Gino encountered was barely sentient as far as he could tell, and it wasn¡¯t like he taunted every monster he faced to try taking the notebook from him. Gino flipped through the journal and, as expected, he found that another page was missing again. He sighed in exasperation as his fears came true irregardless of whether he left the book alone for months on end or not. Achieving what he had set out to do, he carefully tucked it away back into the drawer and left the room with a frown. Before departing from his base, Gino casually passed Archie¡¯s room to see what it was doing. He snorted, seeing the beast lounging on the pelt he had roughly skinned from an Ice Vole, and left the compound after briefly noting that Archie still had two Concepts. Ever since that day he and Archie agreed to cooperate with each other, Gino had been able to see his companion¡¯s information on his own status screen. At first, he was confused as to why such a situation unfolded in that manner, but he quickly accepted it as Gino couldn¡¯t even explain the existence of the screen itself. He decided to examine his status screen for any new changes as he walked a few miles into a random direction.
Gino Faulkner Companion: Archie
Unknown race Nexum Moderatoris Vulpes
Level: -29 Level: 308
Concepts: 5 Concepts: 2
-Of Awareness [E] -Of Connection [CM]
-Of Reflection [CM] -Of Communication [JM]
-Of Conversion [CM]
-Of Balance [T] ¡ú [JM]
-Of Order [T]
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I still find it strange that Archie didn¡¯t have the Concept of Illusion like I expected but something called ¡®Connection.¡¯ Also, why does a dog have ¡®Communication¡¯? That makes literally no sense, even for an alien beast. It can¡¯t speak so obviously it could only understand speech, probably. I wonder¡­ I wonder if I could get that. The ability to understand what anyone¡¯s saying sounds incredible. If I were on Earth, I¡¯d probably be the most influential polyglot. But it¡¯ll definitely be useful in this world too. Maybe then I can finally obtain the answers I¡¯ve been looking for. Like what this planet is, why does everything want to kill me, and- the most obvious, of course, why there¡¯s no plant-life here. Hmm¡­ wait a minute. Do I? Do I need to wait for a beast to somehow tell me that? Why can¡¯t I¡­ solve it... on my own... Gino stopped in his tracks, an epiphany dawning in his head. His eyes were looking at the sun, but his mind was somewhere far beyond. Back on Earth, Gino became a scientist not because of the need for money, but due to his compulsive desire to satisfy his curiosities. It was the sole reason why he was now in an alien world, an unexpected consequence of refusing to wait a single day to begin the energy source experiment. Wistfully remembering his time on Earth, Gino blinked his misgivings away before smiling broadly, faintly recalling that feeling of nostalgia as well as that excitement he had felt right before that strange energy source exploded. Well, then. I think it¡¯s time to really explore this planet. Wow. What, what was I even doing all this time? Surviving? Been there, done that. I¡¯ve been doing that ever since I got here, but surviving isn¡¯t exactly living. There¡¯s an actual mystery to solve and I could feel that it¡¯s calling me. I wonder why I haven¡¯t done so already. Did I really think that that was normal even for this planet? Gino glanced at the horizon before squinting his eyes and turning around. He backtracked to his refurbished hovel and immediately called out for Archie. In no time at all, the beast appeared before him, wagging its tails. Gino recognized that body posture and look instantly. Somehow, it knew that they were going to do something exciting. He cleared his throat before squatting down so both he and Archie could be at eye level. ¡°Hey pal, you could probably guess by now, somehow. Yeah, we¡¯ll be going on a much longer journey this time, unlike any of our previous ventures. I have no idea how long it¡¯s going to take, but I have a gut feeling that it¡¯s gonna be one heck of a ride. I¡¯m hoping you could tag along with me. So, you in? Archie raucously barked and spun in circles. Gino let out a relieved sigh, chuckling and patting its head. He knew he could count on his partner. Although they hadn¡¯t been together for too long yet, he could instinctually feel that a strong bond was forming between them. Gino partly attributed such a phenomenon to the beast¡¯s ¡®Connection¡¯ ability, and the rest to their time spent together. The numerous hunting excursions they had went on continuously improved their affinity as well as understanding of each other. Gino quickly began making his provisions. He went around the house, performing last minute checks and setting basic detection traps composed of rocks stacked on top of one another and in specific patterns. If any of those pillars or patterns were disturbed, he would know that there had been an unexpected visitor during his absence. Ensuring all his preparations were good to go, he grabbed his trusty homemade flint-and-steel and started running at a casual pace without telling Archie. A few minutes into the journey, Gino could hear the unique footsteps of the four-legged beast right behind him. He then grinned. For a relatively short time, across the lengths of months, he had tested as much as he could the capabilities of his companion. It turned out that Archie wasn¡¯t as strong or sturdy as him, but it was surprisingly as nimble and even comparable in speed. That came as a huge shock to Gino because his current cruising speed was much faster than when he had first chased down those Tisses - which happened years and years ago. Back then, he had been as fast as a car but now, Gino knew he could outpace probably an airliner and maybe a fighter jet if he gave his all. In his analysis over the years, he had already confirmed something fascinating - he was growing. Gino visibly saw improvements in all aspects of his body on a daily basis, as if he was undergoing rapid, monstrous evolution instead of simply becoming faster or stronger. He couldn¡¯t make sense of it as the results were scientifically as well as physiologically impossible for any human. Gino could only take it at face value by this point and assume that either his status screen or Concepts was primarily at fault. However, he couldn¡¯t say which was most likely the culprit as the status screen contained his Concepts and the Concepts themselves barely changed over the years. ¡®Balance¡¯ was still his most recent upgrade despite it occurring months ago. Gino could only sigh with how much he didn¡¯t know about anything on this planet and his own condition. Looking back one last time at Archie, Gino swiveled his head forward and set course to what was once his most beloved hunting grounds: the Antlion Graveyard. Ever since he had become more powerful and met his alien dog ally, he had molded himself into the Antlions¡¯ greatest terror to have ever walked their sands. It took only a few months for the last of the Molten Antlions to perish, ironically dying within their own quicksands. Chapter 7 ~ Tall Tales ¡°RRRRarghrRfF!¡± ¡°RRRRarghrRfF!¡± Archie barked in resentment at its owner. A thick tail smashed into the earth, fracturing it into jagged fissures of telluric lightning. Dirt and dust clouded the skies as the tail repeatedly slammed into certain locations. However, before each impact, two figures could be seen retreating rapidly to safer grounds all while attempting to navigate through the shattered terrain. Despite their efforts, they were continuously forced to fall back and scatter about randomly. The owner of the massive tail refused to stop its wanton rampage and continued punishing the earth for mistakes it did not make. The ground quaked in its cries as flat lands nightmarishly transformed into colossal craters formed as a consequence of an infuriated serpent failing to hit a small, four-legged beast as well as a humanoid entity. Archie was not happy. Regardless, Gino ignored its displeased growl and instead told it to stick to the plan. He and his companion then landed roughly on an island of rock stranded in the middle of an ocean of abyss. All the ground around them had long since flattened into the bedrock far beneath them, leaving a single patch of terra unscathed. Gino quickly surveyed the island and groaned with a face palm. Ohh, was that the snake¡¯s plan all along? To isolate us? Damn, we just got played. Oh well, I guess playtime is over, then. Kinda hoped it lasted longer though¡­ He and Archie stood on a narrow pillar of earth seemingly jutting from the depths of the planet, as if floating above a chasm hundreds of feet high. In the distance, Gino amazedly noticed that the closest unaffected land was equidistant from his position to that of the lands surrounding him; he then realized that the giant serpent knew about shapes. Wow.. I should be terrified but I just can¡¯t. This thing- this creature has enough intelligence to know how to make a circle. Just¡­ wow. Is it worth killing now? Can I keep it as a pet? Ah, never mind that. There¡¯s no way it can fit into my house anyways. As if knowing his thoughts, Archie loudly barked at Gino and glared at him. However, he didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by his partner¡¯s actions as another entity was already staring at him- and additionally seething with madness. Priorities come first, after all. Sorry bud, you¡¯ll have to wait your turn. Gino scratched his head while nonchalantly keeping his gaze relaxed on the sight of a snake the size of the Empire State Building. Its truck-sized, cloudy, marble-like eyes expressed intolerable hatred at the existence of Gino, yet didn¡¯t attack. He smirked with intense interest. Ooh, it really is smart! It probably learned from watching me earlier! Originally, Gino had reasonable confidence that the fight with the snake should have been a breeze- but that was until its mother came in. The massive mother of a beast joined the fray without warning as both Archie and its owner were occupied with a house-sized snake. Gino didn¡¯t even perceive the mother snake until he wondered why the sun had stopped shining; a simple glance at the sky almost made him shit his pants as a massive shadow swiftly fell toward them. At first, Gino had been regretful that the much smaller snake disappeared, but had quickly cheered up when a bigger, more delicious meal offered its head to him on a metaphorical silver platter. The mother snake, however, couldn¡¯t have known that. Parents really do sacrifice themselves for their children. Gino had happily mused. As the starry skies lit up the atmosphere in mysterious patterns of gold and sparkling lights, an even more mysterious scene took place on a completely devastated terrain in the midst of spectating mountains. Gino entered what appeared to be a staring contest with the largest creature he had encountered to this date, while another much smaller entity loured at him with emotions it did not quite understand. Still, Archie remained in his position, solely looking at Gino, as if declaring the giant snake harmless and comparable to a puff of dust when spoken in the same breath as its owner. The three figures stood motionless for some time as the winds themselves stilled and silenced. Minutes went by before Gino decided to break the tension up; he was actually starting to feel bored. The snake wasn¡¯t attacking despite appearing very tense, which to him, didn¡¯t make much sense. From his vast experiences with handling paranormal wildlife, most beasts often retreated or fought the unknown when confused with what they couldn¡¯t comprehend or defeat. But here was an anomaly that chose to wait after annihilating the nearby environment, simply observing Gino and his companion with wariness atypical of any beast he¡¯d seen. Size didn¡¯t necessarily correlate to strength, and neither did it necessarily relate to intelligence, yet this was a creature that had both; Gino wanted it even more. There was another low growl from Archie but he paid it no heed. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Electing to finish this battle as quickly as possible, Gino finally allowed himself to use his powers- his Concepts. He stretched his body in comfort, embracing that indescribable feeling that connected him to his abilities. Gino sighed in exhilaration as he could now use all of his body parts once again. For the entire fight so far, he didn¡¯t let Archie or himself use anything but their physical bodies. In fact, ever since their journey started, Gino refused using Concepts because he wanted to see if he would become stronger as a result of it. He still wasn¡¯t sure what improved power, after all. His partner, initially, didn¡¯t agree to such a self-imposed condition, yet the beast gradually accepted the restriction as it understood something was happening- it was beginning to change. Gino had found out later that Archie not only had upgraded its abilities, but had also acquired the Concept of Vision. On the other hand, Gino himself had discovered several of his own Concepts upgrading over the weeks that went by. As a result, in front of the snake, he still didn¡¯t want to stop his peculiar training. However, he knew that they were required to take down such an enormous and as equally dangerous predator. Gino whistled four times consecutively, making the snake narrow its eyes with even more caution. Archie, in contrast, let out a joyful bark; it had been a long time since it had used its powers, and desired to use them to smite the creature in front of its owner. Plus, it enjoyed snake meat as a rare delicacy. Gino¡¯s partner, too, stretched its legs while wagging its tails. As if sensing the sudden change in the moods of Gino and his four-legged helper, the giant snake crept backwards away from the rock island and readied itself to move out of the craters it currently resided in if need be. Vigilance and foresight were friends the snake had kept close to itself over innumerable years despite not comprehending what they were. Still, it chose to always listen and follow their instructions; they were the ones responsible for making Gino and Archie isolated as much as possible. At first, both had told the snake to be patient and wait for its husband to deal with the hard-to-hit fleas, but unexpectedly, they were now screaming at it to escape. However, the snake didn¡¯t understand why as its husband was coming soon, already just around the corner. It was even more fazed when they told it to tell its husband to run far away as well. The snake didn¡¯t understand why until both Gino and Archie vanished from their positions- along with the rest of their surroundings.
Gino watched Archie set up an enormous illusion that replaced all nearby dirt and void with oceans of turbid water and nauseating blue skies. He simply stared in awe despite having witnessed his partner¡¯s abilities many times first-hand. What he was seeing shouldn¡¯t have been possible even for an alien planet. Archie¡¯s ¡®Connection¡¯ ability didn¡¯t simply create a mirage; it somehow grabbed and twisted at reality to form the most realistic illusions possible. He could physically taste the salty ocean brine in the air and feel the cool, gentle breeze caressing his body and the ocean waves below. Out of any Concept Gino had experienced as of yet, this was by far the most unique as well as unbelievable. As he admired the scenery, Gino could have sworn that he felt a rush of pride coming from Archie, but he was probably mistaken because his companion was deeply concentrating on entrapping the snake with its eyes closed. He then turned his head in the direction of their opponent to analyze how the giant serpent was faring, only to laugh with mirth. It was desperately and frantically trying to get to higher ground, reminding him of a cat having a seizure just to avoid the touch of water. The high walls of the crater seemingly turned into slippery slopes that drastically hindered the snake in its attempts to escape. Gino didn¡¯t wait any longer and went on the offensive for the first time against the mother beast. With his strength as well as the inability to feel pain, he explosively launched himself off the ground towards the distracted snake. A sonic boom deafeningly rang out and echoed from within the crater¡¯s cavity. He reached the head of the creature in a moment¡¯s notice and flipped in mid-air once before delivering an aerial kick from up above. The snake had only just perceived Gino before it jerked sporadically as its head smashed into the arid earth, sending plumes of dust to spew out into the air not dissimilar to the eruption of a volcano. Gino¡¯s momentum in addition to the literal thousands of tons of snake mass flattened out a much smaller crater on the fringes of the larger one. As Gino was falling down to the ¡®waters¡¯ below, he quickly reviewed his attack and tried predicting what would most likely be the snake¡¯s next action. Archie¡¯s illusion was still in place, leading him to assume the snake wouldn¡¯t try retreating into the crater; it was ¡®filled¡¯ with murky and unpleasant-smelling water, and based on the creature¡¯s initial response to the aquatic environment, he deducted it would first move away from the ocean, but he was soon interrupted from his analysis. Gino didn¡¯t get to finish his thoughts as a gaping maw overflowing with sharp, tree-sized teeth loomed just below him, the head of the snake rapidly approaching him with fury deeply embedded in its eyes. !!! What the- that¡¯s not possible! It knows the water is an illusion?!? How?! Motherfu- He promptly entered the gates of the dragon. Chapter 8 ~ Swallowed Tales Gino wanted to face-palm himself. His plan had spectacularly backfired as he recklessly chose to rely on assumptions instead of carefully planning out his actions against his greatest - and largest - opponent as of yet. In his excitement and hubris, he had forgotten that he couldn¡¯t fly, forcing him to fall like Icarus under the whims of gravity and lack of hindsight. Currently, he was wedged in between the folds of flesh inside the snake¡¯s esophagus, trying his hardest to remain stationary. Seas of saliva and other viscous liquids enveloped and nearly engulfed him several times. His arms were already plunged deep inside the softer tissues of the snake, attempting to gain purchase and some traction. But he quickly discovered that it wasn¡¯t helping at all - the snake was producing strange secretions that were unexpectedly lubricious and somehow amplifying the surroundings to further reduce friction through unknown means. As Gino¡¯s arms were physically - but slowly - pushed out of the punctures they had made, he widened his eyes in disbelief and immediately understood what was happening. The giant mother snake had long since developed countermeasures against creatures it swallowed by preventing them from latching on to any internal surfaces in the first place; it had done so by creating some type of ingenious, natural combinations of fats, saliva, oils, and other chemicals to gradually pull its victims down its esophagus. He hadn¡¯t dug into flesh at all but rather slick, inflating puffs of blubber. Gino grasped at the flesh once more, hoping to delay the inevitable. He created another twin set of holes to serve as handholds, which also gave his mind a short respite from the building frustration. Gritting his teeth, Gino contemplated what he could do at the moment. Bursting out of the snake itself was the obvious goal to him, but he wasn¡¯t getting any chances to do so as there literally were waves of foul liquids caressing and wrapping around him. He felt pure disgust as they tugged at him, seemingly alluring him to the depths of the sinister, rotting-gray oceans of muck. Fucking gross. This has got to be a Concept, somehow. He spat before gagging and instantly cutting off his senses to taste and smell. Gino was starting to slip, and he knew it. He had most a few more minutes before he was whisked away to probably the snake¡¯s stomach acid or another unearthly organ that he definitely didn¡¯t want to experience first-hand. Time seemed to stretch as he hastily jogged his memories for possible opportunities. Gino ran his mind over his status screen, ignoring the hot-red colored number in his level and all other information besides his Concepts. He scanned through them, only to growl in irritation. After all this time, not a single. Fucking. Offensive. Concept. Gino had just been swallowed and, to his chagrin and despite having grown so much over the years, he was still powerless. I have 5 shitting Concepts of supernatural origin and not a single one could help me. ¡®Balance¡¯? ¡®Order¡¯? ¡®Awareness¡¯? Fuck. All doo-doo in combat. ¡®Reflection¡¯? The fuck am I supposed to do with that? Somehow pull out a reverse uno card and swallow the snake instead? This is insane! How have I NOT obtained anything useful in direct combat all this time on this damn planet? No firepower, destruction beams, supersonic screeches, molten spit, no nothing! Nothing! And ¡®Conversion¡¯? What can that even- oh. Gino would have slapped himself for ignoring such a blatant solution if it weren¡¯t for his predicament. Zipping his mouth completely shut, he clenched the folds of snake fat with both hands and then willed. Gradually, a change occurred deep within the ocean of saliva and slimy fluids. Minutes later, graphite-gray bubbles slowly began rising to its surface, increasing in number and intensity as time continued to pass. The snake¡¯s esophagus shuddered briefly. Gino promptly closed his eyes and hoped for the best as he may have committed himself to another impetuous plan. He sighed mentally. Some time ago, Gino had transmuted all the liquids around him to something he was painfully familiar with- lava. His thoughts about the Molten Antlions and a certain Concept responsible for his new situation simmered to the top of his mind just when he felt and heard the snake trembling and then roaring in escalating intensity. Bubbles of noxious gas continued to pop. The Concept of Conversion was an unusual ability, even for Gino. It was one that he rarely used throughout the years because its use was rather limited in scope and effectiveness, making it something that was always put on the back-burners or hidden within the backdrop of his thoughts from time to time. More often than not, Gino¡¯s personal strength and ¡®Reflection¡¯ were more than enough to get a task done with decent efficiency. However, ¡®Conversion¡¯ was different as it took longer to activate and allowed only one specific capability: converting from one substance to another in extremely unfair amounts- the output would always be less than the input. When Gino discovered what ¡®Conversion¡¯ could actually do, to his dismay, he had analyzed that it was awfully cumbersome to activate and only worked when he was in direct contact with non-living substances. But before Gino could delve deeper in his memories, he was suddenly shaken out of his thoughts and wanted to open his eyes out of instinct, nearly forgetting about the lava. Confusedly, he heard multiple, reverberating howls that were so loud, they drowned out the sounds made by the sizzling, superheated secretions he was being stewed in. Gino wasn¡¯t sure which roar was whose, but he thought he heard the voice of his companion somewhere in there. Hope Archie¡¯s doing okay. Not much time passed, I think, and I¡¯m pretty sure that the snake is much slower, so Archie should have an easy time escaping. But why were there more than two voices? Did something else come?! Who the fuck would attack this thing?!? Not wanting to join a bigger mess than he was currently in, Gino decided the time was now to escape. He had made several mistakes already and now desired to retreat for the time being; he could always come back for the snake when his preparations were ready as he had concluded that killing it was still possible if ¡®Reflection¡¯ was used properly. Dense smoke and burnt meat permeated the enclosed space while lava boiled everything in its path- with the exception of Gino, who simply reflected any damage on himself to the tissues surrounding him. The walls of flesh and fat lining the esophagus melted at a steady pace, all its liquids vaporized by the heat and kindly facilitated by Gino. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He managed to grapple with a loosely hanging part of the snake¡¯s esophagus and swung a fist at it, feeling the spot blackened and dry. A slight tremor rang out but Gino ignored it as he rammed his fists at the same location repeatedly until a large tear was formed. He quickly entered it and continued his rampage, aiming for the outside of the snake. Another tremor coalesced before a distressed roar followed it. Gino could feel that the snake was desperate and in dire straits. He genuinely hoped that the snake didn¡¯t have any way to deal with him right now as there wasn¡¯t much he could do if it actually did. Still, he trudged onwards, knowing that he was going to break free soon and would rather deal with the consequences until then. And when he did, Gino promised that the snake would not have a happy ending. If he didn¡¯t kill it, most likely the lava would over time. Time unknowingly trickled by until a drastic development occurred. He suddenly felt the snake¡¯s flesh becoming harder and more brittle in nature, leading him to realize that he was most likely hitting scales or some type of biologically defensive armor. Gino clenched his teeth in anticipation and started to punch out even harder, yearning for fresh oxygen or whatever gases the outside atmosphere contained. He didn¡¯t really need them to live, but he couldn¡¯t stand the snake¡¯s internal atmosphere any longer; it smelled terribly and made him want to have a gag reflex just so he could vomit in revulsion. To him, the experience was almost as bad as that time with the Antlions; the primary difference was that Gino could actually escape by himself inside the snake. Numerous rigid scales cracked and shattered to pieces as he lashed out with increasing ferocity. By this point, Gino couldn¡¯t see flesh anymore. It was a good indication he was nearly out, serving as positive reinforcement to his mental and physical states. He eventually reached a scale much larger and more sturdier than all the ones he had broken. Gino¡¯s hands quivered in excitement as he knew what that meant. With one final blow, Gino finally saw what he was waiting for: multicolored, glistening stars and drifting clouds of wispy grey pictured on a midnight-blue backdrop just outside the hole he made. Restlessly, Gino made the hole a little larger so he could exit, and promptly left. I¡¯m free, finally! That took so long, and- and I never, ever want to do that again and- He didn¡¯t get to finish his joyful rambling as an unfathomably massive, obsidian-black tail laced with intricate patterns of ruby slammed into Gino, caught unaware, and hurled him at meteoric speed towards the incredibly distant ground far, far below. There was no time to scream or even register what had happened before he found himself deeply immersed into the earth. A pinprick of light up above made him realize how deep he was from surface level. Widening his eyes in shock, Gino quickly snapped out of his stupor, spat out dessicated dirt, and frantically dug towards the light. He did not want to be trapped again. Gino bursted out of the ground, debris rocketing away from his point of exit and falling like rain back down to the scorched earth. He spat out even more dirt and some rocks, and furiously glowered at his surroundings. However, before he could identify the perpetrator, a notification encapsulated by a very familiar blue box appeared in his vision. !!
Gino Faulkner Of Insight [T] {obtained}
What the¡­? ¡®Insight¡¯? The heck is¡­ Another notification presented itself again, immediately accompanied by another one.
Achievements Unlocked Achievement ''Witness of Taled Fables'' {obtained} >> Few have witnessed creatures of signficant achievements Achievement ''Survivor of Evolved Goliath'' {obtained} >> Fewer have lived to tell the tale of withstanding an attack from the Evolved Goliath Descriptions Unlocked
Gino Faulkner Of Insight [T] ¡ú [X]
Too surprised to react, Gino silently looked up from his status screen. He internally gasped with sheer alarm and incredulity. Towering hundreds of feet in front of him lay a gargantuan entity whose heads eclipsed the sun. Eyes as glossy as the surface of a garnet lake and boasting a presence that could dwarf a mountain range, the humongous, serpentine entity narrowed its collective five eyes on its two heads at the tiny figure of Gino. A much smaller snake next to it glared at him with burning hatred.
Evolved Goliath Serpent Level: 2867
Lesser Goliath Serpent Level: 1331
You have got to be kidding me. They had levels the entire time?! Chapter 9 ~ Starting Tales When Gino was a child, he would often visit construction sites around his city¡¯s orphanage. It never ceased to fascinate him, these man-made concrete giants, a product of immense effort and will; they made him marvel at how all such buildings started off as an insignificant layer of concrete beneath the ground. And slowly, but surely, it was always only a matter of time until their constructions finished. Gino saw it as an inevitability. Days and weeks and then months would quickly pass by until each edifice was finally completed, their awe-inspiring statures radiating a sense of permanence and comfort to those who needed shelter, hope. As he would watch with mixed emotions the finishing touches of each towering structure representative of man¡¯s refusal to give in to nature and desire to defy gravity, Gino wished that he too could be like these prideful monoliths of human ingenuity and ambition. But never could he have imagined that there would be a day in which he would fight heart and soul, teeth and aching muscle against such colossal structures. To him in the past, it would have been an unimaginable dream. But now, it was everything.
Gino roared with rage as he slammed his right fist into the incoming mountain of a tail. Right before he collided with it, he forcefully activated ¡®Reflection.¡¯ WVooommmMnm. An explosion of sound was instantly created, leaving behind a shockwave so intense that it rent the very earth into countless chunks and particles of fine dust. Storm clouds of massive proportions coughed down bitter rain and crumbling fragments of rocks and detritus that bombarded the ground in resentful echoes. In the midst of the maelstrom of chaotic phenomena stood Gino, a figure so bedraggled that he no longer wore clothing and was leaning heavily on his left leg. He was nursing his right arm and hand to recover them faster while his eyes glared sharp daggers at the calamitous creature that casually left him in such dreadful conditions. The Evolved Goliath equally stared back with undisguised rancor and also with a tinge of wariness. Fuck! ¡®Reflection¡¯ doesn¡¯t work on it. What the fuck is this monstrosity?! That thing- that thing shouldn¡¯t exist! I sensed it using multiple concepts already. Just- what..? What am I- what, the fuck?! Something involving rain, clouds, barriers, earth, and vision. All of them, whatever they are, are insanely powerful. Maybe accuracy is thrown in there too? How else can it attack me so concisely? I¡¯m a literal ant compared to it, dammit. Okay, calm down, calm down. There has to be something I can do here. I can¡¯t escape from it, I have no Concepts that can help me escape that. I can¡¯t fight it directly either, our level differences and sizes are too great. Gino heard more than saw the gigantic tail approaching him again. He cursed before jumping with all his strength further to his left. Another enormous implosion of sound and earthy terror crushed the ground, his previous position now entirely eviscerated. Subsequently, he violently impacted into a protruding slab of earth as he was in mid-air when the Goliath¡¯s tail made contact with the earth. Groaning, Gino slid down from the damp slab and shakily tried standing up, small pools of rain dripping down his face as a consequence. He clicked his teeth in anger at how brittle his bones were before surveying the situation again. The serpent was still observing him as its tail was preparing another onslaught of miniature earthquakes and irreparable environmental damage. This is stupid! I¡¯m going to die at this rate if I can¡¯t escape or fight back. This fucking rain isn¡¯t helping and I feel like hot, wet crap. Aaurgh! Come on, Gino. Think, think. You¡¯ve been in worse situations before- no, no I haven¡¯t! What am I talking about!? I¡¯m fighting an actual Godzilla at this point, fuck! I can¡¯t defeat this thing. I can¡¯t. This is utterly impossible. I haven¡¯t even reached level 0 yet! Okay, okay, stop thinking about that Gino. Calm thoughts, calm thoughts. I am calm. I am calm. I. AM. CALM. Okay, what- what can I do right now? ¡®Reflection¡¯ isn¡¯t the answer. Neither is ¡®Balance,¡¯ ¡®Order,¡¯ ¡®Conversion¡¯, ¡®Awareness¡¯, and ¡®Insight.¡¯ Okay. Now what? Digging into the ground? Can¡¯t. Won¡¯t be able to escape from that Lesser Goliath and the bigger one can obliterate the earth whoever-knows-how-deep. Illusions? Can¡¯t either. Archie¡¯s not here, I have no idea where he is. Hopefully, he¡¯s far away from here by now. His mind continued racing, frantically striving to capture any opportunity he could grasp and rapidly churning out plausible plans. As Gino did so, platters of ocean water endlessly fell down from the skies and drenched the barren earth into oblivion. Gales of powerful winds hissed at him and reconvened elsewhere in the heavyset, cumulonimbus clouds to continue their torment on the inhabitants down below. Both Goliathes remained static, still eyeing the unmoving twig of a creature that was Gino with varying degrees of uncertainty and determination to kill. The smaller serpent had moved itself on top of the larger one for further protection so it could safely regenerate without care. Flashes of lightning struck erratically while hail gradually began to form. The severe changes in the weather barely affected the two entities as they had long since been accustomed to such environments. Gino, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t faring too well. His body was utterly soaked and struggled to shrug off fist-sized balls of hail and freezing rain. They weren¡¯t detrimental to his health but it was gradually becoming a bigger nuisance as he proceeded to think deeply. He stood still uncomfortably and silently gazed at his enemies. As long as they weren¡¯t moving, Gino resolutely concluded that his situation couldn¡¯t get any worse- yet. He had time, albeit a miniscule amount of it, to enact something. The serpents would directly approach him eventually and he had to figure out something by then. One was already a formidable opponent, and two would simply be overwhelming regardless of the newcomer Goliath being monstrously more powerful than the other. Okay, I think I have an objective. Ridiculous or not, it¡¯s better than nothing. I have to somehow get inside that Evolved Goliath¡¯s body, preferably its head, and attack the shit out of it. The Lesser Goliath didn¡¯t have any Concept to make it physically sturdier or more resilient to damage. That better be the case for the Evolved Goliath as well. If it does however, I die at least trying. But if I don¡¯t do anything, I die anyway. Lose-lose situation with all to lose and few to gain besides surviving. That Achievements section and ¡®Insight¡¯ are worth jack shit for now, and it definitely wasn¡¯t worth fighting these monsters of monsters to get them. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Gino briefly squinted through the downpour and tensely observed the serpents. He detected movement but wasn¡¯t sure what they were planning. But speaking of achievements, that¡¯s a note of interest. The status screen mentioned something about receiving a title just because I saw the Evolved Goliath and another title for surviving one hit from it¡­ However¡­ was it that impressive of a feat? It hits hard and is probably the size of the tallest mountain on this planet, but is that actually worthy of an accomplishment? That¡¯s like saying you win a million dollars for seeing the President of the United States in person, and then another million dollars for surviving after being hit by the President¡¯s car. Stupid example but that¡¯s all I can come up with. A massive thunderbolt struck the ground, revealing the pitch-black silhouette of the Lesser Goliath and the pulsing-red patterns etched on the Evolved Goliath in all its glory. Gino subconsciously noticed that the creatures still stared at him with their unnatural, gleaming orbs of alien intelligence and mystifying shades of black and dark-green. Why should ¡®witnessing¡¯ and then ¡®surviving after being struck¡¯ be such a big deal and worth that much? And why give it an achievement¡­? Are there not other massive creatures just like it who also have insane accomplishments or whatever bullshit and hit like a bulldozer as well? Are there not other people who witnessed the President and could potentially live after an accident with the car? Like, why all this specificity? Why me? Just what, what am I missing here? There has to be something here! I just need more time- fuck. The smaller one¡¯s beginning to move again. Fuck me. They¡¯re starting their attack aren¡¯t they? Gino grinded his teeth together and tightly clenched his fists, bracing himself for the tail to come swinging his way. He changed his stance as the Lesser Goliath hopped off the bigger one. From his position, he saw puffs of debris exploding from the ground as the smaller serpent landed roughly on fragmented terra. It then immediately dug straight into the earth. But to his surprise, the Evolved Goliath also began moving as well, shaking the very ground with every slither it took. Rather than panicking, Gino calmly released a deep breath and maintained his train of thoughts. He could no longer see where the smaller serpent was, but he knew it was most likely burrowing directly toward him. A two-pronged attack. The bigger one takes my attention from above ground while the other snake ambushes me from below when I¡¯m distracted. Clever, and would¡¯ve been effective against any other creature except me. The attack is simple to execute and difficult to defend, but that leaves me with only one option. I have to counterattack. Reaching the head of the Goliath is now possible. The Lesser Goliath won¡¯t make it in time to help its ally. There¡¯s a high chance that both wouldn¡¯t expect me to attack while also having a goal in mind. They¡¯re incredibly intelligent but not human-level intelligent, I hope. Better now than later. They should already know¡­ an animal is at its most dangerous when cornered. Gino rushed forwards just as the earth behind him erupted to release the Lesser Goliath from its hiding spot. So it chose to directly attack. Okay, the probability of a successful counterattack definitely increased. I can outrun the smaller snake and reach the Evolved snake¡¯s body before it can. I don¡¯t think they know what I¡¯m planning; the Lesser Goliath is literally herding me toward its partner. The terrain pelted him with all forms of obstacles as water, earth, and wind fought against his approach and slowed him down slightly. Rain covered the ground in slick coatings while numerous boulders spiked up from the surface, preventing him from moving in straight lines. Winds heralded bullets of hail at Gino in its attempts to maim and potentially trip him. However, he rapidly crossed the terrain in smooth, unperturbed motions as if there was nothing capable of stopping his charge- his determination. Furiously, he evaded the swirling combinations of nature trying desperately to halt his advance through any means it could; Gino coldly entered critical thinking as he was making progress towards the Evolved Goliath. He suddenly jumped into the air as the ground below him launched the smaller Goliath at him. It rose up from unknown depths as it opened its maws, intending on swallowing him again. Seeing such a questionable choice of action again, Gino promptly punched the air to shift him to his right, sending him flying away from the snake¡¯s mouth while dislocating his arm in the process. He tumbled into a smooth roll once he landed on the ground and picked up speed. As Gino sprinted, he repositioned his arm to working condition and contemplated his choices. He could see an enormous tail accurately hurling towards him. How can I reach its head? Climbing it is an option but I have no idea if it has other defensive Concepts or if its scales are too slippery to mount. There has to be some way. Wait, how about I use the Lesser Goliath as a trampoline? If I time it right, I can catapult myself using its momentum when it comes out of the ground again. Okay, okay. I can also use ¡®Reflection¡¯ to boost my launching speed as well. This is risky, but I don¡¯t have a choice, do I? And- and the tail! I can use that too! But how- Just as the ginormous tail was about to reach him, Gino felt the ground underneath him beginning to shudder. He instantly knew the smaller snake was about to explode out again. This is it. The aggressive storm up above momentarily paused as the Goliath¡¯s tail unintentionally provided him shelter. Archie. Wherever you are- The earth lifted up Gino as a serpentine head speedily arose from it and spitefully glared at him all the while with its jaws as wide as possible. He deliberately placed himself on the lips of the beast before blasting off it, soaring directly into the tail approaching him. -I will make it out of this, alive. Instead of punching it like in his past encounter, Gino chose to deeply pierce into the tail¡¯s scales only for a millisecond. His arms dug into the Evolved serpent¡¯s flesh before he instantaneously swung himself in the direction that preserved much of his upwards momentum. Gino flashed passed the sides of the enormous tail and continued elevating his height until he reached the upper neck of the Goliath. It promptly roared in abrupt fury, sending out shockwaves of compressed atmospheric gases all across its surroundings; however, none came close to hitting him. Gino hastily climbed. He barely made it to the Evolved Goliath¡¯s head just as it started rapidly shaking its head in its attempts to throw him off. However, Gino had already embedded his two arms into the outermost scales of the top of the beast¡¯s head. He hung on for dear life as the snake went berserk. Shit! I can¡¯t believe that worked! As Gino clung to the frenzied serpent, he gradually realized how far from the ground he truly was. He glanced at the restless Lesser Goliath far below before looking far into the distance. His mouth then dropped in disbelief. Oh shit! Just gotta stick on until, until I find a way inside its head. Can¡¯t even breathe properly, haha! But I don¡¯t need, need gases, oxygen, though? Phew, huh, shit. Wow- I can¡¯t even, huh- wait what? What..? For the second time since his arrival in this new world, Gino questioned his existence and reality itself. His eyes glazed at a particular sight without blinking, unable to tear his attention away from it despite the constant bobbing and tempestuous head movements of the Goliath. Far into the distance, beyond the mountain ranges, Gino saw a familiar blue planet dotted with dull greens and various whites. He hazily whispered. Earth. Story continuing in 1~2 weeks! Hey guys! Sorry for not posting the next chapter already. For some reason, I was suddenly inspired to write the beginnings of several other novels. Chapters will be up within these 2 weeks, and I might be creating another new story soon.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Cya then! ... ... .. .. ... ... .. .. . ...... ... ... .. .. .. .. . ... ... ... .. .. .. .. .. . ... ... .. .. .. .. ......... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ... .... .... .. .