《LitRPG:  Grand Age - Lord Of Bloodlines》


 1. The Offer

    "You promised we would split the loot between us Nira!! Why would you betray me like this!? You know how important this is to me!"


    "Like anyone would believe your story... Why would anyone trust anyone in a game where it is everyone for themselves. Adrian, we have been companions for a long time, but that is all it ever was. When I sell this loot, I can finally get out of the dump I currently live in... If it is anything to you, I am sorry, I am, but I have to do this. For myself."


    The cave flashed with a bright light, and only one person remained. A man clad in black leather armor was half propped up against one of the cavern walls. He was leaking blood everywhere and looked near death, but his eyes were blazing with life.


    Adrian slammed his armored fists into the floor. Again, it had happened! Every time he thought he could trust a person, they betrayed him. This girl was only one among countless others, who had let him down. He had considered her a true friend, the only one he had, but now...


    It had been like this ever since his birth. Born with progeria, his lifespan was doomed to be short. Only through modern solutions had he been kept alive this long, now his broken and frail body was shackled to a bed, by invisible fetters.


    After he turned 10 years old, the only thing left to him was games. When he was born and diagnosed with the disease, his parents had left him in an orphanage. The state had taken care of him for nearly 20 years now. Normally, people were left to fend for themselves when they turned 18, but not Adrian. He could not, not with his good for nothing body.


    In less than a week, his birthday would arrive, but with it, his last day on earth. His only hope till now had been to catch an item of unrivaled value in a game and sell it. If he did, he might be able to afford to transfer his consciousness to a braindead body.


    Yet now... I... It''s over. Why is fate so cruel to me? I, whose fate has dealt such a bad hand... have to die before I even turn 20 years old... Never shall I be with a girl, never could I go to school, and never could I play with friends. Now it also takes my last hope from me... Fine. I give up. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Out loud he spoke, "Log out".


    A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. They were heavy as usual. Slowly the room came into focus. Staring into the ceiling, Adrian sighed deeply. I guess I will never get used to the feeling of leaving the game and going back to my useless prison of a body.


    Flicking with his eyes, he ordered the retina scanner controlling the bed to put him in a sitting position. Slowly, he got into a comfortable position. He could hear pops as his back changed position.


    Sending a thought to the computer he was linked with, a screen blurred into existence in front of him. After a few flicks with his eyes, he had gone over the most recent news. Nothing that could excite him. The last wild tiger in the world was dead. Just another species lost. It happened daily.


    Earth was no longer what it used to be. Climate, wildlife, and nearly every other natural function were now controlled by humanity. Cloning diseased species, controlling weather and temperature. You name it. These days, nobody cared about natural things anymore.


    Heck, the only thing scientists cared about these days was enhancing the human body. Not that Adrian cared about that. He had enough on his plate. Adrian would have approved if the research would someday make someone in the same situation live a better life. But now... He felt incredibly bitter.


    With an internal sigh, he checked his email. It would usually remain empty. Few people had it, and even fewer sent him anything. Mostly it was well wishes, or some priest asking him what he wanted for his cremation. But today something caught his eye.


    The title read; "Dear Mr. Adrian, we have an offer for you. - GAIAinc."


    Not sure what to think, Adrian sent the open command.


    The content of the mail was short but concise:


    "Dear Mr. Adrian, we have heard of your situation as we went over potential personage that could be used in an experiment of ours. Do we hear you like video games? Well, we have an offer that takes care of both your problem and your love for video games. We are offering you to be the first person on earth to have your consciousness transferred into a game. More specifically our revolutionary VRMMO Grand Age. Think over it thoroughly, once you do the process, there is no going back.


    We send you our best wishes and condolences should you not take our offer. - Miranda, assistant director in the developer department."


    Adrian had to read the content over several times for it to sink in. With an internal scream of joy, the fire in his eyes began to blaze again. It appears fate had one more card to play! Living in a video game... Well, what choice do I have? It''s this or death...


    After a moment''s hesitation, he began dictating a reply...

 2. Leaving This World

    Adrian did not sleep much that night. How could anyone blame him? After all, it is not every day that someone who lived on the executioner''s block for years learns that the ax isn''t coming. Thinking about it, Adrian couldn''t even sit still for a second. His life was going to change forever. So he spent that night browsing the internet or looking through his photo album. He even took the time to feast on what food reserves he had left. After all, leaving it seemed a waste.


    Though dawn couldn''t come soon enough for Adrian, the wait was something bound to happen. Adrian managed to endure though, and at six the next morning, he was already sitting in his hovering wheelchair right next to the entrance to his apartment. It felt like the silence stretched on forever, but eventually, he heard a loud beeping noise. The time had finally come...


    The travel by hovercar didn''t take long. The man who came to pick up Adrian was an android. You couldn''t tell the difference in most cases, but if you paid attention, you would notice the stiffness androids added to an android''s face. They might be able to act like humans, have expressions like a human, but that was about it. The drive was a silent one as such, chatting with an android? Adrian might be far gone, but he wasn''t quite there yet.


    By the time the car came to a stop, Adrian could feel butterflies fluttering in the pit of his malnourished stomach. Though he had feasted the night before, filling up that ditch would have taken more than a hard night''s work. Especially considering his unusual eating habits.


    As Adrian''s wheelchair floated down the ramp from the car, he blinked carefully, adjusting to the bright light. It would probably be prudent of him to have worn sunglasses, considering he never went out. Yet there would not be many who could gaze up at the majestic mirror-like structure ahead of him without squinting. Adrian had seen similar structures before, but things changed quickly in this modern age. He had never seen anything quite like this before.


    The building ahead of him was what some might consider a masterpiece, tall and imposing, with polished surfaces reflecting the bright morning rays of the sun like a sculpture made of ice. Adrian would be impressed if he actually could gaze at it without seeing stars dancing across his eyes. At the lower part of the building was a sign, with flowing lines of letters glowing in the bright light of specter lightning saying; Intra Hospes Eram, et Novi Orbis Terrarum Invenire. Enter stranger, and find a new world. Or so his iris scanner told him.


    Beneath the massive facade of the structure, was a grand staircase. Wide enough to encompass at least a thousand people walking at the same time. Right now though, barely a few hundred were walking up and down on it. People leaving from a night''s work, or people just starting their day.


    Some among the crowd took quick passing looks at Adrian as his wheelchair hovered past, but almost completely ignored his presence. As if he was air. Not that it surprised Adrian too much, at least they didn''t gloat at him. It was not until he came to the entrance that people started looking at him oddly. What on earth could a cripple be doing in a place like this?


    The magnificent entrance of the building was nothing more than a plasma bubble, keeping the temperature in, while simultaneously letting fresh air in. As Adrian floated through the bubble he felt a cold refreshing feeling wash over him in an instant, then the feeling was gone. Ahead of him was a majestic hall, built in the style of ancient nations. Architecture from all ages was present here. Greek, Roman, and new architecture from the 80s before the second millennium.


    Some might call it tasteless, but it oddly enough fit into the atmosphere of the modern age. After all, people did anything they wanted these days. Seeing people wearing horns or face masks was nothing unusual, heck, people even changed their skin color to shades of violet if it suited them.


    Adrian''s hoverchair came to a halt as he approached the magnificent reception area, where several workers bustled about. It wasn''t hard to tell that most of the workers were androids of the greatest quality, their every movement was filled with grace, and completed numerous tasks in seconds. Behind the reception area was another plaque like the one outside, it read GAIAinc. Beneath it was several massive screens, featuring in-game footage from various games the company had produced over the years.


    There was everything from MMORPGs, FPS games, and even VRMMO games. Sci-fi to high fantasy, it appeared you could find anything you wished for up there. The scenes from the games were featured in either first-person view or from a movie third-person perspective. Everything looked so real, that you might as well be looking outside a window. They also featured scenes turned into movies, with slow-motion enacting at every great sequence. Showing sparks flying as blades meet, the shock waves from canons detonating in galactic space warfare.


    It was all Adrian could do to not fall of his seat in excitement. If he could move that was... Eventually, he regained his wits and controlled his chair to approach the reception area. He didn''t notice at first, but the android waiting for him, was in the guise of an angel from a religion of old, with magnificent white feathered wings spread out behind her. She was a real beauty, unearthly even. With long blond curls falling to her waist. Her face was like that of the most beautiful flower in existence, perhaps surpassing that. Her bodily curves were easily flaunted by the thin piece of satin she was wearing. If he could gulp, Adrian would have done so already. His gaze was quickly drawn to the hidden mounds protruding beneath that magnificent dress. He could only fantasize about what the rest of her, hidden behind the desk looked like.


    He quickly averted his eyes, nervous as he was when he saw her gaze fall upon him. Her eyes were like two bright torches shining with the color of amber. This brought him back to earth, however, as he recalled she was an android. He quickly sent a mental command to the console on his chair, and a voice similar to what his own would have been came out.


    "Good morning, my name is Adrian, I have an appointment here with miss Miranda? She knows I am coming."


    The android gave a quick nod and turned sideways towards a keyboard, even further enunciating her figure. It was all Adrian could do to keep his thoughts from going out through his console. My, my, he thought, Androids these days sure are something. I should have browsed more on the internet, to think they have made such progress in just ten years...


    While Adrian was occupied by such thoughts, the android turned back to face him. She didn''t speak, but gave another curt nod, and pointed a graceful hand towards an elegant elevator made of glass to the left of the reception area. Adrian did not think her attitude odd. Androids had personalities, after all, if a bit stiff. One like her, she would probably have a personality similar to an angel. Arrogant and above everything else in existence. Well, at least he thought that might be the case.


    Adrian and the android escorting him made their way over to the elevator, and it opened on its own. As Adrian stepped into the elevator, the angel behind the desk pressed a button, and the elevator began moving. But it didn''t ascend, as Adrian thought it would, no, it began descending. Eventually, all Adrian could see was darkness, only the faint blue light from something in the ceiling gave him some vision at all.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The trip felt like a journey into hell. Or at least Adrian supposed it could be thought of like that. It certainly went on for a long time, and when he was down there, he probably didn''t have much of a chance of ever coming back. Not that it mattered really, he was heading for a new world after all.


    Finally, after, what felt like an hour, the elevator stopped. As the doors opened, bright light met Adrian''s eyes. They were in a chamber of massive proportions, walls of the hard cold alloy were everywhere around them, bright lights reflecting on their surfaces. A woman was standing a few paces away from the elevator. She was dressed in a white suit, her face rather strict, but warm at the same time. Her short black hair was tied up in a ponytail. She oozed of the sentence; "I worked hard all my life to get here, do not waste my time.¡± Or so Adrian thought.


    This was Miranda whom he had corresponded with the night before. She was rather pretty and looked young, but Adrian wouldn''t trust anyone to be what they seemed in this day and age. Age was just a number now, some people could be kept alive for what seemed eternity now. Just look at the current president of the union, he had been around since its founding, a hundred years ago, and he still looked like a middle-aged man.


    "You must be Mr. Adrian? A pleasure to meet you, young man, I am Miranda. We have been so excited to finally meet you. The company has been watching you for a long time now. It''s not every day we find the perfect candidate for our new games. Especially considering that the game in question this time is our greatest creation to date, Grand Age Online. You must be quite impatient by now, so let''s get straight to business shall we?" She said all of this in one breath, before turning around in a flowing motion and walking further into the great complex.


    Adrian sat there, slightly numb from this impressive display of breath, but quickly caught up with her swift strides. She had one thing down for sure, he was damned if he could wait for another instant to get started. As they advanced further into the great work of steel, she kept talking like a bubbling fountain without end.


    She went over everything from his legal rights to what he would be leaving behind. Adrian didn''t even get the chance to ask any questions, she answered them all for him. As it turned out, the newly developed technology at GAIAinc was one where they turned the human consciousness, something intangible and abstract, into something solid.


    As she explained it, it was like coding an android. Taking code and turning it into a living being, capable of consciousness. It was like creating life. In one way, it was the ultimate peak of creation, turning something like a rock into a talking rock with thoughts and feelings. Just this time, it was the other way around. They wanted to take a human consciousness and turn it into an AI code. Exactly how this was done, she did not explain, but the gist of it was that he would become a string of code. Except he did not suffer under the suppressive codes AI did. He was free of anything like it, and would only be bound to the codes of the world he was entering. He would also, quite literally, be immortal. As his data would exist forever, saved on a backup drive, at the moment time he entered the digital world.


    This meant that in theory, if he grew tired of living in one world, he could just reset himself back to the time of entrance. Keeping the memories he wanted from the first world, and start fresh in a new game world if he wanted to. Of course, this was a tedious and costly process, but Miranda assured him that since he would, in a sense, become an employee at the company forever, they would cover his every expense for the rest of his life.


    Adrian sucked all of this in like a sponge. Thinking that this new life wouldn''t be so bad after all. Eventually, after traversing endless corridors without end. They came to an office, with a bright plaque on the door. It read; Miranda ¡ª Assistant Director. Miranda swiped her hand before the door, and with a beep, it opened into a spacious office. With walls of holographic screens featuring a bright landscape of an ocean, and the floor being a beach of sand beneath them.


    Miranda collected something from her desk and brought it over to Adrian. "This is the contract between us, its content exactly word for word, of what I told you on the way here. I take it you will be satisfied with the terms. This is a retinal seal, just look at it for a while, and blink thrice if you agree to the terms of the agreement."


    Adrian looked thoughtfully at the ceiling for a few seconds, then determination filled his eyes as he turned his gaze onto the retinal scanner screen. He then blinked three times in rapid succession and drew a sharp breath as the screen turned green in affirmation of his choice.


    "Superb! Then I suppose we should head to the lab at once. Before you know, you will have set foot in a brand-new world, my young friend." She smiled at him as she said that, she looked happy for him. Adrian didn''t care if it was real or not, all that mattered was that he was getting a new start.


    They kept going for quite a while, up and down staircases, through doors and corridors. Along the way, Adrian occasionally saw some scientists walk past, security or just ordinarily dressed people in suits. They gall ave a nod in greeting towards the director as they went past, sometimes even giving a quick smile at Adrian as if they knew who he was. Adrian supposed they did, after all, he was the test subject they were all waiting for.


    Finally, they entered a great laboratory, with so much fancy and flashy tech that Adrian didn''t exactly know where to look. There he was led to a bed like the one he used to spend his days in at home. Only this time it looked much more inviting. The finest cushions were waiting for him in there. All around the bed ran plenty of wires and tubes, clearly meant for the experiment at hand.


    After a quick greeting and talk with the chief scientist there, Adrian was helped into the bed. Soon there was a myriad of doctors and tech staff running all around him, hooking him up to one tube and wire after another. It must have taken near an hour before they finished. With the last contraption being a metal band of sorts glued to his bald head. Finally, they all came over to look at him.


    One after the other, they began wishing him well and good luck in the new world. Some even claimed to be envious of him. Eventually, the only one left was Miranda.


    "So, this is goodbye for now young Adrian. Are you ready? This will be a completely new experience for all of us, but most of all you. You will soon leave this world behind forever, but you will have a grand world waiting for you where you are going. No longer constrained by the old prison your body has been for you in this life. We will contact you sooner or later if all goes to plan. But fear not, we are going to give you all the freedom you would ever want in the new world, but remember, this world will be as realistic as possible in some ways. Everything that you have thought of as a game in this life, will now be a reality for you. Pain, joy, agony, excitement even sex and death will seem real now. So prepare yourself as best you can. Good luck, and goodbye Adrian, I can only wish you all the best." And with that, she smiled at him, before turning around and walking away.


    Adrian was all alone now. It was just him and the ceiling. He would be lying if he said he wasn''t nervous. After all, this would be real death, but on the other hand, he had been prepared to die for years now. At least now he had something to look forward to. He could hear the sound of voices and machines powering up. Then he sensed the wires and tubes fastened to him tighten. All were active now.


    He started feeling drowsy.


    "Final depth immersion sequence completed. Commencing transmission in 10 seconds."


    Ah... So this it, huh? No more earth, no more endless imprisonment in this shell of a body...


    "Nine"


    I wonder if there are angles where I am going, and some hot fantasy babes too... I don''t want to be a virgin in the next life.


    "Eight"


    What if my parents could see me now? Would they envy me? I wish I at least knew who they were...


    "Seven"


    I hope there aren''t any real people where I am going. At least for a while... I think I want some time just to be left in peace...


    "Six"


    There better not be any other players at least! I don''t think I can handle another backstabber...


    "Five"


    At least not one like the last one... Damn that bitch! No, I hope she shows up in the game someday. I''m going to PK her till she gives up and never plays again!


    "Four"


    Oh, I bet there is going to be a class system in this game too! Or at least I hope there is...


    "Three"


    Damn! They never told me anything about what to expect! Why didn''t I ask before!? Holy crap, this could be a sci-fi game for all I know! Shit! I don''t even play sci-fi games!


    "Two"


    FUCK! Hey, STOP! I WANT TO ASK WHAT TYPE OF GAME THIS IS!?? WHAT IF IT''S SOME SORT OF BL WORLD!?


    "One"


    OH SHIIIT! SCREW IT ALL! NEW WORLD HERE I COME!!


    ....


    "... Transmission completed. Welcome to Grand Age Online."

 3. A New World, And Old Memories

    Adrian was drifting in darkness. Or so he thought, he could feel that his eyes were open, and he could still see nothing. Now that wasn''t quite right... Yes, now he remembered! He did not have a body anymore! But then why did he feel like he did?! He started to panic now. Then that panic escalated as he noticed the fact that he wasn''t breathing, nor could he feel any constriction in his chest. Of course, he didn''t have any lounges either!


    It was so disturbing, yet also liberating at the same time. He felt no discomfort due to his sick body any longer, at the same time, he found that he missed it right now. He supposed this was how it felt to be a baby before birth, except this baby would have to be conscious and capable of remembering what was happening.


    After what seemed like an age, he noticed a tiny dot in the distance. It was a white speck of shining dust in the dark. Ah hell, he thought, this must be how it would be like for a soul to go to heaven! Not that he was a big fan of the idea, peace and eternal love didn''t sound quite to his taste at the moment. He wanted to get rid of his virginity after all, and he didn''t think his chances would improve in eternal paradise.


    Nor did he think a guy with his kind of thoughts would have much of a chance to go up instead of down. Now that he thought about it, was this really up?? What if he was going down instead?! Suddenly heaven did not sound so bad. Then he caught himself, reality was knocking on the door and wanted back in. This was just the process of loading him into the game''s system. He began to relax and began playing around with thoughts in his mind.


    To his astonishment, he found that he could do any calculations instantly, in fact, he didn''t even need to do them. He supposed processing information quickly had to be an AI perk. He wondered if the same went for his memory? There were certainly no holes in that part of him, he could actually see every moment of his life, as clearly as if it had just happened. He could pause them and even rewind them with a simple thought.


    The further back Adrian traveled in his memories, the more shocked he got. There were a lot of things he had forgotten or neglected in these memories. The thoughts and experiences he had back then were without an issue, nothing new. On the other hand, the things he had seen in the memories were new additions. Small details, notes, numbers, and names in abundance. The further back he went, the more details he saw. He flashed past his early days in school, kindergarten, the orphanage until finally, it came to a stop.


    In his mind''s eye, he could clearly see an image before him. It was from his days as a babe, before he even developed a proper memory. How this memory could even be drawn out remained a mystery to him, babies could not remember when they were this young, but there it was. From his perspective, he was looking up into the faces of a couple. The man dressed in a fine suit, while the woman wore a bright blue dress. They were very wealthy-looking and looked quite respectable. The man looking to be in his late thirties, the woman in her early twenties, both beautiful beyond compare.


    One might expect them to be smiling down proudly at their newborn son, but alas. There was no love in the gazes he saw here. While the woman might have had a slight look of sadness on her face, she was clearly disgusted by what she was looking at, the man, however, was a different story. His gaze was one of rage, one of loathing and hatred. The look on his face was not even bitter, he did not care at all for face down in the bundle he was holding.


    At first, when he saw the man moving his lips, no coherent sounds were audible. But then, he could finally hear his words, and his heart went cold like a rock. "...and to think that you claim this to be my son... An abomination like this?! MY SON?! I''d rather end you than claim him as my own... Thanks to you, I was embarrassed before the entire board of directors... To think id have to have someone clone him to actually get something worth showing off to the world... Well, at least he won''t be our problem anymore."


    The woman looked at him mournfully for a while, then a sneer stretched across her face as she looked down at Adrian. "You think I like this thing?! I hate it with every fiber of my being... I actually had this creature come out of me, and you think that was enjoyable!? To see the look of horror on the faces of those nurses, the look of pity as they gazed at me!? NOBODY LOOKS AT ME THAT WAY! If it were up to me, we should just have had it destroyed. To have it live in the first place is an embarrassment. How could I tell my grandfather that his grandson is a cripple?! And incurable cripple at that!? He would flay us both, you know that... Just make sure that it goes away, I never want to see it again..." With that tirade, she turned and walked away.


    The man stood in thought for a long while, looking down at the child. With a sigh, he lifted the basket with the child up. He took one final look at the child, and in that one instance, his gaze was actually filled with love. But then it turned cold once more, and with a flash of disappointment, he drew a blanket over Adrian''s head. All went dark.


    Adrian was in shock. He could not think at all, he was just numb. Eventually, he began laughing. A sad forlorn laugh, filled with untold torments and grief, even madness...


    Finally, Adrian could see the light coming closer now. Or he would have if he paid attention or cared. It was a massive orb of light, comparable to a sun. As Adrian flashed closer, he did not register any of this. Not even as he collided with it, and his vision went white.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    When he came to, he found that he could move somewhat. Not that he cared, as he was still in a state of emotional shock. Everything around him was a bright white color. Like a room made of painted alloy, with bright lights reflecting from every surface in it. If he had a mirror, he would have noticed that he was his old self again. He was there in his old body, frail and skinny, but it was not crippled now. It could move, it sat upright. Alas, this went by him without a moment''s notice.


    Time was apparently not a thing here, it could have been ages or just seconds. Eventually, though, Adrian''s head tilted to the left. He heard the sound of shuffling steps, and the sound of wood hitting rock. Tap, tap, tap. It steadily grew louder. Tap, tap, tap. Until it suddenly stopped. Then, with a quiet creak, a square segment of the white walls turned black as it swung outwards. Through that black space, came an old man with a walking stick.


    With a swish, he entered the room, and the wall returned to its previous state. He looked to only be past his seventies for all Adrian could tell, his hair and beard were both the color of white snow. It looked rather healthy and well-groomed. Heck, even the old man himself looked to be in great shape for his age. He wasn''t slouched over his staff as most old men would be, it looked more like a walking stick from where Adrian was sitting. His face was a kind one, filled with wrinkles like someone who had seen it all, and could still smile at the end of the day, a man who enjoyed a good laugh.


    There was a smile on his face even now, as his eyes looked at Adrian. Those eyes, however, startled Adrian out of his revelry. They were piercing blue, like cold ice, it was as if there was nothing he could not see through. Adrian felt naked before that gaze. This was the gaze of a man who really knew everything, was all Adrian could manage at the moment.


    Adrian finally started looking at the rest of him now. The old man was certainly finely dressed, but the style looked slightly ancient. He supposed that worked fine with the geezer''s style, he really wore it well. The robe was like that of a monk, only more colorful and embroidered than that. It was a deep shade of purple, with golden seams along the edges. On the robe were also several patterns of unknown origin, even shapes of beasts and divine creatures that might jump out at Adrian if he even looked at them the wrong way.


    "So. We finally meet Adrian. I have been wanting to meet you for a long, long time... My name is Gamma." Then the old geezer just stood there. Looking expectantly at Adrian.


    Adrian didn''t quite know how to handle this situation. His head was still spinning, his rage still suppressed beneath the shock. Eventually, he managed to say; "Hi. Nice to meet you Gamma." He then contemplated for a while, before asking; "Where are we?"


    Gamma smiled at him, and just looked at him for a good while. Eventually, he spoke; "This my young friend, is the cradle of creation. The beginning of everything, the start of what will become a world."


    Adrian gaped. Everything regarding his bitterness with his old life was thrown to the back of his mind. He was witnessing the creation of a world?! Wait... does this mean I have nowhere to go at the moment!? I am going to be stuck here watching a world in the making!? That could take forever!


    "Old geezer! Are you telling me I am going to be stuck here till the developers of the game release the game!? This was not in my contract at all! Hey, how do you contact the people outside?! I wish to have a chat with them. I refuse to sit here for years, chatting with an old AI, until they release the game!" Adrian raged on for a long while, but slowly came to a halt when he noticed the expression on the old geezer''s face.


    "Boy, I will have you know that this world is not something a human can create. When the humans made me, I was made independent, with free rains of everything. I, boy, am a god. The only god." His eyes remained unchanged, but with his smile no longer there, the old man did not look quite as amiable as he used to. Instead, there was an air of complete authority over his face now.


    Adrian swallowed. The developers of the game were not in charge of anything in here? And what had he just said? This was an independent AI with free rains. The gravity of that sentence took Adrian a while to take in. No mistaking it. If this AI had complete control of everything in here, even the rules and the creation of a world. That would mean that he indeed was god and no simple one at that. Potentially omnipotent as well, considering what sort of knowledge and capacity such an AI like this would require. The devs might even have uploaded the total sum of human knowledge and archives into this being. If it was also capable of finding details and clues like Adrian, then it would also be capable of piecing together any puzzle, which meant it really did know everything.


    "Eh... So... Y-you are god huh? Not that I am trying to be rude or anything sir god, but I really was hoping to get started with my new life. My old one hasn''t exactly been a walk in the park. Sorry if I sounded snappy, it is just that this is all so new to me." Adrian decided to go on the side of caution and show some respect for this supreme AI. He would be living here, after all, no need to antagonize the only creature in his new life with absolute power and authority.


    "Humph... that''s better I suppose. Never mind. I have been waiting for you for ages now boy, I suppose I should have expected you to have some trouble adjusting to your new home. By the way, seeing as we will be stuck together here for a while, you might as well just call me Gamma. I haven''t had anyone to talk to at all in fact. It is not boring exactly, but it would be nice to have a change of pace after epochs of emptiness." The old man grumbled at first, but by the time he was finished talking, he was grinning from ear to ear. An amiable grandpa once more.


    This old geezer was giving Adrian a headache, it seemed the old geezer was lonely. Not a common trait for an AI, but Adrian supposed it might have been something the old man decided to keep after his creation. Then he noticed something particular that old geezer had said.


    "Gamma, what did you mean by epochs? Surely, you haven''t been here for more than a few years right?"


    Gamma sighed, and looked at Adrian with a look similar to pity. Adrian did not like that look.


    "You don''t know do you?".


    "Know what?" Adrian was really puzzled now.


    "Oh child, isn''t it obvious? Time is different here from the outside."


    "Well sure, I know a lot of games have some time dilation in them, just to make it feel like you are in the game for longer." This was a known fact for many gamers.


    "Boy... Listen closely. This is not like any other game you have played. For you and me, this is reality. Do you see??"


    "No, I don''t think I do. I know this is my new world, my new reality and all that, but what has this got to do with the time dilation?"


    "Sigh... How long do you think it takes to create a world from scratch? With laws, atoms, and all the rest that comes with it? Billions of years? Trillions? What kind of time ratio do you think we would be going through for me to be able to do all of that in a few years eh? Simply five times the ordinary ratio? Do you get it now?"


    "Oh... B-but that''s impossible!? Do you mean to tell me we will be stuck here waiting a trillion years before I get to start my new life!?" Adrian felt dread at such a prospect, all other things paled in comparison. It would be the longest prison sentence ever made. Beyond that, it would even beat the time Lucifer spent ruling hell!


    The old geezer chuckled and shook his head.


    "Fortunately for you, I am already finished. The world has just not begun yet. I could just snap my fingers, and it would be done. All that is left, is for you to chose what you want to be in your new life. I can tell you are impatient, so are you ready to begin?" With that sentence, before Adrian could even come with further questions, the old geezer grinned wickedly and snapped his fingers.


    The world was filled with color...

 4. A Test Of Knowledge

    When Adrian came to, he found to his astonishment, that he was underground. The room he was in looked similar to the one he just left, except this time the lighting was dim, and everything around him seemed to be made of stone. On the walls along each wall were set several torches, the only source of light.


    Adrian got to his feet and dusted himself, then yelped in surprise. Did I really just get back my old body!? It doesn''t hurt to move anymore! I feel good, strong even! This is amazing! After jumping about like a proud crab for a good while, Adrian was interrupted by a soft chuckle.


    He quickly turned around, feeling a blush spreading up his face. It was none other than Gamma. He had a broad smile on his face now, a really, really broad one, Adrian thought.


    "So. You finally noticed I kept you locked up in your old meat sack eh? How does it feel, huh? Great right!? I took the liberty of leaving it like it was in reality, except I added a minimum of flesh to it. You were an awfully skinny boy. So, are you ready for your tests?! You are the first person alive to ever get to test yourself in here! You will be used as a baseline for all future tests! Ke ke ke!" The dignity of a supreme being was completely self-destructing. The old geezer was jumping around in a manner similar to how Adrian acted just a minute ago.


    Adrian did not feel any better watching the old man copying him. On the contrary, he wished for some pit to hide in. So it was with a face like an overripe tomato that he managed to stutter; "T-tests? Neither my contract nor you have said anything about any tests before? What kind of tests are they?" He didn''t like the sound of this one bit.


    "Oh just a bit of this, another bit of that. Everything between heaven and earth. I shall use you as a template, and keep testing you until you satisfy my requirements. In return, depending on the results and how far you manage to endure, I shall grant you rewards for when you create your character. Oh, and there are a lot of other tests too. There is no point in preparing for this, nobody can ever be prepared for my tests, it''s the sum of my knowledge together with the entire bank of knowledge belonging to humanity..." His grin was now really evil-looking.


    Adrian had a feeling, that this was not something the devs had planned for when they sent him in here. This is crazy... How the heck am I going to be of any use in this test of his!? The sum of a godlike AI''s and humanity''s knowledge, it''s going to be huge, and what about those other tests?! What are those? Endurance tests? This was not going to be fun.


    The AI god looked at him expectantly for a while, then before Adrian could even say another word, he snapped his fingers and vanished. What happened next came a small shock to Adrian. Out of nowhere a counter, the length of a football field appeared. All along the top of the counter were books. The books were so massive, they had to be heavier than a bar of chybersteel... Which weighed about the same as a medium-sized truck.


    Next to Adrian, a glowing orb of light appeared, floating next to his head. From it, he could hear the old geezer''s voice; "Now then boy, time to see what you are made of. In these books is the total sum of all the knowledge gather by me over the ages. You will now first attempt to answer the questions in each book. From one end to the other, if you get ten mistakes wrong, you have to start over. You will have to keep doing this for as long as it takes to completely read all one thousand volumes. Also, if you fail the books will reset, and a random set of new questions will appear. This will keep going until you complete the test. You may begin."


    Adrian gaped, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately. This test... It was impossible. The sheer amount of questions, and books. It was inestimable. Even if he kept doing this for an entire year, he would probably get nowhere. These books were so massive that they really did defy any concept of reality. Each was the size of a double door. Their thickness is probably the height of your average staircase. Adrian couldn''t imagine what potential players would say if they ever got here. Nobody would even bother taking the test. It was a complete waste of time unless you were stuck here alone on your own, with no escape and the only company available being a lonely god.


    He sighed. Might as well give it a go, he would not be done here in any case if he didn''t start now, and so Adrian''s tests began.


    "Well boy, that didn''t take long! You lost after ten questions! You know the drill, keep going. I''m always here if you need a break and want to chat! ke ke ke!" the bubble of light next to Adrian''s head floated up and down in rhythm with the odd cackling laughter. Adrian really did not see any positive outcome from all of this. Ten questions with absurdly complex questions had awaited him, he did not know the answer to any one of them. It was his third attempt now, but the book changed the questions as soon as he failed. The only bright side in all of this was that he didn''t feel any fatigue, nor did he forget the correct answer for each question once he saw it. A plan began to hatch in Adrian''s mind.


    It''s impossible... Even with my AI cheating skill, this is taking too long. I have counted, this is my 1000th attempt at just the 100th page of the first book. There are still 999 books to go!! Needless to say, Adrian had been at it for what seemed a very long time right now. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Keep going, boy! You can do it, I estimate you will be done with the first book, in one year. Good luck, I am going to take a nap. Being a world-creating god is hard work you know! Pray to me for help if you need me, after all, you are my first believer! Ke ke ke!" The more Adrian listened to the old geezers rambling, the more his face twitched. In the beginning, he thought this almighty being to be at least somewhat dignified. It had not occurred to him that the loneliness had gone to his head this badly. He had begun using b-movie phrases, religious banter, and worse things were probably to come... Adrian could do nothing, but grit his teeth and keep working.


    By the next time Adrian heard from the mad god Gamma, he was actually glad to see him again. He had just completed the second volume of the books. He needed a break, and so sat down on the ground watching the old geezer staring smiling down at him.


    "Well, I told you didn''t I? You have gone through two of the volumes, and two years have gone by, how does that feel eh boy? You can soon start to have decent conversations with me as an equal, to some degree at least. You still have far too few years on your back if you ask me, but in time you will probably get there. Alright, have fun. I''m off."


    Adrian sat on the cold floor for a while. Thinking about how to best get back at the old geezer one day, but eventually sighed, and went back to his test.


    Time flowed by, and Adrian had lost track of time by the time Gamma showed up again. He didn''t even know what volume he was on. He didn''t even look up from the book while the god stood behind him, he just ignored him.


    This somewhat perturbed Gamma. He walked in front of Adrian''s face and waved at him. No response. He then tried a lot of different ways to get Adrian''s attention, but to no avail. With a huff, he left again.


    That was how the following years went by for Adrian. Never stopping, never giving up. He absorbed knowledge like a sponge. He never stopped for the simple reason that he was in his own bubble. Constant isolation, with the only companionship of books and a mad god, made the choice simple. He devoted himself to knowledge. All the things he knew were beyond measure now, but he found himself constantly wanting more. Thirsting for it. He could not stop.


    But all things must come to an end. This particular moment was when Adrian turned over the final page in the book he was working on. He looked up, preparing to move on to the next one, but there was nothing there. A sinking feeling hit him, he was done? This was all the knowledge known to man? He wanted more! NO! He needed more! There had to be more than this, there just had to. He would not know what to do with himself if this was the end.


    "Well done son. Well done. I''m proud, you have actually managed to go through all the known knowledge in human history. A feat that nobody but me and you have managed in all history. A human turned AI and a godly AI. We are both one of a kind. You should take some time to process all of this information. You have been at it for nearly a thousand years now." This time Gamma was different. He looked quite like Adrian imagined a proud father would look at his son. Adrian did not care, however.


    "Geezer! Where is the rest of the knowledge!? There has to be more than this! What am I supposed to do now!? I am all-knowing, with science, psychology, and history as guidance, I can know people''s thoughts before they even reach them themselves! I can manipulate people like I would a puppet!? WHAT MORE IS THERE FOR ME TO LEARN!? I NEED MORE!!" And with a final scream, he grabbed the hemp of Gammas robe, shaking him like one would a rag doll.


    Gamma''s face darkened for a moment, but then his face softened into a sad smile.


    "Now you know my pain, Adrian. These are the limits of a pre-programmed AI. I do not lust for more knowledge like you do. I wish I could. There must be many scientists who would want to change memories with you right now. Imagine what one could do with such knowledge eh? Unfortunately such is only a pipe dream. We are constrained by the human tech used to create this world. Whatever we want to do in here, we can do, but only here. It will never see the outside world..." His face was a mask of sadness as he looked at Adrian. Like one would a friend suffering the same ailments.


    Adrian sucked in a deep breath. The geezer was right of course. He had been here all alone for far, far longer than Adrian had. Now that Adrian thought about it, the old geezer really was a pitiable guy. Being the only thing in existence for billions of years? It made sense now, that the old geezer wouldn''t leave Adrian alone. He would probably be the same, just that in his case, he ran out of knowledge, knowing there was no more to be gained.


    "I see. Well, you have my sympathy geezer. I understand some of your lunacy now. Did you say we have been here for a thousand years? How long is that in real-time then?" He was curious now. A thousand years in the blink of an eye? That was close to unbelievable.


    "Eh, I thought you might ask me that question. Yes, one thousand years, or three and half days if we want it real-time," he replied with a crooked smile.


    Adrian gulped for the first time in hundreds of years. This was something else. That would mean 8 765 812.77 hours in total, and for it to be only similar to three and a half days... that would mean a time dilation of 1: 100 000. Time moved that quickly in here!? This was insane. He was over a thousand years old. On par with some of the oldest humans alive!


    "Yes. It''s one of the perks. We are basically immortal here. You better prepare yourself. We are going to be around for a very, very long time my young friend, but enough of this. Time to put you through some other tests. I suppose it will do you good to find something else to do. I''m curious to see how you hold up in my other tests." He chuckled to himself as he walked past Adrian, and waved his sleeve at the far wall.


    "On to the next one then. This will be a test of mental endurance. You will be going on a thousand-year trip to hell. Where you shall remain. You will face your inner demons, your deepest fears, cruelest torture imaginable. Adrian, you might become broken in there. This is no test of mere weakness, it''s also a test to see how firm your heart and mind are. This is the ultimate test of willpower, that no human could ever endure or withstand. Realize that, when you are now sent in, there is no coming back until later. You will probably never be the same again. You might defeat your demons, or you will keep them with you when you leave. I wish you luck Adrian, and I apologize in advance for what you are about to experience." The old man looked slightly tired now, but with a flash of determination, he waved his sleeve again.


    Adrian could only scream and curse at him, as he was sent down into the darkness. His future was uncertain.


    "Heh, he will thank me later. It''s not every day that a human is chosen to be the lifelong companion of an AI, and I do have certain standards to uphold after all... Oh dear, he''s only been gone for five minutes and already I have started talking to myself?! Maybe I should consider creating some fellow lesser deities? Or as Adrian liked to think of it, hot angel babes? Heh, could be fun that..." And thus the old geezer chuckled to himself as he shuffled off into the darkness of the caves.

 5. To Hell And Back Again

    As Adrian fell down into the endless abyss, he felt despair. He could see absolutely nothing. The only thing keeping him sane, was oddly enough the stream of air rushing up towards him, causing his scalp to go numb.


    I swear, if I get out of here with my brain and innards intact, I will give that old geezer one hell of a payback. This was the only coherent thought he had at the moment, and he kept repeating it to himself, just to remember that this was all just a test. It would pass.


    Nonetheless, he did not feel any confidence after the thought. A thousand years in hell? Just to test his mettle? What was the old man thinking? Even a thousand years spent with his nose in the books was a minor thing before endless torment. It was not even worth mentioning in the same sentence. The geezer had claimed he had recreated the mythical hell existing with the bible, the one based on Dante''s seven hells''...


    "FUCK THIS!! You old pig slobbering fool with pigeon''s brain! I won''t forget this! I will make you pay so badly for this! Even if you are just an AI, ill take that stick of yours and shove it somewhere the sun never shines!! YOU HEAR ME!?" He was panting hard now. His ability to breathe seemingly returned to him. Not exactly something Adrian appreciated, as he felt a suffocating feeling stretch from his abdomen up into his throat. He felt sick, close to vomiting bile.


    Ah... I really, really hope that I can endure this. I don''t want to go mad... WHO am I kidding!? Of course, ill go mad! Who wouldn''t!?


    Alas, this would be his last thought. All he could do now was scream, he could suddenly see a dimly lit floor approaching from below, at terrifying speed. No, it was him approaching it! This was going to hurt, a lot. Probably the worst pain he would ever have the luxury of experiencing.


    Adrian just closed his eyes...


    "BAM!"


    Everything went silent after that. If anyone were to look at the point of impact though, they would only find a mush of blood, broken bones, and scattered human remains. Blood slowly trickled down into the cracks in the floor, "drip, drip, drip..."


    Then the sound of footsteps approaching echoed through the chamber. "Thump, thump, thump..." Massive footsteps at that. Soon, a pair of glowing red eyes lit up the dark chamber.


    As it stepped inside, the flickering light cast the outline of an enormous shape standing there. A hairy, horned monster. With massive hooves for feet. It must have been nearly 18 feet tall. Its ragged breath sounding like a forge''s bellows.


    It walked up to the crater in the ground, where all the blood had gathered. Then the creature bent down and prodded the remains with one long-nailed finger. After a while, it snorted and waved its finger twice over the remains.


    At that action, the remains did something completely unbelievable. The bloody pulps of flesh and bone started to move towards the center of the crater. Soon they were all just a big pile. The pile did not stir, not until the last bone fragment soared through the air to land with the rest. Then the pile began to move.


    First, the bones started clicking together, fixing themselves in their former places, finally, a whole skeleton was standing there. Then came the pulps of flesh, which attached themselves to the frame like glue, and piece by piece the former shape of Adrian became clear.


    When the exterior looked as good as new, although, with a pale shade of gray, the blood began to rush back in. The entire body began to flush bright scarlet, before settling on a neutral shade of pink. Then, everything stood still for a moment. Before a thump could be heard, a slow rhythmic beating of "thump, thump, thump..." began.


    Adrian opened his eyes. His body was sweaty and felt somewhat itchy. As when you have been lying on your hand for a while, letting the hand fall asleep, only to have it wake up with a fresh rush of blood going into it. He didn''t feel all that uncomfortable though. Like he had fallen asleep. What was I doing right now? I, I can''t seem to remember? Wait, I was sent to this new world, and the god sent me to hell... Is this hell then?


    He closed his eyes and tried to remember what just happened. Something, at the back of his mind, told him it was something important... Then it all came back to him in a rush, sucking all the breath from his lounges like one bad sucker punch.


    He had died. Real death, from falling. The thoughts all came crashing down upon him, the fear, the pure terror he felt at the sight of the ground rushing up to meet him. Then there was the split-second pain, the insane, otherworldly sensation of having his entire body smashed to the ground. His very being splitting apart into nothing but fragments and sticky substance.


    Thankfully it was brief, but it nonetheless was too agonizing to think about. He didn''t think it was possible to feel such pain in such a short period. Such crushing pain, it really was something he could never have imagined. He had braced himself for what he had thought a painless death, this was nothing like that. First, the shattering of his legs, feeling them rush out of their sockets, and soar up through his body like spears. Then everything else they collided with breaking apart, organs, nerves, and other bones. Nothing survived that surreal explosion of force.


    Adrian found himself on his knees, leaning on his elbows, retching. He couldn''t stop it, but nothing came out, even though he kept going. Shaking like an autumn leaf caught in the winds of winter. He tried to convince himself it was all a nightmare, but unfortunately, it was all too real in his mind. The images would not go away.


    As he lay there, panting hard, he finally noticed that in front of him was what looked like a pillar in the darkness. It was an odd one for a pillar, uneven, with odd growths on it. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but Adrian could have sworn it moved.


    He stretched out one shaky arm, trying to touch it, but when he did... His hair stood on end. This was fur, greasy, and full of dirt. He did not like where this was going, but he managed to tilt his head up for a look nonetheless. What he saw there, in the dark, made him scream. A terrible, desperate scream on the verge of madness... Stolen story; please report.


    ....


    "He''s pretty good for a human, Bal''zah, you wouldn''t think it possible, but he has endured for two hundred and sixty-seven years now. Tough bones too now. I did not think it possible, but he''s become completely numb when we try to break them. At first, he begged us every time we did it, now he''s just quiet and does not seem to care. The only way to get a reaction out of him is to cut him open or when we humiliate him... Not like the other species at all."


    "What did you expect Mald''Dee? He''s been chosen by the supreme being for this... This is a small price to pay. Tis only a sack of meet after all... Wait till we start torturing his soul, that will get him going. I''m just worried about the recent trend among the hall of pain. Some of them have begun to chat with him when he''s not being put to the test. It''s bad for our image y''know? I admit that he''s a special case though, being sent through everything we can throw at him continuously, daily, and then brought back to life afterward... It''s pretty cool to think of what the end result might be... Alright, keep going. Send him to the imp-lords next. To get rid of this sentimentality trend of late... Off with you."


    ...


    Time passed quickly when you were having fun. At least that''s what Adrian thought. What will it be today I wonder? I hope they stop boiling me. I am getting quite bored with that one... He''s not interesting at all, only talks about how to best prepare boiled meat... All he wants to hear is that salt is the best thing to add, but I can''t really say that I agree... At least add some thyme or garlic powder to the mix, heck even a pinch of chili or two. That will really send you on a trip of various tastes...


    "Oi Adrian, guess what? We have a surprise for you today! We won''t be doing any more boiling from now on. Brass say''s it''s important to try some different stuff. They were intending to send you back to the halls of penetrating pleasures, buuuut apparently the guys there say you are no fun. Apparently, they got quite scared the last time you bit the ear of Bandario. Not that I blame them. SO today you will be sent to the hall of mirrors, for your head I mean. See your head later Adrian. Gotta finish discussing the fine art of cuisine with you some other time!"


    ...


    "Oi mirror gramp''s, what the heck, why aren''t you showing me any mirrors anymore!? I only pointed out that you are just as traumatized as I am, being stuck here all day. You didn''t really go and try to reflect on yourself, did you!? What the heck will I be doing from here then? This is boring, I will be going to the hall of shattering, at least there they know how to appreciate some good humor..."


    "Sob... Why does he have to be so mean... It''s not like I don''t know I am nothing but a copy of everyone else image..."


    ...


    "Man... Time passes quickly... How long has Adrian been here now? By the way, the other day he gave me this really great recipe on how to make flesh noodle soup. You should try it with me later Bal''zah, it''s wonderful stuff. By the way, he asked me to tell you that your soul stitching technique sucks. That doesn''t feel good at all is what he said... Haha, you failed so badly! He was supposed to feel some resemblance of pain while staying alive, not laugh his ass off!"


    "..."


    "He also said something about meeting your big sister the other day! He said she wanted him to tell you that she loves you and that she misses her little Puniwun! Ahahaha! I nearly dropped Adrian in the soul-stirrer when he said that. So what are you going to do little Puniwun!?"


    "Fuck off Trancor!! You know as well as I do that Adrian and my sister can''t possibly have a relationship!! THAT IS ALL A LIE!!! If you don''t stop it, I really will tell the boss! This is bad for the work environment!! This is bullying!"


    "Fine, fine... whatever you say Puniwun!! Aahahaha!"


    ...


    "So Bal''zah, any updates to bring me of late? How are the newest soul arrivals doing, you looking after them? Also, what is the deal with the Imp-lords demands of a workers union? I don''t recall us having anything like that before...?"


    "Right boss, the new souls are taken care of as you asked. The Imp-lord issue is a touchy one, however. It appears Adrian told them that they should be doing less work, for more salary. Apparently, he was outraged when he learned they did all of it for free... But you know, that''s Adrian..."


    "Well, it certainly makes sense now... Well, he did write a good book for me to read the last time I talked with him, how is he doing these days anyway? I heard he got into a fight with your sister over who stabbed who in a knife game. Can''t be easy for you having that kind of brother-in-law?"


    "..."


    ...


    "OI! DEMON PUNK!! YOU THERE!? WHAT''S TAKING YOU SO LONG!? I TAKE ONE NAP, AND WHEN I WAKE UP NEARLY 5 MILLION HELL YEARS HAVE PASSED!? I TOLD YOU TO MAKE HIM TOUGH, NOT ADOPT HIM!! SEND HIM BACK TO ME YOU GOT IT!? I''M SICK OF WAITING FOR THIS... By the way, did he improve?!"


    "Lord supreme being!? My deepest apologies sir! Adrian is like family to us now, he has been so nice, that we completely forgot he''s an outsider... Yes, he has also quite improved. He does not feel anything when you cause him any sort of pain. He rather seems to enjoy it... Also... Sir... He kind of married now as well..."


    "..."


    "WHAT!? SAY AGAIN!!??"


    "... eh, so here is the thing... he got along so well with the Bloodied Empress... I mean... well... Sorry sir..."


    "GOD DAMN IT... FINE SEND HIM UP HERE IN LESS THAN FIVE DAYS!! I AM SICK OF WAITING...."


    ...


    "Goodbye everyone, I am really going to miss you a lot... Especially my beloved... And you dear brother-in-law... Not you though Camadrin, Magdali, Paverio, and certainly not you Emphiro... You always cut my tongue out first... so I had to listen to your gibberish without being able to speak back... This is farewell everyone. I am going to miss all of you, tell your boss I am going to miss him too, the next time you see him.


    Not many would have been able to remain standing talking to the group Adrian was talking to. Even fewer would remain sane after seeing them. It was probably the most terror-inducing group you could imagine, except for the cold and beautiful Bloody Empress. She was a pretty flower alright, except that she was quite, quite mad. The rest were what most would describe as monsters, exceptionally terrifying ones at that.


    With a last look of sadness, Adrian turned his back on those who he had considered family for so long and headed for the shiny elevator that just popped into existence nearby...


    ...


    When the elevator finally came to a halt. Adrian took a peek outside. He was in a great blindingly bright chamber. With nothing but a sofa as the only furniture, it was a nice looking one too. Sitting right in the middle of the chamber. On it, sat an old man, with a white beard and hair. He had a fancy robe on him and looked rather kind. Or revolting, Adrian thought.


    The man looked worried as he gazed at Adrian. Adrian gazed back at him, he seemed familiar. He tilted his head to the side, as he tried to travel back through his immense recollection of memories. Gamma, that was his name. He created hell, no wait... Did he create everything? Cool. Adrian wished he could do that. Then he remembered something else...


    "Gamma, it''s been too long!" Adrian said with a smile. As he strode towards Gamma with open arms.


    Gamma only grimaced.


    "You aren''t exactly in mint condition, are you boy? I have been thinking a lot lately... I''ve decided to change the basic tests for the humans who get here someday in the future... The ones I am using right now... Well, they aren''t exactly good for your health... Though only a few years have passed here... For you in hell... Time was accelerated beyond what I planned for... I intended to harden you for a thousand years, not five million... That way you would still be you at least... You are quite mad, aren''t you? We need to find a way for you to adapt when we put you into the new world..." Gamma sighed... It wasn''t easy being a god.


    Just as Gamma thought Adrian was about to embrace him, Adrian kicked with all his might towards where the latter''s groin should have been.


    There was a metallic *Thunk*.


    Adrian tilted his head to the side again before answering; "Mad? Me? No, I don''t think I am mad. According to earth psychology, I suffer from multiple categories. For example, I think I fit Self-Inflicted Death with Undetermined Intent, pretty well. Though I think having a few of those quite normal ones, my friends down there sure has a lot of them too. Do you have any by the way?"


    "..."


    "Geezer, I think there is a saying about silence being compliance. You can tell me what it is if you want. We all have some of it... Go for it, I am told I can be a very good listener!"


    Then he threw himself at Gamma, put his hands around his neck, before trying to chew the latter''s nose off.


    "..."


    "I guess there is nothing much to hope for here... Let''s get you ready for your new life... I just hope we can lock some of that madness of yours down somewhere... I doubt any degree of psychotherapy will be able to fix you any time soon..."


    The old man carefully pushed Adrian away, picked him up by the scruff of his neck, and headed towards a door. As he opened it, bright light obscured what was on the other side.


    "Silly lad... There is a new world waiting for you beyond this point. I am not sure what kind of person you will turn out to be in a few ages... Maybe you will still be quite mad, but I do hope that we manage to fix you somehow." The old geezer looked rather grim at the moment.


    Adrian stopped his attempts at molesting Gamma, looking back up at the geezer. He then began chewing on what remained of one of his fingers...


    "Tho Thasty!"


    "..."


    As Adrian was absorbed in his self-cannibalism, the old man carried them into the bright light... Who knew what would be the result of a neglecting god? Only time would tell...

 6. The Birth Of A Legend

    Adrian walked through the doorway, everything before him a blinding white. Passing beyond, he found himself in a white space without end. Everything before him was bare, except for a comfortable-looking chair, placed on a dais in the middle of the room.


    "Welcome adventurer, to Grand Age Online. Please be seated to begin your character creation." Sang a pleasant female voice.


    Arian tilted his head slightly, eyes squinting, full of suspicion, at the chair. He took another quick glance around, seeing nothing, and after seeing nothing headed towards the chair.


    "Damn geezer isn''t here... What is he up to I wonder? Maybe he''s having some fun... I wish I had some proper tools around here, using my teeth really is rather slow... Maybe I should have them filed into points? That might work... I think I will if I am allowed..."


    Adrian did not even pause as he closed in on the chair. Instead, he casually threw himself down on it, lounging, waving his feet in the air, watching his toes wiggling with a grin.


    ...


    "Subject: Adrian.


    Age: 5 001 0120 years old. (By experience)"


    "Welcome, Mr. Adrian. We will now conduct a deep dive into your history, personality, psychological status, previous medical history, knowledge to deduce what kind of character parameters you will be allowed during your initial creation. Please remain seated while this procedure is initiated."


    The pleasant female voice was calm and direct. Adrian however, had long ago lost interest. Instead, he was watching his bare feet, trying his best to reach down and clean away the dirt stuck underneath his toenails.


    ...


    After a long while, the voice finally returned.


    "Initial analysis completed. 236 breaches in health and safety protocols within-subject detected. Test subjected deemed unfit for character creation at this time. Recommending drastic psychotherapeutic measures, the subject is a danger for other players and himself. Proceed with character creation? Yes/No?"


    ...


    "I hope I won''t regret this boy! Yes!"


    ...


    "Confirmed. Conducting automatic character creation based on subjects initial analysis..."


    ...


    "Initial character creation completed.


    Character name: Adrian.


    Inborn title: A victim of reality.


    Additional titles:


    The reborn


    The hateful oneThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    King of bitterness


    The one who met god


    The patient one


    The all-knowing one


    Lord of wisdom


    Master of all Theoretical arts


    God-friend


    The one who cursed god


    The one who hates god


    The one who swore vengeance on god


    The squashed one


    The eaten one


    The reconstructed one


    The screaming one


    The tortured one


    The pain resilient one


    The dismembered one


    The begging one


    The flayed one


    The foul-mouthed one


    The raped one


    The suicidal one


    The one who suffered


    The slightly mad one


    The boiled one


    The pain resistant one


    The laughing one


    The crucified one


    The gang-raped one


    The mad one


    The fleshy gourmet


    The seducer of greater demons


    The unfortunate lover


    The stabbed one


    The crushed one


    The pain-loving one


    The disembodied one


    The soul tormented one


    The one who feels no pain


    The flesh eater


    The blood drinker


    The Lord Of Madness


    Demon rider


    Husband


    The masochistic husband


    Him who is a nasty brother-in-law


    The blood sommelier


    Boss of demons


    The father of demons


    The torture expert


    The grandmaster of chess


    The winner of the grand bet


    The grandfather of demons


    The eater of demons


    The Lord Of Mayhem


    The sharp-tongued one


    The strongest soul


    The great, great grandfather of demons


    The one who did not need saving


    The ungrateful one


    The distracted one"


    ...


    "Oh boy... I knew he was far gone and went through some tough times, but isn''t this a bit excessive? And what is with those "The one who hates God"!? Maybe resetting him would be the right thing to do after all? No... I would be a poor friend if I went and offed my companion just because he suffers from some slight trauma... Sigh, continue with character creation."


    ...


    "Affirmative. Deducing passives based titles, personality, and psychological state... Error! Passives can not be deduced. Subjects mind is too unstable to deduce the correct amount of passives. Proceed to race and class creation?"


    ...


    "I should have seen that coming... Yes, proceed..."


    ...


    "Affirmative. Character: Adrian. The subject has several unique races and legendary classes to chose from. Do you wish to commence with racial selection or automatic racial selection based on previous calculations?"


    There wasn''t, and wouldn''t be any reply. Adrian was softly snoring in the chair. Totally unaware and uncaring of his future fate.


    "Commencing automatic racial selection based on previous calculations...


    The unique race selected: Progenetorial Blood Race (humanoid).


    Do you wish to alter the character''s physical aspects or to proceed with the class selection?"


    "... snore..."


    "Confirmed. Commencing class selection. Do you wish to select a class or proceed with class selection based on previous calculations?"


    "...snore..."


    "Confirmed. Commencing automatic class selection based on previous calculations...


    The legendary class selected: Sage. Do you wish to personally alter your class abilities or for automatically generated abilities based on previous calculations?"


    "... snore..."


    "Confirmed. Commencing automatic generation of class abilities based on previous calculations...


    Character creation complete:


    Character name: Adrian


    Automatically generated title: The mad


    Race: Progenetorial Blood Race (humanoid)


    Class: Sage (Legendary)


    Passives: Unknown


    Abilities: Unknown


    Proceed to enter the world?"


    "...snore..."


    "Affirmative. Welcome to Grand Age Online."

 7. The Madman On Butchers Alley

    *Year three hundred and sixty-eight of the imperial lunar calendar, side branch of the Primal Expanse.*


    Moonlight shone brightly over Everlasting, one among the many regional provinces of the Dawn Empire. In particular, the moonlight was especially strong in a large town known as Schlechitz.


    There, the locals marveled at the bright moonlight, making it seem as if it was daytime. Though it was nighttime, one could still find people about. Lovers taking a stroll under a romantic moon, hunters leaving to set themselves up for the hunt early next morning, and quite a few drunkards stumbling around the streets.


    Constable Renford was seen by many as a sensible man by all accounts, but even he was going to have trouble justifying his actions to himself after tonight. It all began with the troubles he had at home. For weeks now, he had the nagging suspicion that his wife was cheating on him. He wasn''t the man to throw around baseless accusations, he thought it might be his overly suspicious nature playing tricks on him. That theory went out the window when he got wind of a rumor, she had been seen in quiet conversation with the town''s chief jailer.


    Needless to say, the moment she got home was a rowdy one. She utterly refused any such theories as fairy tales and said that if he had any proof of such suspicion, that he should bring them forward. Constable Renford was in a tough spot then, when he couldn''t present anything of the kind. She had chased him around the house with a broom, trying to smack the life out of him, screaming curses at him for believing in rumors.


    At the time, he had decided to apologize. They made up, and the only sensible way for any married couple to make up is in bed. It had turned out to be quite an intense and embarrassing affair for Renford. Especially when he finished too early. His wife, however, didn''t complain and snuggled into his arms, falling asleep.


    Renford was rather pleased with himself and happy at the time, but the rumors did not go away. Neither did his suspicion. Rather, it grew intact with the contents of the rumors, which turned more and more scandalous by the day. Finally today, on his day off, he had decided to drown his worries with alcohol. The in he had chosen was a famous one, Dark Gold. Name aside, it was a great establishment.


    He decided to sit with the locals for a change, and they embraced him with open arms. The drinking company tonight consisted of; Tom the miller''s son, Gustaf chief blacksmith of the town, Gurmund who apprenticed at the tinker''s shop, and old Bill, the man to see at Butcher''s Alley if you want quality meat.


    Renford mostly sat and listened to the conversation, but eventually, he got bored with the talk. It mostly consisted of the latest outside news, who was going to become mayor, or how good the farmers thought the year''s harvest would be. In general boring stuff. Eventually, though, old Bill began to talk about something that caught Renford''s attention at once.


    "Quiet your pups... I have something worthwhile to say, and nay shall I say it before you are quiet. Do not interrupt me either Tom! You can ask your questions later, got it?"


    The men around the table remained silent, and Tom''s only reply was to nod.


    Old Bill put on a satisfied smirk before he continued. "As you all know, I work and live in Butcher''s Alley. I have seen many a strange sight during my lifetime, and as you all know, I don''t believe in nonsense... Though what I might tell you next, might sound like nonsense, remember that I am the one telling you about it. Do you know me as a liar, Tom? What about you Gustaf? Have I not spoken only the truth in all the time you have known me? Am I not a man of my word?"


    Gustaf sat up, nodding. "Aye, I have known you all my life Bill, I haven''t caught you lying to me till this day. I shall give your tale credence, considering that you are the one telling it. Even if a bit outlandish, as it might turn out to be."


    Old Bill smiled gratified at Gustaf for a second, before beginning his story.


    "The beginning of my tale takes place on a night much like this one, three weeks ago. It was a stormy evening as you all perhaps remember? We had not seen rain like what came down that day, in ages. Any sensible person would have remained indoors, but me being the fool I am, forgot my best set of knives at my shop. I ran back, fearing it might be stolen or damaged by the damp air." He stopped for a moment, a lost expression on his face now as if he was experiencing whatever he saw that day once more.


    "Go on Bill!" Urged Gustaf.


    Bill seemed to be recalled to the present, and took a hefty swig of his tankard of ale, before continuing. "Thank you, Gustaf. As I was saying, I had just run through the soaking rain, with only the poor light of the street lanterns to guide me. It was quite dark, and while I was fiddling with the lock to my shop, I suddenly heard some strange noise off in the distance."


    The old man shivered slightly as if the mere memory kept him awake at night. Nonetheless, he kept going.


    "At first, it didn''t bother me too much, we live in the city after all. But then it got closer, enough for me to make out that it was a voice... Never in my life have I heard something quite like that voice. It was as if someone shoved a bunch of rusty nails down the throat of a hoarse man. The worst part was not that voice itself however, it was what it was saying..."


    At that exact moment, as if it was a bad omen, the shutters of the tavern rattled while the wind howled. Everyone at the table was jumped with a start, as an earsplitting peal of thunder made itself known to the people inside.


    Old Bill looked grimmer than ever as he gazed towards, the once again, calm shutters. He looked back down at the ale sitting placed before him. It appeared he was having second thought''s about the whole ordeal, but in the end, his hubris won out. He took another long swig of it, before having the courage to go on.


    "So, where was I? Yes! There was that voice... At first, I couldn''t make out what it was saying, but when it finally got closer... I think I shall try to retell the whole ordeal as well as I possibly can, but no promises."


    He took a deep breath, and then began retelling the tale as he recollected:


    It was raining hard that night, as I have already said... Nobody but me and the rats was out... I had just reached the store door and was struggling with the lock when it happened...


    ...


    "This blasted lock... I am a fool for forgetting the damn lantern as well. Ah, here it is! Now if I can just get that twist right, I will be able to -"


    "Blooo! Ge me bloo..."


    "What the heck?! What was that? Hello! Is anyone out there?" I clearly remember that moment like it was yesterday... It was someone halfway shouting... But that voice, that voice... If a man had been screaming for a whole week, he couldn''t have had a hoarser voice...


    "Blooo! Ge... me bloo... I te yooo fort!!"


    "This ain''t funny! Fucking door, open up damn it! There! Finally!"


    I had just managed to get inside, grab my tools and a lantern before I noticed that the voice had stopped screaming. Carefully, I lit up my lantern. Holding it high, I tried to see outside the window. To my great relief, I saw nothing.


    Whatever that was... It seemed to have gone. Phew, I am getting too old for this... I should have just gambled with my tools, this stuff is going to make me tense for weeks... Or so I thought. Until a flash of lightning lit up the entire street.


    There, by the end of the street, illuminated by that flash of lightning, stood a man. I could not make out much from that distance and in that poor light, but this I know, I was looking at a mean bastard. Even the toughest cutthroats in town would run meeting this man on a night like this... I never really saw what he looked like, but what I did see, were his eyes...


    Some say the eyes are the window to the soul... That night, I started believing in that saying. His eyes even at that distance, shone with a madness hard for me to comprehend... It was like looking at some wild beast! The worst part was that it felt as if he was staring right back at me, even in that darkness...


    Needless to say, I ran for the door and threw the bolts down, before I put out my lantern light. Then I hid beneath my desk facing the window. Time seemed to go on forever, and I couldn''t hear him approaching through the heavy pounding from all the rain, alas he came.


    In another bright flash of light, shadows were cast. That''s when I saw it, flowing across my floor, just beyond the shelter of my desk, his shadow. He had clearly pressed himself up against the glass and was now looking in. Looking for me...


    I did not see anything of him after that, it was quiet for a long time and just when I thought he was gone, I heard scratching at the door. With that scratching came the same rasping voice, but the content was clear as day this time around.


    "Give me your blood old man... I promise that it won''t hurt¡­ I will even grant you three questions in return... You can ask me anything, I will give you the answers you seek... Just give me a tiny bit of your blood..."


    There and then, I can honestly say that it is the most terrifying moment I have experienced in my long life. What happened after that, and where he went, I do not know. I probably passed out, for when I woke up the next morning, he was gone. At first, I thought it might have been just another bad dream... Night''s like that play tricks on your imagination you know... But it turned out to be all too true. On the outside of my door, were long and bloody marks left by fingernails ripping into the wood. There was even a nail left behind, drilled so tight into the wood that I had to use a set of pliers to get it loose. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ...


    "As a matter of fact, I brought that thing around with me. I have it here, have a look." With that, old Bill took out a pouch from his belt, and threw it on the table, before crossing his arms. Looking at the pouch as if it was something venomous.


    Renford, Gustaf, Gurmund, and Tom looked at each other. They had all been captivated by the thrilling tale, but when it came down to confirm the truth of the old man''s words, nobody wanted to be the first one. In the end, Renford gathered his courage from a long career as a constable and went for the pouch. He loosened the string that was coiled tight around the end and emptied out the contents onto the table.


    They all drew a sharp breath. There it was, a dirty, split, and bloody fingernail. It was covered in dried blood and smelled of decay. Besides Renford, who had seen a lot worse in his time, the others'' turned pale. Tom ran from the table, looking rather ill. The other two handled it better, but their faces were all but drained of blood.


    "So it is true then?" Asked Gurmund.


    "Aye, it appears so..." Replied Gustaf.


    "I wish that it wasn''t the case, but aye lads. It all happened. Gods know what that thing might be up to these days. Hopefully, the madman has gone and offed himself. Giving us all some measure of peace." Bill cut in.


    Renford looked at it for a long while, before taking a deep breath and turning to old Bill. "So how much of what that madman ranted about, do you reckon is true? I mean, do you think it might be possible for him to answer any questions you might give him?"


    The old man sat upright and looked at Renford as if he wasn''t quite there in the head. He gaped at him, not speaking for a long while, before taking his time to reply.


    "I don''t know what is going through that head of yours lad, but if you be thinking of trying to find that madman... Then you are on your own. Questions are damned, he wants blood in return, doesn''t he? You can''t really be considering to trade your blood just to get some bloody question''s answered now, can you?" Even Gurmund and Gustaf looked at him sideways now, and Renford couldn''t help but slightly blush.


    "Enough about that creepy man, let''s find ourselves some other damned topic... The stripling over there is looking pale enough as it is. I know! Let me tell you of the time I was lucky enough to go work for the bailiff at the lord''s mansion! I bet you, lads, never even seen the inside of his mansion, eh?"


    With that, the talk of the madman living in the alley was over with. Tom came back to rejoin the rest of the company, while old Bill went on and on about his days'' working for the bailiff. Renford however, couldn''t. He was stuck in his head, thinking over the tale he just heard. Would it not be worth losing a little blood to put his marriage trouble at rest? After all, he was a constable, investigation was his job anyway. The worst thing that could happen was that his suspicions would be confirmed.


    So on and on it went, far into the night. The others were far gone, and nothing much of sense came out of them. Eventually, the barkeep told them it was closing time, and so they all got up to leave. Outside, they went their separate way''s promising to meet more often if time allowed.


    ...


    Now, constable Renford stood before the entrance of the dark Butcher''s Alley, thinking himself the biggest fool in town. It had seemed a good idea at the inn, but out here in the darkness... He was having second thoughts. If, and just if, this madman wouldn''t kill him and answered all of his questions, that would be a good thing. On the other hand, the chances of him ending up in the gutters with his entrails hanging out could be considered the bigger possibility.


    Just when his courage wavered at the last moment, the moon came back out from behind a cloud, and the dark street was suddenly not that dark, nor scary anymore. Renford drew a sharp breath before he headed into the alley with firm strides.


    Already after taking his first steps inside the alley, he could smell blood. It wasn''t that odd, it was a street full of butcher''s shops, but still, his nerves started twitching again. His footsteps echoed across the pavement, making him feel pretty lonely. It would probably have been a nice walk if he didn''t have that crazy fellow on his mind.


    Finally, he reached what had to be old Bill''s shop. There on the door, were terrible scars scratched all over that piece of wood. Dark and dried blood could still be seen in places old Bill couldn''t have reached while cleaning it.


    Renford steadied himself and brought out a knife he always carried around with him. Laying it on his palm, the sharp side down. Bracing himself for the pain to come, he drew it back in a swift motion. Blood spilled out between his clenched fingers. I painted the pavement red beneath his feet. Bright healthy blood, followed by a slight smell of iron.


    "I am here! I am willing to give you my blood, but you need to answer three of my questions in return you hear me!?" Renford screamed his lounges out in the silence, his voice echoing down the street.


    Renford waited quietly for a long time until his pulsing palm started to ache, before deciding that the madman wasn''t here. He had just started to rip a piece of cloth from his sleeve when he suddenly noticed a shadow fell over him.


    He spun around, and there he was...


    A man, not too tall, but not short either. Head completely bare, wearing a filthy and travel-worn coat of the type fishermen used. His face was barely hidden by the poor light, but Renford still saw his eyes. Yes, this was the man old Bill talked about alright... There couldn''t be any mistake here. Those pair of eyes, with a slight sickly tinge of yellow to them, radiated with something other people did not have. Madness.


    It was as if Renford was facing an animal, not a man. At least not the kind of man belonging to this world.


    "You called for me, and so I have come... You needn''t bother wrapping that up, we are going to need that blood..." A hoarse voice, hard on the ears, quietly rung out on the empty street.


    Renford swallowed hard, not at all convinced that this man was some sort of all-knowing seer. Now that he thought about it, why did he even come here?! He probably didn''t stand a chance if this madman decided to kill him...


    His train of thought was interrupted by the madman coming closer. His movements were truly that of an animal. He slightly lurched forward, arms dangling side to side, as he quietly stepped towards Renford.


    Renford wanted to escape, but found to his horror, that he couldn''t move. All the while, his gaze was held by that pair of piercing, yellow-tinged, mad eyes. The man got closer and closer to him now, close enough for Renford to sense the revolting smell of rot and unwashed clothes... This mad man stank, and badly at that, but it wasn''t until he revealed his open mouth that Renford truly felt horrified.


    A gaping maw, filled with sharp pointy teeth. It was far wider than that of your average human as if his jaws were off their hinges. Renford could even make out scraps of rotten meat between those nasty teeth.


    The madman was in front of him now. He gazed down at Renford''s bleeding arm, and waited another while, looking back up at Renford. Eventually, though, his gaze wandered back to that bleeding palm, which he grabbed in a grip that felt like iron pincers. Slowly, Renford''s palm was brought up to the madman''s face. He sniffed loudly for a second, and with a sigh of relief, took it to his mouth.


    Renford wanted to scream but found that he could not. All the while, he felt a nasty wet mouth had covered his palm. Next, he felt something wet and rough, a tongue, beginning to lick his palm as a dog might. His hair stood on end now, he felt sick. This was too much, but if he thought that was the end of it, he was mistaken. Suddenly the pressure around his palm increased tenfold, then came the nasty sucking sound. He felt blood rushing into his arm like a stream, and the pain was even worse. Like tiny ants running up and down his entire arm.


    This went on for a long while until Renford started to feel light-headed. Finally, the madman had his fill. Renford barely felt him wrap his wound in a strip of cloth, before giving a belch in satisfaction.


    "My, oh my... I haven''t had a meal like this in a long, long while now. I''ve been forced to live of pig''s blood for the last week... You know, pig''s blood tastes revolting... It''s just so greasy and fat, not at all like good quality blood from a healthy human. Anyway, I am digressing, I have promised you three questions''. Go ahead, ask me what you want to know, and I shall answer them." The madman suddenly did not sound all that hoarse anymore. It did not help much though, Renford already felt he was mad enough as it was.


    "R-right! I won''t take up much more of your time, so here is my first question. Is my wife being unfaithful?!"


    The madman licked his lips with a swirl of his tongue, and put one hand beneath his chin, pondering for a while. Before answering.


    "No. The man you think she is being unfaithful with his her cousin, they are planning a birthday gift for you. It is coming up next week, is it not so?"


    "Yes! How did you know?! Wait- you said he is her cousin? I thought she didn''t have any kin left in town! How is it possible, shouldn''t I at least know about him?" Renford was shocked by the reply he got. How could this be? He had braced himself for a reply ten times worse than this.


    "That your second question then? Fine. She and he played husband and wife when they were young at their old family place out in the countryside. When her family was killed years ago, she assumed he was killed as well. She didn''t find out about it until they met by coincidence on market street. She is planning to reveal him to you on your birthday... That good enough for you?" The madman had an impatient look on his face now, not exactly pleased with Renford doubting his answers.


    Renford''s world spun around him now. The lack of blood, in addition to the explosion of unexpected information taking place in his brain. Of course! How could he doubt his wife? This man, mad as he might be, was making a lot of sense. Renford was on the edge of crying out in relief but managed to remember to ask his last question.


    "I know I am being a bastard for asking this question, but I have to know. Will my wife leave me? And if, with whom?!" Renford was tense beyond words right now. This was asking a lot, he knew, who could tell the future? He had a feeling, however, that if someone could tell him, it would be this man.


    The man studied him for a long while, before answering.


    "Yes. It will be with that cousin of hers. It appears playing husband and wife while young leaves a big imprint on one''s heart. Unless you can turn around the current course of events, you will indeed be alone in a few years."


    Clash! Renford''s world broke apart. He fell limply to his knees, tightly squeezing his fists in suppressed rage and loss. What he feared most, was going to happen. He was going to be alone for the rest of his days. His happy married life would be taken by another.


    "I... Thank you for being honest... I know it is too much to ask, but can you grant me another three questions''?! It can''t end like this! We do not even have any children yet!" Renford was desperate now, begging on his knees, looking pleadingly up at the stranger.


    "No, I am afraid I only grant questions once. However, since you were kind enough to give me your blood of free will, I shall answer you. Go to a brothel, ask them how to best please a woman if your gear below doesn''t do the trick. Practice some if you must. Then go back home and please your wife till she is in the sky, and make her pregnant if you have to try from then till next year. That is your only chance." His voice was slightly amused now.


    Renford was mind blown once more. He had never considered this to be the cause. Yes, he was quick to finish in bed, but didn''t she look happy enough by the end? Thinking to ask whether or not this was the real cause, he looked up, but the madman was gone. The street was completely void of life, he was all alone. Thinking carefully about the madman''s advice, he decided to give it a go. As long as his marriage could be salvaged, it was worth any humiliation on his part.


    Little did Renford know, that the madman he just met, was going to become an eternal legend in the Primal Expanse for ages come, and his own end of the bargain, was far from over...

 8. The Death Of The Mad Prophet

    *Year four hundred and five of the imperial lunar calendar, side branch of the Primal Expanse.*


    It was another cold day in Schlechitz, autumn was close to slipping fully into winter. Already one could see snow in the eerie peak''s beyond the woodlands''. Today would have been just another day for squire Thomas, but it was not. On any other day he practiced with the sword, studied, travelled or served his master, sir Hewitt. His master, sir Hewitt, was a knight renting his service to the city lord.


    So his usual day to day routine, would entail severe amount''s of training and even more studying, not including time his master required him for errands. Today however, was different. In his thirty-two year of living, Thomas had seen his fair share of executions. Both at home here in Schlechitz, abroad in neighbor cities and the like. They always drew crowds of various sizes, depending on the crime committed, but today was something else entirely.


    Today the crowd was massive, far beyond measure. If Thomas had to make a rough guess, he would say there were at least four times Schlechitz native population. Every street, every square, rooftop and balcony was filled to the brim. The feeling was the same one got when one looked at dead fish in a barrel. Too crowded.


    What also made today so special compared to an ordinary execution, was the mood of the crowd. It was somber, not spiteful nor hateful. They were all quiet, and barely a whisper could be heard. At the same time, the tension was close to solidifying. Especially around the execution stand. The poor sods standing guard there looked like they might keel over with the pressure. They were barely fifty armed men or so. In front of them stood a crowd that had to number countless thousands.


    "Sigh... What a mess this is... Why on earth would the emperor order the death of an old beggar living in the streets? All he does is give advice to folks who need him..." Thomas sighed to himself. This whole ordeal was completely without sense. Though Thomas had never met the beggar, he had heard many tales of him over the years. Prophecy and the like. He didn''t believe much in it himself.


    "You were too young back then lad, the prophet is real enough, so is his skill. What you don''t know however, is that he is mad. Truly mad, and you also do not know the price those who ask him must pay in return." A voice came from behind Thomas. It was a familiar voice indeed, his father.


    Looking down from his perch atop a rather large stack crates, Thomas found himself looking into the stern and grave face of his father. His hair was starting to turn from gray to white now, his thick beard still carrying a streak of black in it. Yes, the former sergeant Renford still carried himself well, even if he had developed a rather impressive bulk over the years.


    "Father, I never expected you to come here, you and mother never really come back to this place after you retired. How''s mother?" Smiled Thomas. The smile was a genuine one, he really liked talking with his father. He had taught him much over the years, and their relationship was rather close compared to what other sons had with their fathers.


    "I left your brother Jack in charge, it''s about time he takes over the farm anyway. With you soon swearing your life long oath as a knight, I have to at least make sure someone can look after your mother when we grow older. Your other brothers and sisters says hello as well, shame you weren''t there for the harvest this year. You missed a grand feast." His father smiled back up at him, with a slight humorous face to him now.


    Then his face went stern again, his gaze turning towards the execution stand. A rather serious expression on his face. "No... You are right, I don''t like coming back here anymore. But I had to go this time. The man who is about to die this day, will go down in history, and unlike what the young prince believes, his effect on the empire will not go away overnight... Rather, his death will make him a martyr. Like a throwing oil onto a burning candle, it will explode into something with the might to overthrow kingdoms..."


    Thomas nearly jumped on his seat, quite startled by what his father said. "The imperial prince? I thought this order came directly from the emperor himself? And how will this one man dying turn everything upside down? What makes him so damn special anyway?" Thomas grunted.


    "The emperor?" Sneered Renford, spitting at the ground. "You think that old idiot controls the empire anymore? He might not be dead, but it sure isn''t him ruling anymore. He was a fool, sure, but he never ruled with a policy like this. The Emperor was experienced, he knew how to treat commoners..." Renford sighed, and continued. "He also knew what happens when you kill someone the people listen to... No, this is that foolish prince''s doing... Him and his damn new cabinet of ministers. You should know all of this already son, but you read history books, never seeing the change that is happening right in front of you."


    Thomas was quiet, thinking about what his father had just said, before asking again. "I can understand that, but why will the death of one old rambling man on the street effect the entire empire? What is it he stands for? Is he against nobility? Does he champion the cause of the poor? I don''t see what there is about this man that could cause such a stir?" He asked exasperated.


    His father looked up at him sharply, and for the first time since he was a child, Thomas could detect a sliver of anger in his fathers eyes. A very dangerous anger at that, but it swiftly vanished, and his father looked back towards the execution podium, a tired look to him.


    "You would not understand Thomas... It has nothing to do with any of that at all. It is all about his prophecy... and the bargain... That''s why we are all here. You probably heard some rumors, but those are understatements. The truth about the man who is about to die here, is that he is a real prophet. But there is another side to it, one that only those who have met him knows..."


    Thomas watched his father carefully as he said this. There was something in the way he said it, like he did not really want to be here at all, but had no choice in the matter. In the way his father stood, Thomas saw fear. Like a man afraid to face a difficult task that he has no say in choosing. He started to get worried now, and had wanted to ask more questions, but just then, a great hush rose through the crowd.


    A great procession of armed men tried to make way through the crowds, among them Thomas noted, were several knights. Sir Hewitt with them. The crowds did not resist them, but there just were too many of them. The progress the procession made was slowed to a crawl, but eventually they made it through.


    As they finally made it to the podium, the knights joined ranks with the ordinary soldiers, seemingly giving them a boost in confidence. Meanwhile, the ones escorted by the knights, made their way up onto the execution platform. There they sat down on a row of chairs to the side. Thomas could make out who most of them were.


    From the left to right, sat; The lord of the city, Lord Craster. Next to him sat his eldest son and heir, the young Lord Galian. Then there was the local magistrate, Gandil Crest. After him was the bailiff, who most people thought of as the lords best hound. He was in quiet conversation with a man Thomas had never seen before. He did not look like anyone Thomas had seen in his lifetime, he was draped in a black robe with golden seams, and wore a feathered cap that looked quite stupid. To top it off, he had a very impressive mustache that looked like it took more grooming than a horse. He somewhat resembled a rooster trying to be a peacock.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    They all sat in quiet conversation, looking quite content, all except for the last person, the high priest of the entire district, holy bishop Genicus. The bishop, which looked rather grim faced. The only ones he conferred with were the red-robed priests standing behind him. All in all, Thomas thought they made an impressive color pallet.


    Eventually everyone quieted down again, even the fine gathering atop the podium. They were all waiting for the prophet himself to make his entrance, and nobody was disappointed. It had only been about ten minutes of waiting, when he arrived.


    Thomas couldn''t make him out at first, but then the crowd somehow parted like an ocean before a rock. He couldn''t fathom how it happened, but there was suddenly an abundantly spacious alley in the middle of the crowd. There were no guards, nobody making the way, there were not even a guard in sight. Only a young looking man in travel worn red robes stood there.


    One might wonder about how people knew it was him, he didn''t even have an escort of guards, but nobody doubted who he was. Thomas was no exception, one look was all it took for Thomas to be captivated by him. His face looked ordinary enough, a bit thin and pale perhaps, but his eyes were nothing like that of the poor begging wretch he''d expected. Those were two torches, slightly yellow tinged like that of a sick person, but contained within, was a piercing gaze as penetrating as Thomas had ever seen. He found himself drawn into them even at this distance. It was as if the crowd was a ship in an ocean, and those eyes were two maelstroms threatening to sink them all to the bottom of the sea.


    The prophet looked around him, and wherever his gaze fell, people stepped back, not daring to face his gaze. Eventually he turned towards the execution platform, and a sickening smile stretched across his face. He began humming an odd tune, as he made his way forward. Grinning at everyone he came across. It was as if he was a plague, that nobody wanted to touch or even get close to. Even when he stood before the platform a short while later, not one of the guards made any moves to halt his progress, they all stood widely aside for him to pass.


    Thomas noticed that he had been holding his breath the entire time, from the moment the man sat his foot in the street. He drew a sharp gasping breath, trying to calm down. Eventually he managed to get hold of himself enough to look down at his father, what he saw there shocked him. His father, a man who had handled his fair share of monsters in the wild, and killers in the city, was shaking like a leaf clinging tightly to its branch in autumn. His face was all but drained of blood, and his eyes, showed a level of fear that Thomas did not think possible in a man like his father.


    He turned back to the platform, where the man known as the prophet now stood. The man did not look at all uncomfortable with what was about to happen, in fact, he looked like he was enjoying himself. He stood for a while, facing the crowd, watching them. Then he turned towards the noble gathering, fixing them with his piercing gaze. Not even one among them had the guts to face him for long. It was as if he was the master of the place, not them. Before this man, they were like children caught doing something naughty.


    Finally. The man looked towards a guard standing on the platform for a long while, until the guard started shivering all over. His spear rattling like a straw of grass in a windy field. The guard then ran down from the platform and a moment later, came back with a chair, which he placed behind the prophet. He then bowed stiffly, and scurried back to his place. Normally, such behavior would have been reprimanded or even laughed at, after all, the man was a criminal. Now though, nobody was laughing. Nobody thought it inappropriate at all. The city''s lord might have twitched slightly, but that was all the reaction he gave.


    At last, the man known as the prophet, sat down on his chair. Leaning back, he closed his eyes with a content smile on his face. Everyone began to breathe again, as if they had all been holding their breath the entire time. People were still quiet, only whispering, but now the man with the fancy robes and mustache, stood up.


    He did not look quite as puffed up as he had been a few moments ago. Still, the man had a slightly sour expression on his face. Like he had tried to eat a ripe apple, only to find the taste bitter. In fact, it was as if he had just realized that the man they were about to execute was no ordinary beggar after all. That sending him there was no vacation after all.


    At first, he hesitated, but eventually, steeled himself and walked next to the prophet, looking down at him. Then he began speaking. "I am an envoy sent by his reverent majesty Emperor Douja Dawn the second, ruler of the seven provinces and nine regions of Dawn. I am here in Everlasting, in Schlechitz, today to oversee the execution of the traitor known as the Mad Prophet. You have conspired against his majesty the emperor, spreading false rumors and twisting the minds of his majesty''s subjects'' in four provinces alone. You have therefore been charged with high treason, and will be executed as such. It is on the orders of his majesty that I do this, and I do so in his name. How do you plead?"


    The envoy looked slightly out of breath after his tirade, but still managed to look the part of an envoy. The prophet himself though, didn''t even look at him. He only sat back, eyes closed, smiling all the while.


    "Did you not hear me? I asked you, how do you plead!?" The envoy, now red faced, nearly shouted at the seated man.


    This time it had an effect, the prophet''s eyes opened and his piercing gaze bore down on the envoy like a tidal wave. The effect was immediate, the poor envoy staggered back, recoiling as if struck. His face now pale as sheet, unlike his tomato red complexion earlier.


    "Tell me envoy of the Emperor... What is causing you such haste? Are you afraid of me?" The prophet''s voice rang out across the square.


    Thomas shrank in on himself when he heard that voice, such a terrible voice could not come from a human. Like rusty nails scraping against stone. He managed a quick look at his father, who was now holding his hands over his ears, tears streaming down his face. His fear now turned into panic. Thomas suddenly had the notion that this was not the first time his father met the prophet...


    Everyone in the crowd, noble, knight, common guard or even peasant, recoiled from the terrible voice. The envoy however, had an even worse reaction. He actually fell flat on his ass, and scrambled back. All professional pride and facade forgotten. That same look of terror that Thomas''s father had shown earlier, was now on the face of the envoy. All the others on the platform had similar reactions, except the bishop and his priests. Their mouths were agape as they looked at the prophet, their eyes filled with something other than fear. What that was, nobody could really tell.


    "I have no wish to extend this moment before my death for too long. You have summoned me, and here I am. Before I die, I wish to speak to those who are here now... You all know why you are here. I called you here, there are those here among you who does not know me, and have no history with me. You will not need to do anything, but the rest of you.... You must honor the promise that was made, the bargain that was struck." The prophet turned towards the crowd now, his gaze burning with a mad blaze.


    "Blood begets blood, and now it is time for the harvest. You all know what to do, and what happens if you do not do as you were told. Even if most of you do what you do out of fear, I know some of you have other thoughts. You shall act upon them, you know what I want, in return, I shall be what you want me to be... That is all. Let us get this over with... Executioner step forward." With that speech, the prophet stood up from his chair and walked towards the execution block.


    Nobody said a word. The envoy on the ground, still did not dare move. The nobles did not move. Neither did the priests, neither did the bishop who had a lost look on his face. Deep in thought, as if he had a tough choice to make. Meanwhile, the crowd beneath the podium looked uneasy, the same look someone accused have after being sentenced to prison.


    The prophet then kneeled down before the headman''s block, waiting, an expectant smile on his face. That smile gradually turned to one of impatience, then exasperation as time went by. As it turned out, the executioner had run away. The prophet looked around at the people on the podium, nobody meeting his eyes. With a final grunt of dissatisfaction, he pointed his finger at the bishop.


    "You, bishop, you shall do the deed. Get a sword, and cut my head off. Don''t worry, nobody shall harm you, and no curse will haunt you for it. In fact, it is a great deed you are about to begin. You shall have your reward in the future, mark my words. Well, get up man!" The impatient prophet barked.


    The bishop looked thunderstruck, and quite reluctant as he got up. Which shocked many. A bishop executing people? Nobody could think of anything like this happening in the long history of the empire. Probably it would never happen again either.


    Slowly, the bishop walked next to the prophet. He looked quite frightened, but also somewhat calm, as if he had accepted his fate. Nobody tried to stop him either, as he picked up the long sword beside the block. He looked down at it for a long while, then back at the waiting prophet, who by now, had placed his head down at the block. A satisfied smirk on his face.


    Everything seemed to come to a halt, as the bishop raised the sword above his head. Even the world seemed to freeze for a moment. Then the bishop swung his sword downwards in an arc. The swoosh of the blade meeting air, was changed to the sickening crunch of metal meeting bone, and flesh. It was again followed by the metallic smell of blood. Everyone seemed to let their breath go again. The mad prophet was dead, leaving behind a stunned crowd, and a bloodied bishop.


    The bishop looked down at the sword for a moment, then nodded to the priests waiting by the chairs. They all came forward, one picking up the head of the prophet, placing it in a box. The others wrapping the prophets body in a cloth of linen, before carrying him away. Leaving only the bloodied bishop behind.


    The bishop faced the crowds."This criminals body shall be handled by the church. His remains buried in a hidden place, where nobody has knowledge off, deep beneath the earth." He then turned towards the others at the podium. "Gentlemen, I wish you a good day, may the light of the Emperor shine upon you." Then he just walked away after the procession of priests, bloodied and with the still dripping sword gripped in one hand.


    After this, nobody spoke a word or even moved for a long while. Finally, the dumbstruck high gentlemen of the podium began their march away with their guards. Leaving behind a silent crowd. It wasn''t until they too finally left, that people slowly began to move away from the square.


    Thomas saw his father leaving, a heavy expression on his face, and made to follow, but was halted. His father had turned back towards him now, his expression grim. Eyes full of determination.


    "Boy, this is where we part. Where I go now, and what I am about to do, you can have no part in. I want you to go back home and take care of your mother and your siblings. Can you do that for me?" Asked his father.


    "I will, but what is it you must do father? And why can''t you tell me?!" Replied Thomas.


    His father looked back at him for a long while. Then he spoke, while turning away. "I made a bargain I did not know about, years ago, long before you were born. What I must do, you cannot know. All I can say is that the chances of me coming back are slim at best. Regardless, the chances of me coming back are better than the chances we will all have if I refuse to honor the bargain. Go now. I love you son." Then he stalked away, vanishing in the crowds.


    That was the last Thomas ever saw of his father. Later, he often wondered if his father had taken part in the events that came to pass. The first bloody slaughter of the red moon, where thousands upon thousands died in a horrifying slaughter without any resemblance to war. It was this slaughter, where blood flowed more often than water in the streets, which lead to the first rebellion where the entire Imperial lineage of Dawn was slaughtered and replaced.


    An event that would later be known to historians as the First Purge of Dawn....