《The World System》 Chapter 0 Of to the side of a deserted road a car door was left ajar, crying out its warning to the morning air. God.... what is that noise. The insistence of the noise was bringing the figure slumped over a steering wheel from a deep slumber. Assuming it to be his alarm clock the figure spoke out, "Ok. Ok. I am get-.... up." The voice had changed part of the way through, finishing the statement early. A pair of eyes had slowly opened and were greeted with the deflated remains of an airbag, not a flattened pillow. The noise was definitely not his alarm clock. There was a dull throb on the side of his head, the rest of body aching yet numb at the same time. The first instinct, despite its intelligence, was to look around. Doing so just sent a sharp pain through both the males ribs and arm on the right side, yelling at him to cease movement. A grimace tainted the teens features, cracked, chapped lips just barely choking back a scream. The statement that followed was eloquent, focused solely on his situation, "God damn it that hurts." Speaking forced the pain the surge, sending chest heaving, pupils dilating. Despite the pain, his body betrayed its owner, a loud bout of coughing the reply. Unable to control muscles there was no choice except to slump back against the steering wheel, left arm wrapped around it, hand a vice grip seeking comfort. Minutes passed in groaning agony, every nerve becoming accustomed to its new lot in life. Finally when it faded enough he pulled back, just until his back could rest against the slightly bent drivers seat. Now that he could exert a bit of focus, his left arm was brought up, each finger flexing on his hand inwards, confirming that it seemed to be working properly at least. That working hand was brought up to his face, rubbing at it. When it was pulled away it came away with the remnants of caked on blood. The sight of blood caused his eyes to widen, "Shit.. not good." Now with more urgency he began to lightly feel along his face and scalp, finding a rather large gash that had already begun closing up running from behind his right ear up and over his skull. Wincing as he touched the long, broken up scab, his voice seemed a little relieved, "Well at least its not bleeding." A quick check of the rest of his body, from what could be seen in his current position, indicated that he was not in immediate danger just a lot of pain. His line of sight finally came up and past the steering wheel, noticing clumps of gray fur and gore splattered all across the hood and splintered windshield. The morning sun just barely peeking through the trees illuminating the mess. The truck was tilting slightly and he couldn''t see the road in front of him meaning it had gotten knocked of course by whatever he had rammed into. "What the hell did I hit? All I remember was a giant blur.. and then pain." As he thought he glanced to his right confirming that his passenger side door was just... missing, sheared metal where it had once stood. That at least explained the annoying dinging. It was beyond grating at this point so keys were removed from the ignition and tossed haphazardly on the console. No one was driving off with this wreck anyhow. His expression soured again as his hand went down to his seat belt, pain shooting through his body, having to jerk it about to get it loose. When it was free his working hand went from it to the door handle of his truck, pulling at it while pushing his arm outwards. The door refused to budge, causing him to have to ram his shoulder into it, sending even more stabs of pain down his right shoulder and side, forcing another strangled cry before finally the door mercifully opened letting him push it creaking to its apex. Letting go of the door handle the door stayed open, allowing him to turn to his right side, pulling up the now slightly tattered t-shirt above his right half. It only confirmed what he already suspected, it was out of socket, a rounded bulge in front of where it should have been."Great a dislocated shoulder and probably bruised or cracked ribs as well and lord knows if I''ve got some kind of concussion..." Muttering to himself he slowly inched to the edge of the drivers seat, going towards the outside. He paused just as the precipice sighing and then taking in a deep breath of morning air... this only served to send another throb of pain through him. A glare down at his damaged body and a shake of his head later he forced himself from the seat to his feet, legs trembling, threatening to send him back into a heap before he rooted himself. "Well, at least my legs seem fine. Let see if I can fix this fucking arm.", psyching himself up, he knew contrary to popular belief that just slamming your arm into a solid object didn''t fix it. You were more likely to make it worse. Instead the best option was to try and get the muscle to stretch slowly and get the ball to go back into the socket on its own. Hurt a whole lot less to. His left hand grabbed hold of the drivers side seat belt and began looping it around his wrist and forearm on the right, getting another wince every time he had to jostle it about. Finally satisfied he took a low shallow breath trying to avoid setting his ribs off again and began to walk backwards from the door, the belt further down to allow the muscle and arm to stretch down and out. After what seemed an agonizing five minutes there was a slight pop and a not so manly scream, followed by a collapse to the ground. He just sat there refusing to move in the leaves and debris, "Damn it that hurts..", complaining to no one in particular. Eyes focused on the clouds drifting through the tree boughs he began taking in slow rhythmic breaths, trying his best to calm his racing heart. It only took a few minutes before the pain had subsided enough to think of other things. As his mind wandered his tongue unconsciously went to his lips again, feeling the brittle skin, "Dry... I should have a bottle in the truck." A few more moments passed before James decided to do something about it. His fully functioning hand re-gripped the seat belt to support his body in rising back to his feet. Leaning over the seat when he was up, he looked inside, finding the object he desired, a half empty liter of water, in the floorboard of backseat towards the passenger side. Rather than trying to reach over into the back and send even more pain through his body he went to walk around... only he stopped dead in his tracks at the front of the car. His chest immediately began rising an falling swiftly, pain practically ignored as he got a shot of adrenaline. He hadn''t realized it before from the way the truck was positioned, but now, now he could see clearly. It was what he had hit going nearly sixty miles an hour. A massive lump of gray furred flesh, shaped roughly like a wolf.. only it was too big. Far far too big. It was easily almost the size of the truck he was driving, at least, height wise. He was lucky to be alive...and after standing there, staring at it like a deer in headlights, trying to detect even the faintest hint of breathing, he realized he was lucky that it was not moving. It took him a few more minutes to get the courage to walk over to the thing, a few feet away, staring, trying again to detect if it was faking, if it was breathing no matter how shallow.. and a few minutes more to reach out and touch the thing. Cold. It was stone cold. A breath he didn''t realize he had been holding shot from his lips in relief, pain once more running through him.. only to be stopped by shock a moment later as what looked like a long list of information in holographic form flooded his senses.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
WARNING JUNE 18th 22:47:48
Utilizing items not approved by the system, [Jeep Cherokee - Model Black], to kill monsters is forbidden. You have been given a warning, any rewards gained have been revoked, and the system has been adjusted to prevent such a thing from happening again. Administrators have been notified of your exploit of the system.
Unable to do anything except blink, he stared at the screen in front of him. A warning? I don''t even know what the hell that thing is or what I did besides hit it with my truck... The screen seemed to be staring right back at him, refusing to leave his vision, even as he turned his head left and right. Maybe I hit my head a little too hard. A sigh came from his lips, before he reached forward, trying to touch the screen, and to his surprise it felt like something was there, just barely. The screen reacted to his touch, moving as he moved his hand. So I guess I click close message? And just like that the screen closed and a new one popped up in his face, only this time he heard a voice that sounded almost robotic droning in his skull.
ANNOUNCEMENT June 19th 24:00:00
[ AUDIO PLAYBACK BEGINS ] GREETINGS BEINGS OF EARTH! I am Lead Administrator {Random Static Noises} of the World System for this UV-Quadrant. You may simply refer to me as Lead Administrator, or Hirax if you would prefer. I realize the sudden appearance of this box and my visage may come as a shock, however, we have important things to do! First. Your universe is currently undergoing an extreme state of fluctuation. This is caused by, in as close approximation to your cultures as possible, mana. It is extremely dangerous, and left unchecked would consume your world leaving nothing but a barren husk. The only way to prevent this state is to burn off the excess mana, which is why we, and the system, are here. We are not invaders, and we do not mean you any harm, however, the methods needed to burn off the mana will be extremely volatile, and while they can and will benefit your species you will find your way of life turned upside down, especially in the short term. Second. The system implementation will take roughly a week. If we allow it to go on any longer your planet may implode. During this time you will find the world around you changing drastically, growing, likely from the mana levels are currently seeing, expanding to roughly three times its current size. We are currently attempting to limit the amount of changes in heavily populated areas. This means that the wilderness around you is going to become far more dangerous, please try to limit long distance travel during this time. Third. Your world is no longer just a large chunk of rock floating in space. It is living. The method that planets often use in order to try and ensure its survival is often to spawn as much life as possible, plants, creatures, moving breathing elements. Anything you can think of, though often centered around your cultures myths and legends, is now a possibility. The only thing we can do is limit the places these spawns can occur. Removing them from heavily populated city centers, and moving them to the wilderness, at the end of the week long period we will no longer be able to restrict the flow of mana and thus the barriers we have set throughout the wilderness will open. It is up to you as a species to ensure they do not overrun you. Fourthly. Though all of this sounds dire, the system is not without its benefits. You have been given something which I am told is quite similar to many of the games your kind plays, a Status System. Simply think or say Status, and you will find that once this message has concluded you can explore a plethora of details that will help you survive the coming months and hopefully limit the number of casualties. The status system will also allow you as a species to grow stronger, and hopefully push back the monsters which now threaten your planet. We hope these messages, and all of the information we have compiled into the Status System will be helpful to you beings of Earth. You will receive notices every day from now until the end of the week letting you know the current status of your planet. [AUDIO PLAYBACK ENDS] ©¤ Signed Hirax, Lead Administrator 0001 of UV-Quadrant 356
He let the information soak in... the world was changing. That explained the big ass wolf. It did not, however, explain the warning he got, nor did it indicate that the voice was all that benevolent. If cars could kill the monsters why were they considered an exploit? Clicking close message, another popped up in his vision, this one giving him a little more details.
NOTICE June 19th 05:47:48
After careful review it was found that a Boss Monster, [Gray Alpha Worg], was spawned outside of its intended position in [National Wild Life Preserve - Lvl 20 - 30] due to an outside influence. This influence has been dealt with and the back-door used closed. Thanks to your intervention we have decided to rescind the warning on your account and allow the rewards to be distributed as normal.
Account? Account, users, administrators, outside influence What the hell... this sounds more like some kind of game being installed than there being no choice. He shook his head and clicked to close the message. Sitting around worrying about it was not going to fix anything, he was not some world leader, he was just some schmuck in the backwoods of a small town.
NOTICE CONGRATULATIONS!
You are the first World User to interact with the System! [Acquired Title - The First] [Acquired +1 Stat Points] [Acquired Random Trait - Rolling......] [Acquired Random Trait - Spatial Storage]
Spatial storage?... so like storing space? Can I store a room or something? Musing to himself he was getting ready to swipe the window when another one popped up over it.
WARNING JUNE 19th 10:02:19
User does not currently possess the Stat [Mana] 1 Stat Point Used to Give User Stat [Mana] User does not currently have sufficient [Mana] for use of [Spatial Storage] Absorbing [Mana] from Surroundings. Process will take [24 Hours].
Wait, what? He stared at the screen in front of him confused, only to feel a sudden burning sensation starting in his hands and feet, growing further and further, almost like they were numb and trying to wake up. Then the pain started. A pitiful scream erupted from his throat as his world went black and he hit the ground. Chapter 1 His eyes slowly opened, vision blurry and unfocused. Throbbing pain seemed to be streaming from the back of his skull down through his back. "Ugh... god... it feel.. it feels like I drank way.. urp.. much." His hand instinctively went to his mouth, trying to prevent his stomach from up-heaving its nonexistent contents. A few breaths passed and the pain seemed to subside just as quickly as it came on. His hand came up to his eyes, rubbing at them, trying to get his vision back, only to reveal the white plaster of a ceiling. "Ceiling? Wasn''t I in the woods?" Confused he looked to his right finding... a wall coated in blue paint. Then to the left, a small, open room. There was a night stand beside the rather comfortable bed he was laid in, beyond that a dresser, with a rather outdated looking television on top. He guided his sight in a circle from that point taking in a coat rack, a chair with some clothes haphazardly thrown atop, and finally a large oak door. "Definitely not my place." Trying to sit up brought an ache from his side forcing him to look down at the covers hiding his body. When he pulled back those covers he found his stomach bound in white wraps, shirt missing, triggering a flood of memories. "Car wreck... giant fucking wolf.. no worg... and weird blue screens." A pause. He considered saying it, but knew that the minute he did he would either get the confirmation he was insane and had dreamed it all up or... that he wasn''t. He was not quite sure which was worse. His lips puckered and he blew out a slow stream of breath before giving a shake of his head. "Fuck it. Show Status." There it was. Like an ominous message from beyond. A giant blue screen.
STATUS TITLES SKILLS NOTIFICATIONS WIKI
Name James Harbor
Race Human
Age 19
Resource Pools
Stamina 100% Fatigue 55%
--- --- Mana 0/1
Stat Points¡Ô
--- --- --- ---
Looking over the screen just brought more questions than it did answers. Why was his name labeled the way it was? Why did he only have Stamina, Fatigue, and Mana? "Guess I should change my name first." Hitting the Edit next to his name let out a satisfying click noise, followed by a holographic keyboard appearing where he could easily access it. "Convenient." A few moments later and the weird mess his name had been was replaced by his actual name. James Harbor. He did not waste anytime clicking around on the screen, trying to get his other [Stats] to popup information, only for nothing to happen. "Looks like I gotta go through the WIKI or figure this out on my own." The last thing that caught his eye were the notifications at that bottom of the screen. He was just getting ready to click on it when he heard the sound of a door knob turning. Looking up from the screen he was greeted with the sight of a rather large brown haired, mature woman, dressed in a turtle neck sweater and jeans. She was holding what looked to be a metal tray with a bowl and a towel, looking at him through a set of thick rimmed glasses. They sat there staring at one another, until the woman finally cleared her throat. Her voice was soft, for some reason she reminded him of a librarian with the way she almost whispered, "You''re finally awake. You gave us quite a scare you know. Im Alison, my father and I took you away from that horrible wreck." His brows furrowed at what was said, Took me away? Shouldn''t they have just called an ambulance? Seeing the confusion on his face, Alison set the tray down on the night stand and settled on the edge of the bed, sinking it in a little, oblivious to personal space. "You look confused. I am assuming you''re wondering why we brought you here? The town.... well.. the town is a mess." Her voice had faltered near the end, causing her to look away from James, hands pulling at the hem of her sweater almost on instinct. "The world is a mess... riots all over the place... at least that was the last we heard... cell phones.. television.. none of it seems to be working anymore since this morning." When she looked back at him James could see the worry on her face, even despite the almost quivering smile she had put on, trying her best to brave what was obviously an abhorrent situation. "O...oh.." Unsure of what to say he turned inwards. Doesn''t surprise me much people can be horrible when things go south... explains why I am here and not in a hospital though. Cellphones and television don''t work? Alison, for her part, was fidgeting, her eyes seemingly drawn down. "Um.. well. I''ll leave the bowl and rag.. I need to go finish dinner.. you''re welcome to join us if you feel up to it." Another weak smile, and she was gone through the door before he got a chance to ask any questions, closing it on the way.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nice enough... brought some stranger into their house when all of this is going on. He sighed and shook his head, hands coming up and slapping his cheeks."Focus. You need to figure this shit out." His status screen was brought back into focus, and his finger pressed down on notifications only for the flood to begin again in earnest.
ANNOUNCEMENT June 20th 24:00:00
[AUDIO PLAYBACK BEGINS] GREETINGS BEINGS OF EARTH! It seems some of you are mistaken in how this situation is going to work. There is no choice in the matter, [Mana] will be distributed through your planet, and you really should start working together in order to have a game plan for when the week ends. We are not allowed to interfere more than we already are. Lets take a look at our running tally shall we? Your planet has been expanded by roughly 25% of its previous size. In addition numerous locations known as [Dungeons] have been spread through new and old areas. [Dungeons] are places where large amounts of [Mana] has been focused, each [Dungeon] uses this [Mana] to spawn all manner of things from [Monsters] and [Items] up to an including entire cities. This was unexpected, and thanks to its timely arrival we believe the spawns outside of these areas will not be as intense. However, that does not mean you are safe, just within the last 24 hour period your species has experienced a catastrophic loss of life, numbering at 1.5 billion. We implore you to focus on the task at hand and interact with the [System], it very well may save you from oblivion. A new broadcast will be sent at the same time next cycle. [AUDIO PLAYBACK ENDS] ©¤ Signed Hirax, Lead Administrator 0001 of UV-Quadrant 356
He left the message sitting there after the audio playback had concluded. A low whistle was let free from his lips. "One and a half. Thats a lot... more than I expected. Guess people really aren''t taking this too well. Makes Alison''s reaction more commendable." He went back up to the previous paragraph, re-reading the details about [Dungeons]. "Was the place that worg was supposed to be at a dungeon?" That thought had him looking around the notifications screen, pulling at it in every direction, trying to re-access the old notice. It did not take long to find that he could go forward and backward in the queue by swiping up and down. Swiping down until he got to the first notification he received he committed the timestamp to memory before going on to the third notification telling him he had been cleared of wrong doing. "Almost an hour before the world wide announcement went out, that means the [System] and monsters were in place, or being placed before they even said anything." It may have just been his paranoia but the more he thought about it, the more he felt like this situation was intentional. "Saying anything will just make shit worse. Plus if they did take out the cellphones, gotta assume the internet does not work anymore either." His voice didn''t sound too convinced of his own words. Swiping up he skipped past the System Notices in order to get to the warning from yesterday. Spatial Storage. "It caused a blackout, hope its worth it." Another click brought up the details for the [Trait].
TRAIT Spatial Storage
A subset of [Spatial Magic], this [Trait] replaces the default [Inventory System]. The [User] is able to instinctively access a dimension created for them by the [System]. Unlike the [Inventory System] this [Trait] allows the [User] to theoretically store anything. This is limited by a weight limit per item, a stored [Mana] cost for [System] upkeep, and a maximum amount of [Mana] that can be stored at a time. These limitations can be improved via [Upgrades]. Further functionality and details must be accessed after [Evolving] the [Trait]. WARNING: Removing [Mana] for functions currently in use could result in catastrophic failure, loss of dimension contents, and potentially death.
Type [Mythical] [Unique]
Level 1
Current Functionality 2lb Max Weight | 1 [Mana] = 1 Cubic Foot | [Mana] Limit - 10
Upgrade Requirements 1 [Skill] Point / Token
After clicking it felt like second nature, as if he had always had the [Trait]. His hand moved up on its own, reaching out in front of him and then disappeared from view. It felt. Numb. Like he couldn''t feel his fingers anymore. Retracting it and wiggling his fingers seemed to cause no ill effect. Reaching over to the right he picked up the towel from the tray and pushed both it, and his hand back into the space in front of him. Letting go and retracting his hand the towel stayed. "Interesting. Im not sure how they impart the knowledge, but it definitely makes this easier." A thought later and the towel appeared at the edge of his range, about two feet from his body on top of the bed only to disappear once more, then a grin ripped through his lips. "Oh I can do plenty with this. Need more mana though." Now far more eager, he brought his status back up and flicked past the trait notification, more windows of rewards flooding his vision.
NOTICE CONGRATULATIONS!
Multiple Notices and Rewards have been condensed for convenience. [You are the first System User to kill a Monster!] [Acquired: [Trait] - First Blood, +1 Stat Point, Bronze Chest] [WARNING: Spatial Storage cant hold Bronze Chest, reward Stored temporarily, claim in 48hours or it will disappear]
[You are the first System User to kill a Boss Monster twenty levels higher than you solo!] [Acquired [Trait] - Boss Slayer V, [Trait] - Buffer Zone V] [Acquired [Title] - Indomitable] [WARNING: [Title] - Indomitable requires HP Regneration, Willpower, Constitution to be unlocked.] [Acquired Random Skill - Arcane Duplication] [WARNING: [Skill] - Arcane Duplication - Requires Mana Manipulation V and Mana Sense V] [Acquired Random Items - Mondura, Sin of the First, Gold Chest] [Acquired 16 [Stat] Points]
[You are the first System User to acquire ten Levels!] [Acquired [Trait] - Fastest Learner] [Access to [Store] and [Dungeons] unlocked. ]
Suddenly it felt as if his brain had just been rocked around in its case once again. "Woah..." His head flopped back onto the pillow and his eyes, slightly crossed stared at the white ceiling. He sat this way for several minutes digesting the information that had just been forced on him. It was the growl and sudden pain in his stomach that brought him back to reality. "Guess it has been two days. I''ll have to go through this better after I eat. I should still have enough time to retrieve the Bronze Chest." Slipping out of the bed, he splashed some of the still luke warm water on his face, retrieved the towel from his Spatial Storage and dried off. The towel was tossed on the tray, his attention shifting to the chair in the room. The clothes there were not his, but looked like they would fit well enough, if a bit baggy. A pair of gray sweat pants, and a black t-shirt. It took him a minute or so to get dressed and leave the room, pausing in the hallways as the sound of distant conversation hit his ears. Chapter 2 "I --- you --- think--- Ally, but we aint gon wait for him to get better," James paused, just at the edge of the stairs, able to hear their conversation clearly now, but not close enough to alert them to his presence, an older voice continued, "We''re too close to town, need to move somewhere safe, those Leonard boys have caused all kinds of racket. Sheriff cant keep em in check, last I heard they had tried to drag some poor girl off and shot the dumb-ass when he tried to reason with them. Hes laid up in Marlene''s with a hole in his leg. Should''ve just put a bullet in their skulls." There was a pause, before a familiar feminine voice, though, not as composed retorted. "Daddy! He just had a car wreck, hes not in any kind of condition to be doing strenuous activity, you know that! You''re the one that said it! And Greg is at least trying his best! You know hes old! No one else is even trying!" James had to muffle a chuckle to avoid detection. Alison sounded completely different from the calm mature woman he had seen in his room. She sounded almost like a child having a tantrum, that did not seem to deter her father though, as in his anger his speech just seemed to get more erratic. "He''ll have to, he ain''t got no choice. We need to get out of here, and he can either come with us or stay here for all I care but you''re getting the hell away from this mess. Town ain''t my problem, ain''t your problem, hell if that boy so much as looks at you wrong he ain''t gon'' be no problem either I''ll fill ''im with buckshot." Soft crying and someone rummaging around indicated the end of their discussion and James took that as his cue to come down the steps. Pressing down on them, he made sure there was enough noise to alert them of his presence. Just as he reached the bottom his eyes were locked by an older man, more a mixture of Santa Claus and a Biker than an overbearing father. He had a thick wild white unkempt beard on his face easily reaching his waist. Head almost bald save for a few random tufts of white here and there, obviously having seen better days. The mans eyes were fierce, almost crazy, like he was daring James to do something, anything, so he could be rid of the boy. Seeing that James did not take the bait the old man let out a gruff snort and went back to rummaging through a large crate in front of him, filled with all manner of items, clearly incensed and hunting for something. In contrast to the slightly overweight, yet intimidating man his daughter was rubbing at her face and looking away from him, trying her best to hide that she had been crying. She was seated in a simple chair next to a couch and a small table. He could only assume this was their living room "Ahah! Thought you could hide you bastards!" Alison''s father had just exclaimed aloud while holding a box of what looked to be decking screws aloft, as if it were the holy grail. Eccentric. Maybe that was the best word for him. The man then tossed the box into a huge rucksack behind him, only to immediately disappear into the crate again. The distraction had proved to be long enough for Alison to sort herself and put a weak, but genuine smile on her face. "Its nice to see you up and about. Come come, dinner is ready, I''ll get you a plate in the kitchen." She got up from her seat and walked through a door way behind the table, disappearing into a tiled room with a fridge in view. James followed her obediently, seeing no reason to refuse a meal given it was why he had come down in the first place. When he entered he found a chair pulled out for him, and the sounds of someone tapping metal cutlery on porcelain. It did not take long for Alison to come back and set the plate in front of him, fork and knife included before going to the fridge. "Fruit punch ok?" A nod from him, and a few seconds later he now had a decent sized glass of punch to go along with what looked to be a breaded chicken, carrots, and mac n'' cheese. "I know its not much but please, dig in." Her smile seemed far brighter this time around which got a small one from him in turn. "Thanks." Fork and knife were scooped up and he immediately began to devour what had been put in front of him. He had underestimated the hunger he felt yet Alison for her part seemed to be happy that he was eating in such a manner. She was content to watch for a moment, her thoughts the driver in forcing her smile to slip to a frown. "Soo... listen. Me and Daddy need to leave soon. The issue in town is a lot worse than I may have been saying..." Her statement seemed to hang in the air, as if refusing to finish itself. Then her eyes focused back on his now still face. "He''s not going to take no for an answer, and I don''t know what your situation is.. but if you want, I am sure I could get him to let you tag along." As she continued the one sided conversation James glanced back up at her face. Seeing the small traces of fear seemed to draw out an idea. First setting down his knife and fork, he then took a big gulp of punch, wiped his mouth onto fore-arm which then ended up on the sweats he was wearing. His voice followed steady, calm, no hint of emotion, a simple statement slipping from his lips, "Are you sure that''s a good idea? I mean for all you know I could be some kind of serial killer." His eyes were latched to hers, almost searching her soul. Alison''s own shot open, as if she had never considered the possibility, mouth gaping as if about to scream, hands tense. "Wait wait calm down." Before she could alert the old bear in the living room he raised his hand up stifling another laugh at her expense. "I couldn''t help it. You''re way to trusting you know? People can be pieces of shit." Alison glared at him as if her world had just been turned upside down. She abruptly shifted in her seat sideways so she no longer had to face him."You''re as a bad as daddy! He says the same things! I shouldn''t be so trusting! People will try to take advantage of me! Humph!" And there went the calm demeanor, right back into child throwing a tantrum she even crossed her arms. This proved to be too much for James as he immediately began cackling loudly like a hyena. "Aren''t you like thirty? Why''re you acting like that?" He bellowed out in between laughing, only to not realize it when he got a swift crack in the face. "Im twenty-nine thank you very much!", and just like that she was gone, leaving him rubbing his reddened cheek. "Shit. Went too far... ah well." He finished his meal, and the punch, before putting the dishes into the sink and heading back into the living room. The old man was still there, throwing random bits and bobs every which way from his crate. He didn''t even acknowledge that James had entered the room. Alison was no where to be seen, getting him to rub the back of his neck lamely.Should give her some time to cool off. Walking past the old man he headed up the stairs intent on going through his list of goodies now that he had taken care of his hunger and thirst. He entered the room had come from previously closing the door behind him, flopping restless on the bed. "Guess I should start with the Bronze Chest before it goes poof." He pulled up his status, then notifications, and finally clicked on the Bronze Chest title in the warning. He heard a click, and then nothing for a few seconds. A few seconds more passed and he was getting ready to begin clicking on other areas of the warning when a bright light began to materialize on the floor in front of him. It was roughly two feet away, taking the shape of chest that would not look out of place in an RPG. Rubbing his hands together in glee he reached forward, pulling at the lid, which only served to lift the chest some from the floor. Confused, he glanced down the sides and to the front, seeing a latch dead center holding both sides closed. A flick of his wrist and a renewed push later the chest was open before him. Inside were several things. A leather pouch in the top left corner, what looked to be a dagger in a sheath in front of it, and finally a pair of black metal arm-guards taking up most of the remaining space in the center. The pouch was pulled out first, the sound of metal jingling together and a hefty weight gave him a clue to its purpose. That purpose was confirmed after bringing it up to about chest height, prompting the screen to fill his vision once more.
ITEM Novice Coin Pouch
This pouch is often one of the first things a Novice adventurer acquires in their travels. Provided solely by the System it is magic in nature and capable of holding a vast amount of coin far beyond its size. The bag also acts as a coin exchange, letting the [User] transfer [Copper], [Silver], [Gold], or [Platinum] to any other coin type up to the current capacity.
Rarity [Common]
Contains 2 Gold Coins
Capacity 10 Gold Coins
Upgrade Requirements 1 [Item Upgrade] Token
Should be useful as I remember seeing access to some kind of store. I don''t think I need coins right now though. The bag seemed to disappear from his hands, deposited into his Spatial Storage. The dagger was the next item he picked up. Sheath and handle pulled away from one another revealing a dull gray metal.
ITEM Novice Dagger
A simple dagger made by a beginner blacksmith. Sturdy, but not too sharp.
Rarity [Common]
Durability 57/70
Damage 10-15 [Slashing] | 15-20 [Piercing]
I don''t have health to compare it too but I at least have something to defend myself with. Starting to pull open the straps on the back of the sheath, he paused, and looked down to his attire."Yea, maybe not yet." The dagger, just like the bag disappeared into his storage, attention focused back on the arm guards.
ITEM Arm-guards of the Raven
A set of black, steel, arm-guards intended to help the user blend in better with their surroundings.
Rarity [Uncommon]
Durability 100/100
Damage Reduction -15 [Slashing], [Piercing] to covered area.
Special When the user is not moving +1 Lvl to [Stealth]
No stealth, but they''ll let me take a blade strike at least. Hell, it makes the dagger I have almost useless. He opted to actually put the arm-guards on, strapping them in snug so they didn''t slip around. The way the straps were setup made it self-explanatory. As he finished putting them on, the chest faded into particles leaving him sitting there staring where it had been. "Ah right! I''ve got a gold one too." A gold chest, far smaller than the bronze one had been appeared in its place. A push of a button and a click later revealed it to be a ring box, holding a single ring. Picking the ring up and bringing it up to his face revealed the screen.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
ITEM Ring of the Mana Beast [INERT]
A deep blue ring made from the molten scales of a beast that feeds on [Mana]. The ring has had numerous owners, and each one of them seems to succumb to fate, never to be heard from again.
Rarity [Rare] | [Unique]
Durability ---/---
Special +20 [Mana]
"That doesn''t sound like a bad omen or anything at all, nope..." He snorted, flicking the ring into the air, watching as it dematerialized into his storage, just as the ring box faded away. "Guess I should look into my stats, that title said I needed to unlock a few to access it, and yesterday the system let me unlock them with stat points. Well. The system unlocked it, forcefully." All of the item screens were swiped away and his status was brought back front and center. He began clicking on it, trying to get a reaction, and to his surprise when he clicked on a spot with dashes a list was brought up.
Known [Stats] Current Points: 66
Health Points [HP]
The measure of a [Users] vitality. If it reaches zero they are forced into an unconscious state. Taking damage equal to half of the users [HP] will kill the [User]. IE: A [User] has 100 [HP], sustains 100 [HP] worth of damage. They enter an unconscious state. They take a further 50 [HP] worth of damage, and perish.
Source: Default Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Health Regeneration [HP/s]
The measure of a [Users] ability to regenerate. A rare [Stat] that increases the functions of a [Users] body, improving recovery speed at the cost of 1 [Stat] point per 0.1 second increase.
Source: [Title] - Indomitable Unlock Cost: +10 Stat Points
Strength [STR]
The measure of a [Users] muscle. This [Stat] increases ability to push, pull, lift, strike. It allow a [User] to not only lift heavy objects but also run, jump, climb faster.
Source: Default Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Constitution [CON]
The measure of a [Users] vigor. This [Stat] lets a [User] run longer, shrug off superficial damage, lower risk of disease, even hold their breath longer. Increases [Users] [HP] at a cost of 1 [Stat] point per 10 [HP]
Source: Default Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Dexterity [DEX]
The measure of a [Users] finesse. This [Stat] allows a user to work all of their movements to a finner degree, from delicate clock work, to smooth fluid swings of a sword.
Source: Default Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Intelligence [INT]
The measure of a [Users] thoughts. This [Stat] allows a user to not only think faster and analyze data easier, but also increases the [Users] mana point at a rate of 1 [Stat] point to 5 [Mana] points.
Source: Default Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Wisdom [WIS]
The measure of a [Users] application. This [Stat] allows a user to more easily apply their thoughts and experiences to planning and actions, as well as how easy it is to draw upon those thoughts and experiences. Wisdom is also rumored to be tied vaguely to the regeneration of [Mana].
Source: Default Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Willpower [WP]
The measure of a [Users] will. A high Willpower allows a user to shrug off [Fear], [Confusion], and other mind based attacks. It also can let a user fight far longer than they would normally, achieve amazing feats, all at the cost of their own body.
Source: [Title] - Indomitable Unlock Cost: +1 Stat Point
Looking over the list, he tilted his head in thought, considering what he wanted to do before throwing that out and just going down the list clicking every one of them to unlock them. A bright light, similar to the one that came from the chests swarmed his body, illuminating him. There was no pain this time, only the uncomfortable feeling of his body moving outside of his control, skin crawling. When it stopped he was left breathing deeply, looking down at his hands which had a bit more definition to them. Licking lips he spoke aloud, "Show Status."
STATUS TITLES SKILLS NOTIFICATIONS WIKI
Name James Harbor
Race Human
Age 19
Level 10 Status Points 49
Resource Pools
Stamina 100% Fatigue 95%
Health 65/72 Mana 5/6
HP/s 0.15 --- ---
Stat Points
Strength 1 Constitution 1
Dexterity 1 Intelligence 1
Wisdom 1 Willpower 1
Indomitable seemed to be doing its job now the he had unlocked all of the stats for it, giving him a boost to his regeneration and his health pool. "Man, these stats are low but I feel great, the pain from my ribs is completely gone, my head feels clear, and my body hasnt felt like this since I was a kid." Jumping to his feet, he bounced himself back and forth a few times, throwing out a few quick jabs before pausing and looking down at his fists. A smile rippled across his lips. "Wonder what happens if I crank them up even more? I know I need mana for two of the skills I got, but I think I can sacrifice a few more for other things." His fingers pressed at Intelligence. Nothing. He then pressed at the number, causing it to increase by one with a minus next to it. A button labeled confirmed appeared at the bottom of the screen. "Simple enough." 9 points immediately went into both Intelligence and Wisdom, followed by 4 in Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity. He put 9 into Willpower, and the last 10 were dumped into Health Regeneration. Clicking confirm caused him to be engulfed by an even brighter light, to the point it washed out his surroundings and leaked into the hallway and out of the window of the room. Chapter 3 The light that engulfed James faded away letting his eyes soak in their surroundings again slowly. A deep breath was taken in and he looked down at his arms and hands. Muscles seemed to be rippling underneath them when he turned his hands front to back, a grin stretching through his lips. He had not noticed that the door to the room was opened, nor did he notice the cold steel pressed against his back. It took the old man racking the shot gun, loading a shell, for him to freeze. That grin was gone instantly, replaced by a scowl, "Turn around pretty boy and get them hands up, do it nice and slow." Allison''s fathers voice, that forced the corner of James upper lip to curl more. Taking his lack of response as stalling the barrel was jammed into his back again, trying to push him forward but having no luck, James toes pressing down to offset the force. "I said turn around." "Alright alright." Not wanting to gamble on the amount of damage a shotgun could do to him he raised his hands up and slowly turned around, staring the old man down. "What was with that bright light huh? Why the hell you got all them muscles now too? You was scrawny an hour ago." James glanced to both his arms, then down to his feet before looking back up. His lips parted like he was going to answer only for his body drop down instantly. Feet digging into the wood hard enough to kick up some splinters shooting forwards under the old mans weapon. His shoulder collided with the beer gut in front of him, arms slipping around to his back. The momentum carried both him and the old man out of the door into the wall of the hallway knocking the air out of the old mans lungs and then both of them to the floor. Unfortunately for James, this was far from the first conflict Alison''s father had been in. No sooner than he moved to rise up to strike, he found the butt of the shot gun slamming into the side of his chin rocking his head sideways and slinging his brain around its case.
You have taken 15 [Blunt] damage and been [Dazed] for 2 Seconds
His body followed his head, tumbling side ways letting the shotgun wielding lunatic scramble on top. All he could see was a white beard and the length of the shotgun aiming for his neck, hands holding it back. Bulk and leverage was used to keep it there trying his best to reach and crush James windpipe. "You don'' fucked up now, she wont save you from me boy." Beyond enraged, spittle covered both his own and James face. The old mans beard had shifted just enough that James could see his skin turning red from exertion and adrenaline, a few veins even beginning to throbbing on his forehead. A scream caught them both off-guard, causing their heads to jerk towards the stairs and the direction of the sound. The only other person in the house was Alison. Shit. No time. The force in his arms amplified and he sent the old man tumbling off him back into the room. He was on his feet a moment later then clearing the stairs with a jump moments after. He stumbled a little from the landing but managed to right himself as he came face to face with the open front door. Two men were standing over Alison in a heap on the porch. "Hu hu hu, dumb bitch shoulda'' kept her mouf shut." Looking closer he could see her forehead was bleeding, then back up at the two men his lips curled up teeth shown. James sprinting their way caused them to turn towards the door, noticing him too late. The one on the left had been speared hard enough at the waist to send them both through one of the porch supports and out onto the lawn. Keeping his bearings this time he was able to get his knees up on the still shocked mans shoulders pinning him to the dirt, his arm raised up, hand wrapped around what looked like a rod wrapped in leather. James pulled his hand down just a little revealing a six inch blade attached to the rod from seemingly nowhere. Immediately the man below him started struggling, his voice stammering as he spoke "Now w-wait ju-just a second here we do--" A sound like a shoe hitting mud mixed faintly with metal scraping porcelain was the reply. James had just slammed his blade into the mans jabbering mouth. Drawing it back produced a small spurt of blood followed by a gurgling, choking scream, as if trying to beg for mercy. The knife fell again in his cheek gouging some of it out and revealing his gums. A third hit just below the eye socket forcing the eyeball up and out of its home. He was about to pull the knife free for a fourth when there was a new sound and a lot of pain from his head. Wood meeting something solid with an undertone of a ripe melon being tested. The other brother had recovered finally and hit James full force in the side of the skull with a wooden bat.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Critical Hit! You have taken 35 [Blunt] damage and been [Dazed] for 10 Seconds
James rolled a few feet away holding his head causing a pause in the mayhem. The still living brother able to see the mess James had left before letting out incomprehensible screech. The screech turned to yelling as he moved to approach James, "JOE! YOU KILLED JOE! I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Two footsteps carried the man close to James, his bat pulled up into the air, giving James, despite his haze, just enough time to raise his arms up in an x to try and absorb the blow. The hit didn''t come. What the brother had not counted on was the grizzled mad man finishing his check up of his daughter. There was suddenly a large amount of noise sending James ears ringing as well as a splatter of something hot, wet, and solid in places coating his arms, chest, and head. Trying to uncurl got him a kick to his ribs rolling him to his side, his hearing slowly returning. "GET UP!" James''s head pulled in the direction of the voice, watching as another shell was racked. Eyes focused up at the old man seeing he looked even crazier than before. His once dingy white beard was covered in a smattering of bone, blood, brain, and flesh. The hesitation James showed was not looked upon fondly getting him a swift boot to the face knocking him back into the ground again.
You have taken 5 [Blunt] damage You have learned the Skill [Pain Resistance]
"Not gonna tell you again." James unable to do anything else slowly got to his feet, small drops of blood running from his nose. His stance was a little wobbly from being hit in the head so many times in short succession. "This is all your fucking fault! If we didn''t have to deal with your ass we''d been gone already. Weren''t for my daughter and the fact you killed one of those pieces of shit I''d blow your brains all over my front yard. Get the fuck off my property." James could only gnash his teeth and speak up, "What about my stuff?" The old man having learned his lesson kept his distance but still spit towards James feet when the question was asked. "You mean that ratty shirt and jeans? What bout it?" "The wallet and shoes. I don''t care about the rest." The old mans finger slipped down to the trigger, hanging there for a moment before moving back up to the side of the finger guard, letting him wave the shotgun off in the direction of the woods. "Take twenty steps back and sit your ass down, I''ll get Ally in and then throw you your shit so you can get the fuck out of here before I change my mind." James did as asked, the old man slowly backing away to the porch shotgun trained on him the entire time. Leaning down he used one arm to gently lift up her back, careful of her neck. The shotgun was set down in her lap as the other arm was used to go under her legs. James could only watch as he disappeared, his face and head throbbing with a dull ache now that the adrenaline was wearing off. When the old man reappeared James was picking pieces of flesh and bone from his clothes, the sound of the old mans voice bringing him out of his task. "Hey! Pick up your shit and get." A torn up pair of jeans and sneakers was tossed into the yard a little ways from James. Rather than argue he got up and walked over to his shoes. They were still tied letting him slip them on with a bit of wiggling, the pants, however, were picked up, checked for his wallet which was taken out and stored. The pants were summarily tossed back to the ground. James was watched as he did all of this, shotgun not aimed at him but held ready. It wasn''t until he turned and headed towards the brother he had put down that the old man spoke up again, cutting him off before he could get close "I didn''t say you could have the knife, get the fuck out of here. Driveway leads to the road, you can figure the rest out pretty boy." James stopped again, visibly trembling, the old man assumed it was from fear, but the look on James''s face was anything but fear. Thankfully James was turned away making it impossible to see his face clearly. Could I reach? One shot.. maybe two.. this body is a lot sturdier.. no no. Stop. Even if he is an asshole, he and his daughter helped you. A forced gust of breath, he glared back at the old man before heading for the driveway. It was shitty knife anyways I''ll just find something better.. Reasoning with himself, poorly, he walked down the gravel path heading for the main road, knowing that with no supplies he''d have to head into town. Just as he touched asphalt his ears perked up, distant howling causing his head to turn in the direction the noise had come from. "Wolves? There haven''t been wolves aro... shit. The notice." Remembering where the Worg was supposed to come from had James sprinting down the road in the direction of civilization, he lost his knife, and he''d be damned if he was going to try and fight a pack of wolves barehanded. Chapter 4 Currently a mile out from the town he called home, James was surrounded by six wolves. Three of them taking up his front and three at his back, forming an almost semi-circle on either side. Neither party were moving from their spot, almost rooted. The wolves were just snarling at him, low, deep vibrations assaulting his ears. James for his part had his arms out body slightly hunched, every muscle in his body tense and waiting for an attack that did not seem to be coming. This had been going on for several minutes, and James had just about enough of it. "Come on then you fucking mutts! Either come at me or get the fuck out of my way!" His roaring voice was only met with more snarling, his anger and confusion growing a few more notches. Teetering on the edge, the only thing that had stopped him was a notification he had gotten a few minutes into his staring contest. "Inspect." Was muttered under his breath at the beast closest to his front.
Monster Wild Wolf
A gray furred species of wolf, best known for hunting in small packs of five to ten. These animals are usually scavengers or opportunistic predators, opting to shy away from any situation that may end up overwhelming them. Their strength lies in their speed and their numbers.
Level 11
Type [Beast] | [Normal]
Rarity [Common]
Staring at the screen in disbelief, the only thing he had learned was that it was fast, it was common, and it was a level higher than him. "Useless.. damn thing wont even give me the health or damage. Show Status."
STATUS TITLES SKILLS NOTIFICATIONS WIKI
Name James Harbor
Race Human
Age 19
Level 10 Status Points 0
Resource Pools
Stamina 85% Fatigue 72%
Health 120/120 Mana 41/51
HP/s 1.65 --- ---
Stat Points
Strength 5 Constitution 5
Dexterity 5 Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10 Willpower 10
"I doubt I could out run them, even with my new body." Glancing over his shoulders he took a look at the ones at his back, going through each of them with an inspect, getting 10, 11, 10. The front were 11, 12, 11. He was outnumbered, and out leveled. "Great..." His thoughts flicked to his storage, looking for something, anything, to deal with them. "Coin bag, wallet, ring, weird token things... black metal rod? The fuck?" He didn''t remember getting that. His hand came out in front, the metal rod appearing in his grasp, a window filling his vision after.
ITEM Mondura, Sin of the First
There will always be a first. First born. First breath. First love. First death. Mondura was around in the time before time. At least, the time before the System.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. This object seeks out those bearing a fate entwined with firsts, said to feed on their body, mind, and soul.
Rarity [Rare] | [Unique]
Durability ---/---
Special ????
As he finished reading he felt a burning sensation on his hand, shooting up to his wrist and wrapping around it as if a molten shackle had been applied. "What the fuck!" Trying to let go did nothing, his hand refused to open. The pain drove him to his knees. Thankfully the wolves did not seize the moment of weakness, rather, they backed off a few feet from him.
You have taken 5 [Burning Damage] Your Skill [Pain Resistance] has leveled to [Pain Resistance II]
It refused to stop, and James was in no state to read windows, even if that window had reduced the pain by a bit, the pain continued past his skin, down deep into his bone rooting itself. When it felt like the inside of his wrist was melting his screams ratcheted up an octave higher. It took several minutes more for it to finally subside, and by the time it had the wolves were long gone, wanting no part in whatever the hell the weird human was up to. At some point he had ended up curled up in a fetal position. Again. "This.... this is becoming a habit... is this the systems goal? To drive you insane through pain? ... or is it just me?", the last part was choked out with a cough. Moving into a seated position, he looked down and found that the metal rod had grown, it was easily as tall as his body at this point, and about the thickness of three fingers bunched together. He swung it around a few times, feeling that the weight was just right for him, like he could use it one or two handed. "It got bigger? What is it? A staff?" Looking closely at it triggered the window to pop back up in his vision, this time with a few more details.
ITEM Mondura, Sin of the First
There will always be a first. First born. First breath. First love. First death. Mondura was around in the time before time. At least, the time before the System. This object seeks out those bearing a fate entwined with firsts, said to feed on their body, mind, and soul. Mondura has chosen a new host, James Harbor.
Rarity [Epic] | [Unique]
Durability ---/---
Damage 20 - 40 [Blunt]
Special Drawing 10 [Mana] from Host ????
"... So more ominous stuff and this one takes my mana away. I guess the system really doesn''t want me to try being a mage." A loud sigh slipped from his lips as he got to his feet, dusting the filthy pants he was wearing off in the process. "Well, at least those wolves finally fucked off." When he looked back down at he staff again he noticed that his wrist had a black band with a hollow circle on it. "And it tattooed me? What the shit?" He was getting ready to toss the staff off into the woods when he got a sudden feeling of extreme nausea and paranoia, as if doing it would be his end. "... w-wooah... wait... I still need a weapon right? Wolves right?" He muttered a lie to himself, obviously trying to pass off the feeling as his instincts kicking in. "Yea.. a weapon. I''ll just hold onto it until I get to town." That reaffirmation seemed to let his oncoming end abate, albeit, slowly. He took that as his cue and continued on towards the town. ----------------------------------------------------------- It took James about thirty-minutes to walk the last mile or so of distance to town, not that he would know, what, with lacking some form of time keeping device, as he passed the sign signifying his entry into the town proper his hand was raised up, the now six foot rod disappearing into his storage. He paused, waiting to see if the ominous feeling would return, and when it didn''t he stopped thinking about it stepping up onto the sidewalk and beginning his way down the main street towards the few stores they had around. The streets were quiet, not a car in sight. He could swear that as he passed a few door ways there were hushed whispers and the sound of blinds being closed. "Alison said the town was bad... but I don''t actually see anyone around?" Musing aloud to himself he had come up to the only intersection and turned right. Finally he saw a bit of the mess she had mentioned. Two cars, both missing wheels, where positioned up on the sidewalk in-front of what had been Pop''s Grocery Store. A large man, dressed up in a hoodie and jeans was sitting on the hood of one with a rifle of some sort. His eyes scanning the horizon, both left, and right. When their eyes met, the man fixed his gaze on James, looking him up and down, hands tensing on his rifle for a moment before dropping him as a threat, beginning to look around again. James for his part just blinked, already far too used to this treatment than he would have liked and continued on, walking towards the man un-phased. "Hey! Is Pops open? I need to get some food." The reply wasn''t even in words, just a head nodding back towards the doors which were wide open. Now that he was closer he could see that it was actually Pops son, Henry, which made a hell of a lot more sense than some random dude posted up out front. "Hey James! Sorry about the mess, Leonards boys and their crew were causing all kinds''a issues so Henry thought it''d be best to set up something to keep the idiots from doing something stupid." Leonards boys... thats the second time I''ve heard that name today, am I supposed to give a shit who that is? James had lived in the town for years, but he was not exactly social. He communicated with who he had to. Pops, his son, the mailman Greg, the gas attendant Fred, and Macy over at the bar. The look on his face got a raised eyebrow from the salt and pepper haired man, "You alright there son?", James, brought out of his thoughts looked over at the man finally, noticing he was suited up in his usual butchers smock, hairy popeye-esque arms on full display. "Yea, sorry pops, bit of a long day." Pops hearing this, took a closer look at James, hard to see at first on the black t-shirt, his brows shot up when he finally noticed the viscera and blood clinging to the young man, "You get into it with a wild animal? You''re covered in it worse than my apron." Although uncommon it was not impossible to see a hunter or the odd person coming into the shop a little battered up looking for a first-aid kit or some cleaning supplies. "Yea, wolves, a whole pack of the damn things out in the woods, chased after me when I wrecked my car a few miles outta town." Not the truth... but not exactly a lie either. James hand went for the back of his neck, rubbing at it as he continued to speak, "Im not banged up any, I had to hit one of them with a big rock a bunch of times to get the rest to scatter. Spent all that time walking back forgot I even had this stuff on me. I''ll go get cleaned up and come back." He turned to head out of the store, only to be stopped short by the middle aged man. "Ah its fine its fine, Thomas comes in here all the time after huntin'', isnt any different. Just go to the bathroom and wash up a bit and then do your shoppin'' son, just be aware prices have gone up some due to the whole apocalypse business." Surprise surprise... of course they have. He tried his best not to let the disdain show on his face, instead offering Pops a weak smile and headed towards the bathroom in the back, fully intending to get a least some of the blood and gore off him. It was when he closed the door and began washing that the world decided he had not had enough trouble for the day. Chapter 5 The sun was just disappearing from the horizon as James left Pop''s shop. He''d spent far too much time haggling with the man to the point he was forced to turn one of the gold coins he had into a hundred silver ones, all of it just satisfy the middle-aged mans hunger. Pops had no idea what the true value of the coins were, just that silver was a precious metal, and James had nearly six-pounds worth of the stuff to trade, after, of course he measured it on a meat scale. He didn''t even ask where James had gotten them, just waved his hands with a smile and told him not to worry so much about. He had to wait until he was out of sight of Henry to empty the cart Pop''s had so graciously let him borrow, at the cost of two more silver coins, not wanting to let the man or his son in on anymore of his secrets. The cart rattled along, James, despite its obvious weight pulling it along with one hand until he got out of sight in an alley around the corner from Pops shop. Looking over said cart showed it was full to the point of bulging, grabbing of items had almost been in a haze, thankfully Henry had managed to keep most of the towns population from running amok. He was focused more on shelf life and future planning than taste or luxury, words mimicking that statement were uttered as items began to disappear one by one, trying to run up a mental tally, "Five pounds of rice, bunch of one pound bags of dried beans, couple jars of peanut butter, two jugs of oil, a bunch of canned goods I am not counting, coffee, tea, some bouillon cubes, sack of flour, cornmeal, couple containers of oats, salt, pepper, spices, soy sauce, bunch of seeds.... shit forgot honey and basically anything besides food.", his hand went up to his brow, thumb and finger pinching at the ridge of his nose trying to calm himself. "I am NOT dealing with Pop''s more today, god damn greedy asshole.", a sigh shot from his lips as the cart was shoved off into the alley unceremoniously. "I just wanna go home and get some sleep." That little act of defiance done, despite the fact he had paid to use the cart in the first place, James walked back out. His destination was further down the intersection towards a metal barrier intended to alert drivers of a dead end. Unaware that someone, or rather, several someones had seen him come into the alley with a cart full of food and then leave without said cart. They were patient, extremely so, waiting just until James stepped up to the front door of what looked more like a machine shop than a house before they made their presence known. The sound of a bat tapping off the metal guard rail getting his attention real quick, causing him to freeze and tense up, "Hey buddy! Where''d all that food go? Why don''t you turn around here and tell us, we''re awful hungry you see." James didn''t budge, his hands were clenched into fists, his back visibly trembling, eyes shut. Another voice, this time younger, more nasally began to mock James, "Ha ha, look at ''im Clay, you''ve got him shaking he''s so scared! Don''t piss yourself man! Just show us where you put the food and we''ll leave you alone all civil like!" The long metal rod had appeared in front of James, left hand snatching it up as he turned around, seeing three people when he did. "No. Im done. Fuck you. I tried to follow the rules. A giant worg, a car wreck, some whiny daddy''s girl, a homeless santa claus look alike with a shotgun, two slingblade rejects, a pack of wolves, and Pops price gouging the fuck out of me, and now you retards." The words rolled from his lips, confusing the three standing there, looking at him as if he had lost his marbles. The ring leader composed himself and began waving around what looked to be a pistol trying to bring attention back to himself. "You lose your mind looking at us? I mean, I know we''re scary and all, but we don''t care about any of that shit, just give us the stuff and you wont get a few bullets for your trouble." As if emphasing the point the gun was aimed roughly at James chest, a smug self-satisfied grin popping up on Clay''s face, so sure he had this in the bag. "You part of Leonards crew?" Another dumbfounded look popped up on their faces, "Yea? And?" The grin that slowly stretched across James face was malicious, getting Clay to seize up on the gun finger on the trigger, "Good when you shit stains disappear no one will care AND I''ll be justified." Clay seemed to have had enough, as the trigger was pulled on the gun twice in quick succession, two bullets hitting James roughly center mass.
You have taken 5 [Blunt] damage. You have taken 5 [Blunt] damage.
The grin Clay had spread to the other two, all three of them getting ready to walk towards James whose head was tilted down, looking over the two new holes in his shirt. They stopped part way though, as James head had tilted back up, still grinning as he looked at them, "So thats what they meant when they said the exploit had been fixed. You''re fucked." Clay, confused, tried to empty the magazine into him, only this time James didn''t stay still like a good target. He launched himself at Clay far faster than a human had any business moving.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
You have taken 2 [Blunt] damage. You have taken 4 [Blunt] damage. You have taken 2 [Blunt] damage. Your Skill [Pain Resistance II] has leveled to [Pain Resistance III] You have taken 2 [Blunt] damage.
Four more shots grazed his body, James did not even notice. It felt more like a friendly slug in the shoulder than something that should have sent agony through his body. Clay realizing his gun was doing nothing tried to turn to run. Tried. James had arrived, that black rod whipped to the opposite side of the arm carrying it only to come soaring back. It cracked like a whip into the hand Clay had been holding the pistol with producing a sound like meat hit with a hammer. The hand burst into a spray of gore and bone pieces, gun sent flying off to the side. The follow up was immediate, his freehand shooting out, grabbing Clay by the throat with his fingers, using the momentum and brute strength to clamp down, push forwards, and then snap back. Hand came away rip with a hunk of flesh and part of Clays windpipe. He had showered himself in a fresh gout of blood and viscera for the umpteenth time today. No finesse, just a lack of experience and pure unadulterated brutality. Clay hit the ground gurgling, trying to scream, piss soaking the ground beneath him. "Run! Hes a fuckin'' monster! RUN! SOMEONE HELP!", the other two had not just sat around, they stumbled over one another before clumsily getting to their fight trying to sprint away from James as quickly as possible. His sight snapped onto them from Clay who was sitting, both hands wrapped around his throat, trying to stop the bleeding, tears flooding his cheeks, blood soaking his chest. He made sure they were looking as he picked his leg up as far as he could get it and then slammed his foot down onto Clays head at an angle, slamming it into his body, and then the body down into the ground. There was a sickening crunch, and then the gurgling stopped. The show had caused the two to stare in fear as they ran, a mistake as it sent them stumbling over one another again, falling to the asphalt scraping skin and crying out in alarm. James just began to walk at them slowly, the metal rod at his side swung back and forth almost on instinct. Every step increased the sound of the begging crys of the two left, their hands and feet a jumble as they tried in vain to get their bearings and flee from him."W-wait stop", one voice stammered, another cutting into it, "It was al-all Clays idea were sorry", forcing the first to cut them off and speak up, "Y-yea C-clays idea were sorry, please please." James just continued to let each foot fall in front of the other, completely silent, the grin gone from his face, just the sound of that rod whistling through the air as it was swung about. "M-money? We have money." still begging, they had stopped trying to get to their feet, instead crawling backwards as quickly as possible. Finally James spoke, a foot away from the two, his voice causing both to freeze apart from the trembling. "How many?" When he didnt get an answer the rod was drawn up and slammed down, the foot of the boy that had mocked him the target. The bones were practically turned to dust. Blood soaking the flimsy sneaker through, bladder quickly following it the boys hands shot down trying their best to get the pain to stop. Even with the boy screaming like a stuck pig, James repeated himself, voice a little louder, "I said how many." He was being unreasonable, not even clarifying what he meant, which was why the second one was forced to shake out a reply, "How m-many what?" Brown eyes fixed the other in front of him, almost staring through him like he was little more than a cockroach. "How many of you fucks are left? How many do I need to put down before I can get some peace and quiet?" The teen just stared at James, not sure what he meant, his confusion and fear covering his face, "I don''t know? I mean.. i-if you mean Leonards crew two went missing today.. theres us three... ", trailing off he looked to where Clay was in a heap, "T-two I mean... and l-like four more at the hide out? W-were just small time man... P-pops wont let us in his store so-so we had to try and get stuff o-on our own." The other had not yet stopped wailing and carrying on, causing James to turn to him after he got the information he wanted. That rod was brought up and then slammed down, bending slightly from the force exerted. It collided with the boys skull splintering it into pieces like a melon hit with a bat. Now covered in more debris a startled yelp came from the other.
Congratulations! You have reached level 11! You gain +3 [Stat] Points You gain +2 [Stat] Points from [Fastest Learner]
James, momentarily distracted, did not notice the remaining teen slumping to his feet begging, So I get some kind of experience for people not a part of the system then?, his thoughts were interrupted by a whiny voice, "W-wait I helped you r-right? Right?" As his focus shifted back he noticed the teens hands were clasped together in the air, body hunched up to try and appear as small as possible. Raising his foot, James pressed it to the teens shoulder then shoved back sending him sprawling. "Get up you spineless shit. You''re gonna take me to your so called hideout." Seeing no choice, the boy slowly rose to his feet shaking, not even uttering a word as he began walking back towards the other side of town. James kept pace a few feet behind just off to the side. He was still swiping that rod about like a kid playing with a new toy. The sound of it whistling, shoes on asphalt, and soft sobbing fading away from the end of the street. Chapter 6 It only took ten minutes for the pair to reach the small apartment complex. James along the way had managed to learn the name of the traumatized teen. The boy was surprisingly pliable, even if his replies were short and shaky. Now that they had arrived, a lookout was seated off to the side of the doorway in a rickety wooden chair. The build and face suggested it was a male, body covered up in a black jacket and jeans, a bat slung over the shoulder without a care. A potential threat, not that it phased James, who approached with Christian in tow, "Hey Christian! Where''s Clay? You guys manage to get some food finally? Christian, not knowing what to do deferred to James, fear in his eyes, "Hey man, this guy new I ai--", there was a loud crack from flesh hitting flesh at speed, James backhanding the lookout. The poor guy had his head turned from the force, body struggling to catch up sending him tumbling out of the chair to the lawn. Not interested in wasting time he glanced back to Christian who looked on the verge of tears again. "So how do we get in with that metal hunk blocking the way?" , his head inclined towards the security door setup out front of the normal door, bolted into the concrete. "J-Jay.... th-they''re not gonna open up with-without Jay or Clay sayin'' something." Both lucid sets of eyes shifted to the male on the ground. "And you didn''t say this before why?" Christian''s head turned, his face covered in disbelief for a just a moment. After quickly realizing his mistake he scrunched up both his face and his body, waiting to be hit. Only it didn''t come. Instead the bar was tapped on the top of Christian''s head, after all, the walk had done wonders to calm James down, "Whats with that look? I don''t just murder people for no reason. How''re we gonna fix this?" Christian held his emotions better this time, Yea, but Jay didn''t do anything to you did he? All he did was ask if we had managed to get some food... Another tap of the metal rod on his shoulder brought him from his thoughts. James then lead Christian down by pointing it at Jay laying in a heap. "I didn''t hit him that hard, see if you can get him up and get him to open the door." Expecting his will to be done, James stepped up to the door, tugging and pulling at the bars, testing just how sturdy they were compared to his new physique. Christian had no luck waking Jay up, he at least could confirm that he was not dead from the way his chest was rising and falling, even if it was slow and erratic, "I. I d-dont think he''s getting u-up anytime soon", James, currently had his feet pressed on the concrete wall on either side of the door frame. The t-shirt, one of Allison''s, that had been a little baggy this morning, was filled out, showing every one of the bulging muscles crawling and rippling across his back and arms. "Nngh." There was a high pitched whining noise and then three loud clangs, the first louder, the last two having lost some momentum. James fell to his backside, the bar he had been pulling on bent into an odd shape and sent tumbling out into the street like discarded waste. The outer door did its job surprisingly well, as only the bar he had pulled at snapped off. There was a loud huff and he hopped back to his feet, dusting at his pants almost on instinct. "You really should fix that stuttering problem... Hmm. Seven more of those fucking things or I can hope the door itself comes off. Is there a back entrance to the place or some kinda window?" Shouldn''t you have asked that first? Christians errant thoughts got a cough from James bringing him back to the present. "A-ah... no. The apartment owner kinda got tired of us hanging a-around.. had it bricked off, its why the front door has bars on it..", James sounding his reply, "Tch", just picked the metal rod up off the wall from where he leaned it. When he went to pull back the door behind the bars opened. There was the sound of a shotgun being cocked, and a deeper voice from the hallway beyond. "The hell do you think you''re doing?", un-phased, James stood there, rod coming up to rest on his shoulders as he replied, "Don''t worry about that, just open up." The barrel was pushed out past the bars and then there was a bright flash and a cacophony of noise. James fell to the ground, rod flailing about with him, arms wrapped around his stomach in agony. "Christian who the hell is this idiot? Wheres Clay?", Christian kept his distance from James who was rolling around on the ground muttering something.
You have taken 35 [Blunt] damage. Your Skill [Pain Resistance III] has leveled to [Pain Resistance IV]
"C-Clay is d-dead boss... this... this guy killed him.. I don-", while they were both distracted James had managed to get back to his feet and let out a yell, "THAT HURT YOU ASSHOLE! I''LL KILL YOU!", despite his snarling James had backed off away from the door not wanting another shot like that to hit him. The boss man didn''t even skip a beat just cocked the shotgun again and pulled the trigger, giving James just enough time to avoid all but a few of the pellets spraying his legs. He hit the asphalt in a sideways jump, landing awkwardly, but still able to keep his balance enough to stay on his feet.
You have taken 5 [Blunt] damage.
"I don''t know what drugs you''re hopped on that lets you stand up after a hit to the gut like that but you better fuck off before I make you mincemeat", another shot, this time managing to miss completely due to distance. This guy was different than his goons, that much was clear. How the hell do I deal with this? That thing won''t kill me outright but even then he''s just gotta get a few lucky shots before I get him out of that place to knock me out. His free hand was still clamped down on his stomach, the pain fading away. A glance to Christian proved he was still just as useless, shaking and holding his ears eyes clamped shut like he was running away from reality. The man, however, was smart enough to not open the outer door, instead he just kept his shotgun trained on James the entire time, not wasting anymore shells after the last one looked to have done literally nothing. Staring one another down, neither was willing to try and cross the distance, the man in his secured "bunker", and James avoiding more pain. Its either me or him.. I''ve antagonized them already, just walking away isn''t going to ensure these fucks don''t try and get me in my sleep A scowl tightened on his features, beads of sweat from the pain he had felt a few moments ago staining his vision. Then a thought occurred to him, I have food... do I really need to stay around here? I mean. I intend on getting stronger anyhow... and killing monsters is probably the best way to do it... its not like this place will survive when the system releases the barriers. The towns fate decided James spoke up, "Fuck it. You can have this place, I''ll just deal with you later if the monsters don''t do it for me", backing off even more his steps were slow, eyes focused on the man with the gun. He did not want anymore surprises, I''ll just go home, get whatever is not bolted down and fuck off into the woods.. I should be able to take those wolves on one or two at a time, my body seems to regenerate quick enough. A thought brought his status into view.
STATUS TITLES SKILLS NOTIFICATIONS WIKI
Name James Harbor
Race Human
Age 19
Level 11 Status Points 5
Resource Pools
Stamina 95% Fatigue 62%
Health 101/120 Mana 31/51
HP/s 1.65 --- ---
Stat Points
Strength 5 Constitution 5
Dexterity 5 Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10 Willpower 10
After confirming his status was recovering James refused to give them more time to try and plan. His body instantly turned, feet digging into the blacktop and propelling him down the street in a blur. ------------------------------------ The return to his place took half the time it did to go to the apartment, not slowing until he had jumped up and over the metal barrier. Giving himself time for a few deep breaths, his hands dipped into the pockets of the sweats he had on. Confusion crawled over his face, "Where are my keys?", and just like that he slapped his forehead. "I left them in the truck." Looking at the thick outer oak door in front of him he debated for a few moments on rather he should go through a window. "... Not like it matters, I ain''t coming back here anyways and the landlord is either gone or will be in a few days."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Affirming his decision he stepped up to the door just little off to the right side, the same side the door knob was on. Body crouching down a little he took in a deep breath and then shot forwards, his leg snapping out, foot slamming into the door a few inches beside the knob. A loud cracking sound was followed by a crash as he had not only broken the lock, but sent the door sailing into the little shack he called home. James, for his part, stood there at the door way dumbfounded by the destruction he had just caused. "I really gotta get used to my strength.. its all over the place." Understatement of the year aside, James walked in as the dust was clearing, only for him to look back at the door way and hang his head. "God damn it... where am I going to sleep tonight? I can''t exactly stay here now that I''ve busted the front door in... getting back to my car in the dark sounds like a bad idea, plus who knows something might be able to open it like a sardine can." Tapping his foot on the floor, hand doing the same to his forehead, he fretted over it for a few moments before throwing both hands into the air. "Forget it. I''ll worry about it after I get all my stuff packed away. Ten cubic feet should let me get a ton of stuff stashed." Water. The first thing James did was go to his fridge and pull it open, snatching the gallon jug of water he had in it out and going to make it disappear. Only it didn''t leave his hand. "The hell?" He kept trying to force it into his storage, and the jug refused, just sitting in his grasp mocking him. Getting ready to hurl it across the room he paused, eyes opening a bit, "The weight... How much does a gallon of water weigh again? Probably more than..." Now that he was thinking about it, his brain caught up, regurgitating the information it had acquired earlier today. He knew the limit was two pounds, or at least, that was the closest rounded approximation in the measurement system his brain was familiar with. The dining room table had the jug plopped on-top of it, followed by five one pound bags of rice. A little bit of rummaging later and he had two tupperware containers amongst the group as well. He cut two of the bags of rice open and dumped it into the bigger container. That container faded from view just fine. The container popped back up on the table, letting him dump about a fourth of another bag into it. The container disappeared again only to reappear after. About another fourth was poured in. This time the container refused to fade away, confirming the hypothesis. "So its closer to two and a quarter and two and a half, that makes this useless for bulk... Hmm." Bringing up his status he finally clicked the skills tab a list appearing in front of his face,
STATUS TITLES SKILLS NOTIFICATIONS WIKI
Skill ListCurrent Points: 5
Arcane Duplication Level 1
Pain Resistance IV Level 4
Traits List
Spatial Storage Level 1
First Blood ----
Fastest Learner ----
Boss Slayer V ----
Buffer Zone V ----
"Some have levels and some dont? Its not because they''re traits, Spatial Storage has a level and its a trait. Can I just not level those then?", the expression on James''s face was pensive, question posed aloud as he clicked on First Blood bringing the traits details into view,
TRAIT First Blood
A warrior understands the importance of striking often, but never forget that the first hit in a fight could be the determining factor of the one left standing. First Blood ensures that first hit will always matter.
Source Achievement - First Blood
Type [Rare]
Ability The first hit on an opponent per fight causes a [Bleed] effect for 5% of their [HP] over 10 seconds.
"A free bleed?" , a hand wave sent the screen away so James could follow up with Fastest Learner,
TRAIT Fastest Learner
Knowledge is power. Using that knowledge to grow quickly is something beyond power. Fastest Learner lets the [User] learn [Skills] far quicker than normal. It also provides a decent boost to experience.
Source Achievements - Fast Learner, Faster Learner, Fastest Learner
Type [Epic] | [Unique]
Ability [User] gains 30% more experience from all sources. [User] gains 150% increased speed when learning [Skills] +2 [Stat] points per level
There was a low whistle as he stared at the screen, eyes opened in surprise, "Man. Isn''t that a little much? I learn skills almost three times faster than normal people.. wonder if I could find some martial arts master to teach me", a boisterous laugh broke from his throat as he waved it away and pulled up the next trait, Boss Slayer V.
TRAIT Boss Slayer V
Like the coming storm, a boss, no matter the strength, has to grit their teeth and endure. You face off with monsters far stronger than you. Because of this you learn how to not only inflict more but also absorb more damage from them.
Source Achievements - Boss Slayer I, Boss Slayer II, Boss Slayer III, Boss Slayer IV, Boss Slayer V
Type [Rare]
Ability [User] does 30% more damage to Boss Monsters [User] takes 10% less damage from Boss Monsters
A brow raised he could only shake his head and sigh, "And heres one I totally have no business having. I killed the damn thing by accident with my truck." He expected it, but it still soured his mood some, forcing him to swipe it away and pull up the last trait on the list, Buffer Zone.
TRAIT Buffer Zone V
Look and behold. The one whispered in the nightmares of monsters. You tread a path walked by few, killing monsters far stronger than you on your own. Due to this normal monsters look upon you with a palpable fear.
Source Achievements - Solo Boss Slayer I, Solo Boss Slayer II, Solo Boss Slayer III, Solo Boss Slayer IV, Solo Boss Slayer V
Type [Mythical] | [Unique]
Ability Causes Monsters up to 5 levels above the [User] to experience [Fear] and [Confusion]
Restriction Other [Users], Boss Monsters, Minions, as-well as Monsters lacking emotions are unaffected
The window hung there, James staring at it, for well over a minute before he swiped it away. The same hand came to his face, rubbing at it, trying to sooth his bruised ego. "Explains why the wolves didn''t try to use me like a chew toy." Trying to look on the bright side he waved around in an exaggerated manner, forcing a smile to his lips, "Plus, makes hunting easier, or should anyhow, unless I run into something with no fear..." That statement hung there, almost like a flag being put up to spite him for his past deeds. Focus shifted to Spatial Storage, the reason he pulled up his skills list in the first place, finding it the same as it had been before. "One point to upgrade...", a click, and the cost stayed the same while one of his points disappeared. Another click, and this time the cost jumped to two. He hesitated. What if I get something else to spend the points on? Frustrated, fingers went into his black hair, head slumping to the table, rattling off of it a few times. One more wont hurt, I''d rather have more stuff with me. I''ll always get more points later, plus there are those token things. A final click was made before he looked over the new window with a smile,
TRAIT Spatial Storage
A subset of [Spatial Magic], this [Trait] replaces the default [Inventory System]. The [User] is able to instinctively access a dimension created for them by the [System]. Unlike the [Inventory System] this [Trait] allows the [User] to theoretically store anything. This is limited by a weight limit per item, a stored [Mana] cost for [System] upkeep, and a maximum amount of [Mana] that can be stored at a time. These limitations can be improved via [Upgrades]. Further functionality and details must be accessed after [Evolving] the [Trait]. WARNING: Removing [Mana] for functions currently in use could result in catastrophic failure, loss of dimension contents, and potentially death.
Type [Mythical] | [Unique]
Level 4
Current Functionality 16lb Max Weight | 1 [Mana] = 1.6 Cubic Feet | [Mana] Limit - 25
Upgrade Requirements 3 [Skill] Points / Tokens
"Let see... twenty-five.. fifteen... forty cubic feet. About sixteen pounds per item. I wont be able to store a house, but I should be able to take damn near everything important in my apartment besides furniture." The first thing that disappeared was the cold jug of water from his table, followed by the unopened rice bags, the half empty dumped into the container before it was closed and disappeared. Then the frenzy began. Chapter 7 James had spent most of the night in a fervor, ignoring everything else as he picked through his apartment. No cabinet was left empty, no drawer unturned. A pile of junk was in the middle of that apartment, filled with bits and pieces unneeded from trying to stuff as much as possible into his storage. That particular state happened after he realized the storage dimension was not just a tiny room he had access to. It stored things in the state they were put in, and as far as he could tell, were weightless once inside the dimension. This tidbit had been learned after shoving several more gallon jugs of water into thespace just after a loaf of bread. A panic had seized him and all of the jugs were removed followed by the bread with haste, yet he found nothing wrong. Not only was the loaf of bread not squished into oblivion, but the first jug he had put in from earlier in the night was still cold like it had come fresh from the fridge. That discovery just made matters worse, and by time he had finished he was face down on the couch sleeping the sleep of the dead. Thankfully, when his eyes shot open at nearly noon the next day, he found that no one had entered the open apartment, instead, he just had a growling stomach and a new notification waiting for him. Twenty-four hours had passed, and unless he had gotten a manic packer skill the notification could only be one thing, Hirax. As James brought up the list, a half empty box of poptarts appeared in his lap, fully intent on eating while he listened to the "Lead Administrator" drone on about the trials and tribulations of humanity.
ANNOUNCEMENT June 21st 24:00:00
[ AUDIO PLAYBACK BEGINS ] GREETINGS BEINGS OF EARTH! Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears, as nearly half of you, the beings of earth, have had their lives extinguished. Today is a sad day. It does at least seem that things are slowing down, and your leaders are gaining control. Despite this solmen start, a few of you have even taken the first steps on your journey in the system! We welcome you to the collective! The density of mana continues to amaze us. More and more [Dungeons] have popped up around the planet, some of them have even sprouted villages! Be careful when exploring these new areas as villages do not have mindless [Monsters]. The inhabitants may or may not view you as hostile. Try not to make a blunder of inter-species relations! Finally, your planets expansion has continued at a rapid rate, growing beyond our expectations. It seems at this point it is nearly twice the size of old. Who knows what sort of adventure is waiting out there! A new broadcast will be sent at the same time next cycle. [ AUDIO PLAYBACK ENDS ] ©¤ Signed Hirax, Lead Administrator 0001 of UV-Quadrant 356
As the message ended there were more questions now than before. The system was not only bringing monsters, but other sentient life. Villages huh? Wonder if any popped up around here... maybe I can learn more about the system. His train of thought was derailed by a hitch, brows furrowing a little, Wait. Will they even understand me? I mean. Hirax is speaking english, but I assume that''s being translated. English is not exactly the only language on the planet... Hm. The look on his face was one of deep thought, tainted by a half of a poptart hanging from his mouth. That expression remained for a few moments before a shrug rolled through his shoulders and he shoved the rest of the poptart inwards. Whatever I''ll figure something out. Its not like one is even guaranteed to be around here. The box of poptarts disappeared and he hopped to his feet, stretching as best he could, loud yawn set free from within. "I need a shower, some clean clothes, then I think I''ll get out of here. If there isn''t a village I''ll need to find some running water and shelter before I go exploring." ---------------------------------- Dressed in clean blue jeans and a gray long sleeved shirt, James was rummaging through his totaled truck. Nothing had been touched, and besides the damage from the wreck it seemed perfectly fine, a passing thought coming from his lips ,"Wonder why nothings been messed with it?" He had retrieved the tool kit from the back, the bottle of water in the backseat, and the few granola bars he had in the console, which meant there was little reason left to worry. Instead, his mind drifted to the wilderness, and where he was compared to the town. "I could''ve sworn I was closer to town when I passed by yesterday", that statement caused his head to turn to the road, not ten feet from where he was up a small incline. "The road on the way was not torn up at all, at least anymore than usual did it expand with everything else?" Continuing to talk to himself, it was almost like James was out for a jog than running from his home and the end of the world. His life had become much more interesting, and the only thing James wanted was to experience more of it. He put everything except the bottle of water into his storage and then settled onto the floor of the back of the trunk, legs hanging over the edge. The bottle was opened, contents drained, re-closed, and then it too disappeared. Waste not want not. He could not even remember where he had heard the saying, but in this situation it just got a bit of a laugh from his lips. The laugh turned sour, face taking on a more somber expression, "What the hell am I doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" There was a sigh and James slumped back onto the rear seat from inside the trunk. Arms using the head rests as cushions he stared off into the woods, losing himself in his thoughts again, "I came out here to learn more and get stronger but besides hunting for a village and killing the wild life what the hell should I be doing?"If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Eyes slipping shut he took in a deep breath and held it. The moments ticked by, the pain in his lungs slowly growing until finally, just as he started to get dizzy, he forced the air out between his lips letting loose a poor simile for an elephants trumpet. Eyes re-opened and he shook his head, smiling once more, "Whatever, it''s not like me to worry about that sorta shit. Hell. I would''ve probably been dead a long time ago if I worried about that sorta stuff." Another laugh, louder this time, and he pulled himself up and out of the truck, giving it one last look over before turning towards the woods. "Following the road seems boring so lets go off-road!" The smart thing to do? Definitely not. James was set in it though, as that black metal rod was picked up from its place leaning against the truck and he walked off in between the trees, heading to destination unknown. ---------------------------------- Hours passed before James found something, just trees, rocks, more trees. For his part he kept high spirits, knowing that as long as he continued he would find something. Now his patience had been repaid, as he was staring down three wild wolves. Each the same level as he was. "You three should be a good test of what I can do against something thats a part of the system", the reply he got was the front most wolf snarling at him, baring teeth. The beast refused to back down from what it considered prey, even with the unease it felt. That got a grin on James''s face, growing to the point it showed a little bit of teeth himself, like a switch being flicked. "Thats the way. You mutts wouldn''t be worth my time otherwise." To James these were just obstacles, something created for the system in order to grow stronger, and he wanted them to at least put up a fight. "Come on then! No? Then I''ll come to you!" His body dropped, arms out behind him, feet digging into the ground and propelling him forward towards the wolf that had snarled at him. Just as he got in range, his right arm came back forwards, that metal rod trailing behind. The rod was sent towards the the beasts side, not giving it a chance to react, colliding with a sickening thud and sending it careening into a tree.
You have dealt 20 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf (1) You inflict 3 [Bleeding] damage to Wild Wolf (1) over 5 seconds
The stance he used left him wide open though, and the other two wolves were not going let James attack freely. Before he could right himself, they both went for his legs. Two sets of teeth sunk into his thighs, latching on and pulling away from one another, sending him forwards onto his face.
Wild Wolf (2) has dealt 15 [Piercing] damage to you Wild Wolf (2) has inflicted 5 [Bleeding] damage to you over 5 seconds Wild Wolf (3) has dealt 10 [Piercing] damage to you Wild Wolf (3) has inflicted 5 [Bleeding] damage to you over 5 seconds
Howling in anger and pain, the hand holding the rod slammed down rod end colliding with the right side wolves skull. A crunch and a yelp was the reply, teeth instantly letting loose from that side, the wolf jerking back and away from James shaking its head back and forth.
Critical Hit! You have dealt 50 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf (2)
While this was going on, the first wolf had gotten back to its feet and circled around James. It waited for the right moment and then bolted forwards, aiming for his face, trying to disable him before he could cause more damage. Eyes opened in surprise and his free arm came up, managing to just get his forearm into its path. It clamped down on the steel arm-guard, growling and slobbering over it and his face as it did so. Managing to block the attack did not save him fully, as the last wolf still had hold of his other thigh and began to tug and pull on it. The first holding his arm forced him onto his face again, gnashing teeth in rage.
Wild Wolf (3) has dealt 15 [Piercing] damage to you Wild Wolf (3) has refreshed its [Bleeding] effect to 5 seconds
James was regenerating quickly, but the wolves were dealing more damage than he could deal with. Fucking mutts. Roaring out he got the leg not being savaged under him, pushing himself up to his knee, hand with the rod flat on the dirt. Bending at an angle that would have been impossible before the system improved his physique he used brute strength to pull back on the arm held by the first wolf, bringing it and the wolf up and over his body and down onto the one with its teeth sunk into his skin.
You have dealt 10 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf (1) You have dealt 10 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf (3)
There were two yelps as both wolves were sent tumbling away, letting James get to his feet, limping from the more torn up leg. A glance to the third showed it was slumped on the ground, breathing, but obviously not in fighting condition, he began circling around to it, keeping the other two in sight, even as they got to their feet. They did not charge at him carelessly, just snarling once more. Both the wolves and James had clearly underestimated one another. He stopped, standing over the downed wolf, his pole raised up. This got more of a reaction from the others, as they began to close in on him. A glance down, then back up, he knew he had to do this quick. His body tensed and he jerked suddenly, slamming that pole downwards into the skull of the wolf beneath his feet, destroying it taking the beasts life.
Critical Hit! You have dealt 45 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf (2) Wild Wolf (2) has perished
No sooner than he finished did he jump back, thankful he did, as the spot he had been in was occupied by both of the remaining beasts, crowding their former pack-mate. He did not attempt to taunt them anymore, instead, he watched, wary, letting his body have time to recover. The wolves, not sure what James was up to just split, slowly edging towards him from two directions. Shit. They are way smarter than I thought. Not wanting to get hit from two sides again, James began to circle while backing away as well, trying to keep them closer to one another. This dance continued for several moments, the wounds on his thighs no longer bleeding, before the wolves took their chance and bolted towards him. Knowing he was likely going to get hit, at least once, James brought the rod down on the right side, hitting the wolf there in the skull and putting it down instantly. That victory was short lived, as the other immediately latched onto his leg and pulled back sending him to the ground again.
You have dealt 30 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf (1) Wild Wolf (1) has perished Wild Wolf (3) has dealt 15 [Piercing] damage to you Wild Wolf (3) has inflicted 5 [Bleeding] damage to you over 5 seconds
It immediately backed off, having learned that staying latched on was only going to get it hit. James, not wanting to let the beast have free access to his body, got back to his feet, groaning as he did so, leg bleeding once more. His eyes were bright even despite the fact his body was aching. This. This was what he had been looking for. Chapter 8 The final wolf and James had a few more exchanges, each compounding on the last leaving him out of breath. The wolf, the far more cautious of the two had only let James graze it, chipping away at its reserves and it had not come cheap. There were fresh wounds on his right shoulder, his back, and his left leg, each slowly closing back up, his clothing a mess, tattered in places, missing in others. The blood loss made him feel heady, impatient, like the longer this went on the bigger chance he had of failing. The wolf seemed to feel the same way, as it was inching closer to him, circling, looking for a weakness to exploit so that it could end this mess itself. These wolves did not give up when cornered, and James had to admire it. They saw him as food, and he saw them as a way to get stronger, all was laid on the table. The beast, having waited long enough, let loose a low snarl before jumping at him, no longer trying to wear down its prey, instead aiming for the throat. An arm came up, steel guard catching the mouth of the beast before it got to close. Metal rod followed, held a few feet back from the tip, the end slammed into the skull of the beast, finishing the fight.
You have dealt 25 [Blunt] damage to Wild Wolf(3) Wild Wolf has perished Congratulations! You have learned the Skill [Blunt Weapons]
The beast had fallen to the ground, limp, and James was left standing, looking down on his foe with a begrudging respect. It was a simple, but vicious animal. His chest rising and falling in a deep rhythmic pace, he was exhausted, having no choice but to use that metal rod as a form of support, the fight taking far more from him than he thought. Yet, despite the pain in his body, exhilaration was running through his veins, a smile from ear to ear. Man and beast had fought, and though beast took its dues, man had come out on top. A loud echoing laugh suddenly freed itself from his throat, it was boisterous, deep, something coming from within the pit of his stomach. "That could''ve ended badly", another understatement from the teen. He had always been like this, despite his parents trying their best to drill it out of him. James had no impulse control. The only thing that held him back in his daily life was a constant reminder that his freedom was at stake if he did something too stupid. "You''ve got a lot of anger in you child and no control of it." It was sultry, feminine, yet sent a shiver of danger down his spine. It did not come from any one direction, even jerking head left, then right, the source eluded him. Instead, it felt like it was swallowing him whole. A moment came to pass before a slow chuckle encroached the clearing. To James it felt like his whole body was vibrating, yet no sooner than it started it was gone again. The voice replacing the silence, "That lack of control will one day do you in." His heart had been thumping since the first word hit his ears, and at this point it was starting to hurt. It felt like at any moment it would rip free from his chest, face flushed, sweat drenching his back, and his throat far too dry, Why is my body not working? Trying to understand it seemed useless. The confused expression and reddened cheeks was enough for the voice to catch him off guard again, however, "Fear is natural. Fear of the unknown is an instinct that goes beyond boundaries, even a wild beast is wary of things it can''t understand. Do you even know what that piece of metal you''re using like a club is?" It felt mocking, the hand on that metal rod tightened more, inner turmoil laid bare. There was a surge of anger inside, rising to the top of his emotions, just barely held back, and yet, something deep inside began to whisper. It told him of his impending death, losing any semblance he had left of himself, a deep seated sense of dread. That realization shook him, his thoughts in disarray, My whole body is telling me to run... but it feels. It feels like if I move.... If I move I''ll be disappear before my feet leave the ground. Its right.. The end James feared did not come, however, and just like that, the whispers stopped. A realization. The voice was not mocking him. There was no malice. It was lecturing him. Like a parent would their child on their fear of the dark. The hairs on the back of his neck shot up, then he heard something hitting dirt behind him, the reaction to which was to whirl around almost tumbling to the ground as he did so.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. What stood in front of him was not human. Standing over six feet tall, it had deep black hooves with legs that looked wrong, like someone had taken the backside of a goat and had it distorted, lengthened. Formfitting brown leather was wrapped around thick bulging thighs just above the second joint, leather doing little to hide the power in those limbs. James felt he would be ran down if he tried to flee. Eyes continuing to travel up met a bit of a paunch at the waist, stomach though not large, was still rounded against the leather covering it, like someone that enjoys copious amounts of food. The upper body seemed almost flat in comparison, leather ending just at the shoulders covering up vitals. The beasts arms on the other hand, made James shiver again. A test in strength would have been an act of futility, he was gnarled rope, this beast from the shoulders to the hands was liked corded steel visibly bulging against white furred flesh, a snake waiting to strike. The arms were long, elbow too far back, yet still tame compared to its lower half. Each finger ended in dull rounded points, no doubt capable of rending flesh despite that. Amused so far at the reaction it was getting from James, the beast spoke up again, "You should be careful how you look at someone, you might give a poor woman all the wrong ideas~", that voice was like velvet, and as if to emphasize it, hands were let free starting from thighs, up over stomach, across chest, before finally disappearing behind her neck. The position did put what little assets she had on display, jutting the leather out a bit, but it was obvious she was more power than bombshell. Having followed along he finally looked up transfixed by her face. The legs and arms had been weird, but the head threw him for a loop. It was human, at least, far closer to human than he had expected. Two thick horns took the place of her eyebrows, coming out from either side only to curl back behind her head ending in points just under almost elven ears covered in earrings. Above the horns long white hair was braided, coming down behind them and disappearing along her back. The rest of her face could only be described as beautiful, pale white skin a contrast to the deep black lips smiling at him. She was enjoying this, more so as those lips parted some showing the razor sharp teeth underneath getting another chill down his spine. The reaction set her to laughing again, that palpable fear tightening its grip on him. James felt his spine was curving on its own, like his body wanted to throw itself to her feet and beg forgiveness, but he held, just barely, trembling the whole time, "Hooooh? You''ve got some willpower in you." Just like that the pressure lifted, causing James to stumble forwards on his knees breathing deeply before he realized. It was like night and day, she still felt dangerous, but it was no longer like he was looking death in the eye, "Not many pups at your level would be able to resist, its admirable. Useless. But admirable." A few long steps had her standing right in front of James, looming over him, sunset colored eyes with cross like pupils piercing his own, almost as if they were searching for his innermost secrets, "I''ve decided, from this point on you belong to me, at least until I get bored anyhow." Clawed hands clapped together, obviously excited that a new plaything had been found. Wait... belong to you? The hell is with that! Dumbfounded James tried to reply, yet, found he could only eek one out, voice shaky, "I-I don''t even know who you are? Or what you''re doing here?" The beast merely tilted her head, as if confused, "That doesn''t matter does it? You''ll call me Master, and I''ll call you apprentice. It''ll be fun~" Another soft chuckle sent a thrill through his body, "As for why I am here? That." A clawed finger was pointed to the metal rod James had in his hands. Refusing to elaborate further, she turned on a hoof and began walking away from him back into the woods. James could only watch as she got further away, a small goat tail peeking out between the two pieces of armor she had on. Not feeling his presence, she paused, calling back, "Come on then you don''t leave a woman waiting~" Something about that voice forced him back to his feet, trudging forwards. The two walked without speaking for a long distance, the only sounds two pairs of limbs, both drastically different, going through the leaves and debris of the forest, and the soft humming of the creature in front of James. She was an enigma to him, feeling one part comforting, one part tantalizing, and one part chilling to his core. He did not know where to put her, and it was frustrating him to no end to the point he was fidgeting with each step. The woman in question seemed oblivious to the plight of the teen behind her, walking with a clear goal in mind, one that James did not understand. Finally he broke the silence, voice more calm than it had been before, "Where are we going?" She stopped, looking back over her shoulder at him, that head of hers tilting again, "Im leading us to the nearest village, should only be a little further. Unless you''d rather stay out here in the wilderness? I promise I''ll keep you warm~" That voice held promises of things he could not quite understand, but the undertone still unsettled him enough to shake his head. James swore there was a bit of a pout before she faced forward and continued once more, humming picking back up. Chapter 9 A little further turned out to be relative, as it had taken them nearly an hour to get to the village. The village itself was large, surrounded by massive stone walls. A tower, easily taller than a skyscraper was jutting out of the middle of it. James was not sure how he did not see it sooner, his companion said nothing the entire time, content to hum, and any attempt he made at words were ignored. There was no choice except to follow along like he was yoked up on a leash. The woman, lead him to a bar a few buildings away from the tower, and this close he could see the massive disconnect. The tower itself looked almost futuristic, covered in metal, various lines and grooves making it almost look like a giant piece of a computer. While James was in awe, the woman leading him seemed indifferent, instead, pushing a clawed finger under his chin to shut his jaw and then tugging his tattered shirt collar to force him into the bar. The inside looked much the same as the outside, it would have not been out of place in a renaissance fair, yet, surprisingly clean, giving James even more questions as the place was practically packed. On the streets he had only seen a few people milling about, each of them as weird as the last, some resembling animals, some made of stone or wood, some surprisingly human save for a few pieces here or there that were different. In here? It was hard to see through the throng of bodies. The building was almost pure noise, unable to make out any one conversation, it was loud enough that his guide had no choice to keep leading him around like a puppy towards a set of stairs and then up. She finally stopped outside of a door, a key being produced from thin air, which he imagined was something similar to his storage, and the door was opened. His jaw hit the ground this time. Not only was the room bigger on the inside, easily as large as the first floor they had just come from, but it looked like a modern hotel room. It had clean smooth walls painted a deep red, carpeted floor in some mosaic of black and gray made to match, chairs and tables made for conversing littered about the place. Dresser with a mirror to the right of the door, a massive bed beyond it with fresh linen on top. Towards the back of the room a long counter, with what looked eerily like a fridge on the wall behind it. At the center of it all on the ceiling a round bulb was hovering, providing enough light that he could see everything clearly but somehow not to the point that it washed anything out. Rather than allowing him to gawk from the hallway, his guide once more pulled him, this time inwards, and as he passed the threshold a brightness engulfed him, rendering him blind momentarily. When his vision cleared he felt. Clean. Like someone had just sent him through a shower, and upon looking down he realized that all of the mess that had been stuck to his body and clothes was gone, leaving the clean tattered remains behind. His eyes shot towards the woman, brows furrowed, confused, she for her part just ignored him, walking over to a metal box towards the back of the room and pulling it open. As he stepped away the door behind him shut on its own, a click locking it in place causing him to whirl around and look at the thing in disbelief, finally, words hit his ears. "It does that automatically, don''t worry about it." The voice was muffled, and when he to her he found her upper half gone, body jutted against that metal box. "Hungry? Looks like its shrill meat today, little bit gamey for my tastes but it should blow your mind with the way you''re gawking at everything like a lost child." Not waiting for his reply she reappeared with a tray of what could have been deli meat, plopping it on the counter opposite the box in order to disappear again. James taking all of this end was confused. To the point his knees hit the ground and hands clenched at them useless. "No more..." He started, and stopped, unable to finish the thought that had come, instead, his eyes found the woman that had brought him here once more. She had a mug in her hands, far larger than any he had seen, and beside it a mug that would have seemed normal for bar.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Shocking isn''t it? I still remember when I first discovered a place like this, even though that was a long long time ago." Those mugs, and the tray of meat were all set on the table just beyond the counter, two chairs being pulled out following it. Then she was in front of him, a hand in his hair, her voice surprisingly soft, it was not at all like the sultry demon he had experienced in the woods, nor the playful tone she had just held, "Listen. I don''t know what is going through that head of yours right now, but this is obviously a lot to take in. Come. Eat and ask your questions, I promise, if possible I''ll answer them to the best of my ability." James, unable to move just yet, rested there on the floor, his eyes closed as the surprisingly gentle hand toyed with his hair, comforting him. Minutes passed like this, before a deep breath was taken in and exhaled just as swift. "Alright... but I don''t even know where to start?" Looking up beyond that arm he caught her eyes, and she just smiled at him, this one far less predatory. The hand that had been in his hair came down, gripping his wrist, pulling him to his feet, guiding him over and plopping him down in one of the chairs. The smaller of the two mugs was put in front of him and she took the other, resting into the free seat. "Drink. The alcohol will help you digest." She brought the one in her grasp to her lips and took a drink that would have put a normal person under the bar, setting it back after and tilting her head. "How about this. What language do you think we''re speaking right now?" His brow furrowed as he looked at her, confused, "English?" A soft chuckle was his reply as she continued, "Yes an no. You are speaking the language of your planet sure, but I am speaking my own language", James got lost in his thoughts, idly draining the small mug in front of him. The alcohol was potent and burned his throat forcing him to take it slow. Clearing his throat, he spoke once more, "So we speak our own languages.. but we understand one another, how in the hell does that work?" setting her mug down she leaned back in her chair and shrugged. "The simple answer? The system translates thoughts and intentions. Its not perfect, and the further you are from the norm the harder it is to understand but it generally works." "So magic basically.. " A sigh came from his lips and his head rolled back staring at the ceiling, considering which of the vast questions he had to ask next. "What about the room? Why is it so different? And the tower outside?", another chuckle, this one deeper, as if she was experiencing great mirth, "Thats usually the first one that gets asked. This is a dungeon town, its special. That tower is basically a huge conduit for mana, it sucks in mana not only from the surroundings on this planet, but other planets as well. Inside is actually a huge variety of floors that get harder as they progress, and the room is actually based off the magic from inside." She waved around the room and then towards the door. "There are safe-rooms inside the tower that are really similar, and as best as we have been able to figure out they are made of an amalgamation of the thoughts and ideas of comfort from the people visiting. This room for instance is a meshing of our two personalities, and I must say yours is rather overbearing~" Her voice had curled at the end, velvet undertones sending a shiver down his spine. Her tankard was raised taking a deep drink from it before setting it back on the table, continuing, "The town outside is the same, although it, unlike the rooms is based on the planets culture instead. Its pretty much your races idea of a fortification. Granted, not all villages will be the same if your race has differing views on fortification you will have different village types." James, taking this all end brought a hand up to rub his head. "Man... this stuff is complicated. I think I need to lay down..." Taking one last drink from the mug he headed for the bed, shoes kicked off his feet as he went. Right at the edge he leaned forwards and plopped onto it."We have plenty of time for questions, you''re quite funny so I don''t plan on getting rid of you anytime soon. That said... there is only one bed so~" She let it hang there, James, for his part, did not respond. The minute he had hit the bed he had passed out, snoring softly. Chapter 10 A darkness envelops the body of James, blocking out all light, and seemingly all sound save for his own breathing and the beating of his heart droning in his skull. The last thing he could remember was a soft bed, and a conversation he wanted desperately to get away from seeking the warmth of covers and pillows. Then nothing. Am I dreaming? The thought occurred to him that it was entirely possible that he had merely fallen asleep, this inky space as good an indication as anything. "You are dreaming young one." Someone answered his thoughts, causing James to open his eyes in surprise, looking left and right in search of the source before the voice spoke once more, "Looking for me will do you no good Host. We are one and the same here." Confusion drifted across his features for just a moment before surprise once more took hold, "Mondura? Aren''t you a staff?" The response he got did little to answer the torrent of questions raging within, "I am many things child of Gaia, none of which I have time to explain, I am too weak to keep this connection open for long. Do not trust your new companion, no one may take me from you but many would rather see you disappear to secure me than let you run free. You are too weak and we have already garnered too much attention. Hide my presence with your personal dimension, the system will assist. Hopefully if my mana signature disappears they will take it as you perishing and the system sending me away." James floated in the darkness, brows furrowed, the a light was forming in the distance just out of reach, "Why are things so complicated? Why do you have to be here? Why can''t I just throw you away and let them figure it out?" Ranting, he suddenly felt his lips sealed shut, unable to continue his tirade as the staff spoke once more this time almost angry, "Fate is not fair. You have no choice in this matter. You will either adapt or die. Now do as I say, we are out of time." The light which had started as a small pinpoint had grown alarmingly fast, now just on the precipice of his floating body threatening to consume him, Mondura left him with one final word of advice, "Get stronger. Do not trust your companion, but use her to further your own goals, she is using you for her own." The end faded away slowly, a new soft, sultry tone replacing it, unable to make out the words, "Wake up." "Wake up." James felt himself being pulled away by a soft sound, "Wake up", a voice, each word was gentle but insistent, "Wake up". Finally, the voice managed to penetrate the haze his dreaming state had left him in, eyes of the teen flitting open gazing upwards, finding the woman that had laid claim staring down with a smile on her black stained lips. He was on the bed, as he could feel the covers under his thighs, but, he could have sworn he went to bed with some tattered clothing hiding his dignity. Her fur and skin were warm on his body, urging him to let his eyes fall shut once more so he could get just a few more moments of rest, the owner of such flesh, however, saw fit to give James a small shift back and forth. "No more sleep, I''ve let you lay about for hours longer than I normally would already. We''ve got a lot to do you know~", it was at the uptick of her voice that James realized her own state of undress, what little assets she had on full display, and some resting on him. The teens body, acting on its own, pulled away, tumbling out of bed to the floor, covers tangled up and tagging along. "N-n-naked!" James reaction caused the woman to bring a hand up to her mouth, covering it as eyes closed in mirth, a soft feminine giggle rolling from within her, stopping just enough to mess with him, "And so are you~" His eyes shot down to the covers, pulling at them and looking at his own state of undress. "You.. I.... did we? I mean.." Stuttering uncontrollably just sent her giggling to a full blown laugh, chest rising and falling, a white tuft of fur at the center sent dancing.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "No. We didn''t. I prefer my conquest to be far more lively and most importantly. Awake." A roll of her shoulders she shifted to the edge of the bed, those hooves touching down on the carpet, letting her bring both arms up, stretching, a few snaps and pops came from joints complaining. James, seeing more than he had before opened eyes before slamming his hands up to his face covering it. "C-clothes! Put on some clothes!" The last part was almost snarled at her, causing a tilt of her head, not that James could currently see it. "Mm~ For someone that lashes out so viscously in a fight you sure are shy." She tapped at her chin, as if deep in thought, "Something else we''ll have a to fix. A warrior should be comfortable with the body you know. All kinds of bodies. Besides, you had no problems staring yesterday~" Women were a weak point for him, he had been single for that exact reason. James had been raised by a single mother, father having left the two at a young age. It was an odd relationship, one which left his interactions with the opposite sex very wanting. The woman in front of him, got to her feet, giving James one last look over before shrugging. "As much as I''d love to sit here and tease you all day we do need to get moving if I am going to begin building up good habits for you y''know. Oh. I''m L''sara by the way." Her name had been tacked on at the end, as if it were an after thought. James for his part finally let his hands come down from his face, watching as L''sara walked towards the dining table where her leathers and underclothing had been tossed haphazardly. "Ah... Im James." He was in disbelief they had shared a room, no, shared a bed, naked even, and had not even given one another their names. L''sara seemed unphased by his turmoil, idling herself instead with getting dressed. A chair was pulled out, and she settled herself down in it. Leaning down over her knees with a pair of simple gray shorts, just long enough to peak out at the bottom of her lower leathers. They had to be slipped on through both holes simultaneously. When the cloth reached mid thigh she stood, bringing them up the rest of the way to her waist. An arm came back, hand reaching for a hole roughly where her tail was, fingers grabbing the appendage through it and pulling it free, getting a small wiggle in appreciation. The leather was next, having a belt and buckle wrap at the waist, two more, a set on either of her thighs, just on the inside. Each of the straps were tightened to the point of not restricting blood-flow but not letting the leather slip about. Her upper-half had a open v-neck shirt, just wide enough to slip over the two horns on her head, the rest form fitting clinging to her body to keep it from moving around. The leathers for her torso were more complicated, split in half just off center to allow her to put it on alone. A set of four buckles and straps a few inches from the edges of the leather were tightened down the same as her thighs. It had taken several minutes, but James sat enraptured, he always had some interest in things of fantasy, and leather armor was practically useless in the modern world. That thought drove him a question. "Hey uh.. L''sara", she looked up from her re-check of her gear to James letting him continue, "Why do you wear leather armor? Aren''t there better things?" Glancing back down she unhooked one of the straps towards the bottom of her torso, tightening it a little more before leaning left and right. "Better? Sure, they are more expensive though. This leather armor is probably as strong as metal without mana though y''know? For some reason the system seems to really favor melee combat." L''sara let that statement hang for a moment before deciding to elaborate, "A skilled leather-worker is able to take a normal piece of leather and make it capable of withstanding an edge that would normally fell a tree, its not as good as what a blacksmith can do, but also lets you move easier too. You really should get dressed, I got you some clothes yesterday after you passed out, you''re not going to be wearing those rags with me." Her tone was plain, as if she were telling him the sky was blue, which only got an audible sigh from the boy, figuring it was best to just get dressed, she stopped him just as she reached the table, "Oh, and James, make sure you leave that little staff of yours stashed away in your inventory we''ll get you something else to use. If I could find it. Others could find it. I am not sure I''d be able to protect you from everything, ok?" Her voice was serious, but seemed to have a hint of concern in it, causing him to look up at her face, eyebrows raised. "A-ah... sure... thanks." His voice was shaky, not used to people showing concern for his well being. Mondura, and now L''sara, had both said the same thing. The thought of what the staff had told him about not trusting her ran through his mind before he brushed it off and turned to the simple clothing she had laid out for him, woven cloth pants with a belt similar to her leathers and a t-shirt. Chapter 11 The main room of the inn was nearly empty, only a few stragglers here and there at random tables. The striking difference caused a pause in James, a question posed to L''sara whom was a few feet in front of the teen. "Where''d everyone go?", he had expected less patrons, but the number last night there should''ve been at least a dozen or so getting meals or an afternoon drink. Hearing this she replied and continued forwards towards the main counter, "They left, no reason to stick around with the level this planet is at. Pointless killing is frowned on by the system so it''d only be a hindrance.", she took a seat at a square of bar-top with a hollow in the middle. A brown haired woman with pointed ears approached her and the two began to converse leaving James to his thoughts. Why would the system care about something like that? Doesn''t it encourage us to kill and gain levels and power? His eyebrows were creased towards the center of his face for a few more moments before he shook it off and approached the counter L''sara was at, intending to use the current information dump he had available, as the wiki was about as useless as you''d expect. "So the system looks down on you killing animals?" Both the barkeep, and his companion paused their conversation, looking at him like he had a second head on his shoulders. "No? Why would it care about that?", It was the second woman that answered, not L''sara, her voice was on the rougher side, far more masculine than he had expected. James turned his head to L''sara who was stifling a bit of a chuckle at his expense, "He''s fresh meat Joub." The barkeep leaned forwards over the counter and looked him up and down before settling back, a shrug rolling across their shoulders. "Fresh meat huh? I''ll give you a few gold if you let me have a go." James''s eyes shot open at that, looking towards L''sara once more, almost pleading in his gaze, her response was a soft laughing voice, "Mm. I don''t think he swings that way, at least I think so~ He was pretty interested last night, this morning he was almost like a blushing maiden." Embarrassment. That was what crawled its way across his face, tinting his cheeks red, and sending his fists to clenching like he wanted to lash out, the only thing holding it at bay the fact that L''sara despite her joking gave off a vibe that she could crush him instantly. The barkeep seemed just fine with this, instead, turning their gaze to him and giving him another once over, licking lips before speaking, "Ahh, they always say that, but by time I am done they usually never look at a woman again, course, they don''t walk so right either." James pulled back, his bare heel catching the edge of his pants and sending him to the floor on his ass. This sent his tormentors reeling in laughter, which was just enough for him to lose his cool, brain temporarily forgetting the difference in perceived strength and instead hopping back up and lunging at the cackling barkeep. He was not allowed to get close, however, L''sara raised the arm closest to him, slapping him in the chest. He impacted it, and it felt almost like he had run into the trunk of a tree. His balance was thrown off and once more he was on the floor, this time on his back, staring up at the ceiling, unwilling to move.
You have taken 20 [Blunt] damage
She lowered her arm, and looked back to the barkeep, "Mm. Told you he was fun to tease he looked like he wanted to rip you to shreds Joub.", another chuckle, James had just shut his eyes, wanting this conversation to be over with, but L''sara had flipped him on his backside like an unruly child, surprisingly, it was the barkeep he had just tried to assault that came to his rescue. "Poor thing probably thought I was a woman, they always do.", that almost masculine voice sent out another chuckle before continuing,"If he''s been around you for more than a day he''s got some kind of merit to him Also not everyone is as "comfortable" with themselves as you L''sara, you should cut him a little slack." Joub had come around from the bar, and now was standing over James, a hand offered out.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. When James opened his eyes, and saw the presence, he hesitated, before deciding it was probably best to not try and make more enemies. The barkeep was surprisingly strong for such a lithe and agile frame, even offering the teen a beaming smile as he spoke, "Sorry about all that, it is fun to cut loose once in a while and tease someone. We got off on the wrong foot, so lets restart, I am Joub. I''ve known this walking cock tease of a woman for quite a long while. Nice to meet you." The man, now that James was aware of it, brought his hand to his chest and gave him a short but polite bow, just barely shifting his body forwards. He had just tried to attack him despite the goading, James, not sure how to reply, just nodded his head, and tried to do the same minus the arm on chest. "Sure... James. Uh. Nice to meet you Joub." Another smile and a nod, and the man went back behind the bar, "So listen, I''ll get you guys something to eat and L''sara, answer his question, you know new planets don''t have much information wise." With that, the elfen man disappeared from the bar once more, this time headed towards a set of double doors on the opposite side of the entrance to the inn. James stood there, unsure if he had crossed a line in trying to strike one of L''sara friends, before a cough got a wince from him. "Come sit down." She said this whilst patting the stool beside her own. James turned getting ready to bolt, but a firm hand latched onto his wrist, holding him still. "Stop worrying. You would not have been able to hurt Joub easily and to be fair, hes right, we were teasing you quite badly. So come. Sit. I''ll answer your questions again like I promised~" Unable to get his wrist free James felt a grimace pull across his face, a few more tugs, L''sara insisting grip not relenting, and he sighed, letting the grimace fade away. "Fine... I thought the system was fine with killing? Why would it matter if it happens?" She did not release the grip she had on him, even as he settled into the stool, much to his dismay, but she did loosen it a little from the vice it had been. "Hmm. Well. Think about it like this, you kill animals for food right?", he nodded, "Do you also have people who kill animals for no reason?", it took him a second, but he also nodded to that. Her free hand came up, tapping clawed finger at her chin as she continued, "And what purpose does that serve? Just pleasure right? Makes the person happy? Well. If everyone did that, the system would lose mana rather than gain it since it has to make those creatures. So it does not give you mana when you kill things far weaker than you, with intent mind you, instead it takes it away. The more you kill. The more you lose." Satisfied with her answer she nodded her head and gave his wrist a small squeeze. James looked conflicted, thinking back to how easy it had been for him to dispatch the scum back in town, and the fact he had gotten experience for it, a question came from that though, "What about people not part of the system?" L''sara suddenly had a look on her face like she had forgotten something important, thinking about what she had just told James, only to suddenly realize, "Oh! Well, as far as I know, they still have mana, which is why you get experience, but the kill rules don''t apply to them. They actually don''t apply to any life the system does not make since it won''t cost it mana. Women, elderly, children, doesn''t matter much in the systems eyes, as long as you are not costing it more mana than you bring in you''re fine~" So basically give more than you take and you can do what you want... Isn''t that kinda.... well... evil? Why would the system reward me for killing a bunch of children? James felt conflicted, again, the more he learned about the system, the more it sounded like the thing cared only about mana not about anyone a part of it. It also did not sit well with the fact that despite him hating humanity a lot of the time he still felt like a good person. After all, the people he had killed deserved it, right? Would he have to just slaughter indiscriminately to get stronger? His mind was racing as Joub returned with their food, two bowls of something that looked close to brown porridge and fresh toasted bread with a red colored smear on top. L''sara nudged the teen, trying to get him out of his thoughts, only for him to completely ignore her, instead, just pulling his food in front of him. Could I do that? Killing wasn''t hard. It was a mindset sort of thing... those guys were bad people and over a billion people already died, what did their lives matter anyhow?... L''sara, gave another soft squeeze of his wrist before letting go and beginning to eat her own food. She had plans for them today after all. Chapter 12 James was currently on the ground, frustrated, staring at the clouds drifting by above him. His breath was ragged and coming in harsh pants, obviously exhausted, the same calm, instructive voice urged him back to his feet. "Come on James, get up. You''ve got more in you I know it." His eyes slipped shut in response and he took in a deeper breath before sitting up right and exhaling it, looking up to L''sara. "I can''t even catch you, how the hell am I supposed to without knowing anything? You said yourself I was like a child." She shook her head, "Thats the point, use your head. I told you, when you can manage to land a clean hit on me we''ll move on to trying to fix your form and teach you, until then there is no point. Just consider this body training." Those clawed fingers curled up, waving towards him to get back to it, James for his part just hunched down and launched towards her, the same as he had the last few times. Rather than shift like a matador, letting him sail past like she had the last few times, she decided to put a stop to him blindly rushing. Her hips turned and she was sideways, hoof instantly lashing out and cracking him right in the shoulder, sending him tumbling back away and to the dirt groaning in pain. "You really should learn from your mistakes. I told you I''d punish you if you didnt. Stop trying the same thing." Unable to say anything coherent, James was in a heap, gripping at his now bruised, and likely cracked shoulder.
You have taken 40 [Blunt] damage
"Get up, I didn''t hit you that hard." Rocking back and forth, James was not in a state to answer her mocking point, instead, he continued holding his shoulder, anger building inside him. "Come on. Where''d all that bravado go?" More anger began flooding his senses as he forced himself up into a seated position, glaring at her, the pain obvious on his face, but lips were barred, snarling almost at her. "Oooo... so scary. I''d be more worried if you could even catch me~" It seems L''sara had grown tired of the motherly tone which seemed to be doing nothing for the boy, instead, opting to poke his temper. It was working. James roared at her, lunging too his feet, the hand of the shoulder she had struck flexing, looking at it to make sure it worked before fixing back on her. He dropped down and lunged, doing the same move again. L''sara, annoyed, was ready to hit the other shoulder and put the boy down for the day before her eyes opened wide. He''d disappered from view about eight or so feet from her. "Wha--" She was cut off by James body slamming into her own causing her to take a few steps back hands instantly grabbing and throwing sending the teen into a spiral away. "What the hell was that!?" Her voice was laced with confusion, and a little bit of anger. If he had been hiding and ability like that, a hard to get one at that given he completely disappeared from her senses, what the hell was with the random bull charging he was doing? James for his part just began cackling like a madman, not even bothering to get up from the dirt, laying on it face down and beating the floor. "It fucking worked!" L''sara approached, even more annoyed at being out of the loop, "What worked? What the hell was that? Since when did you have the ability to teleport?" The cackling continued for a few minutes longer before he turned his head and looked up at her from the ground. "I didn''t teleport." L''sara''s hand moved to her face, holding it, trying to calm herself. "If you did not teleport how did you completely vanish and then reappear?" He began laughing again, muttering that it worked once more before slowly getting to his feet. "Spatial Storage." The response only got her tilting her head, "Like the bags? You can''t go into one of those. Its just an extension of the inventory." James brow furrowed, "Bag? No. Its a skill." L''sara lowered her hand, raising herself back to her full height, glaring down at him. "What do you mean skill? The system only lets you get that applied as an enchantment and its highly regulated and obfuscated, the system has killed more people than I can count for trying to pick the bags apart." James, still estatic that he had learned something new, seemed to gloss over this information as L''sara continued, "Where the hell did you learn that?" He had his hand gone from view, seemingly cut off at the wrist, then his arm, then part of his shoulder, before pulling it all back and giggling again like a madman. L''sara, not liking the surprise, gripped him by his hair causing a wince and a glare from the teen, his hand coming up to hers and trying to get it loose. "Answer me. First that staff, and now this skill. The god of luck or fate your lover or something in another life?" James continued struggling, trying to get her iron grip free before he took a breath and his head disappeared down to the shoulder, only to reappear as he pulled back and away from her, only to stumble and hit the floor, dizziness flooding his senses. "Wooaah fuck.." L''sara, initially shocked at his head disappearing, saw him hit the ground on his own this time, a look of concern momentarily overwhelming the anger. "What happened? Why''d you suddenly crumple like that?" She asked as his hand came upto his head, holding it. James felt like he''d just gone for a ride in a blender it felt almost like the first day on the system, a mumbled, "Check Status." came from his lips, concerened about what was going on.
STATUS TITLES SKILLS NOTIFICATIONS WIKI
Name James Harbor
Race Human
Age 19
Level 11 Status Points 5
Resource Pools
Stamina 65% Fatigue 81%
Health 99/120 Mana 0/51
HP/s 1.65 --- ---
Stat Points
Strength 5 Constitution 5
Dexterity 5 Intelligence 10
Wisdom 10 Willpower 10
The screen showed his mana was practically bottomed out. "There goes a good bit of my plans. It uses mana while I am in there." Speaking out loud, more to himself out of habit, than anything, L''sara inserted herself again now that she was under the assumption it was just mana fatigue. "You used too much mana, ok, but what is it, you said its called Spatial Storage, but those are accessories for the inventory not skills."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. James slowly getting his head to stop spinning looked up to her, "Its a skill I got on the first day the system arrived... I killed a boss or something, they said it was an exploit, the exploit got overturned because it wasnt my fault and then the system rewarded me and the skill I got caused a black out." "Boss monster... first day. No. You pissed the god of fate or luck off, thats what you did. Boss monsters aren''t even supposed to start showing up until the six month grace period is over outside of dungeons." Her lament over his history caused James to pause his wobbling as best he could, "Wait. Six months? We got a week. Hell. We''ve got a few days left before the transition is done?" L''sara did not answer. She just looked down at James, her face almost seemed covered with pity, before she slipped down to the floor in front of him. "I''ve gotten myself involved in something I shouldn''t have...I" She bit her lips, looking at James, and then off in the direction they had come from, towards town. "I should leave.. its not worth it." Moving to get to her feet, she felt a hand come down on her wrist, holding it. "Wait wait. Leave? Weren''t you supposed to be my teacher?" Another chew of her lip to his question, shifting about a little, "That was before I knew.." It was his turn for confusion, face showing a little bit of a grimace, "Knew what?" She shook her head, "Listen... your planet. Its being targeted. Most system aligned planets have six months to go through the transition process, this gives the inhabitants plenty of time to grow in strength, limit casualties and such... I assumed your planet was nearing the end of its cycle, but if its only been a few days most of your kind are going to die. Theres nothing that can be done about it." She squeezed his hand, rather for him, or for her, was unknown, "Thats not all though... occasionally you''ll have an uninhabited or ''backwards'' planet, that gets targeted for transition for the sole purpose of giving the race in charge benefits of the system, mana, items, so on, that''s likely what is going on here... its not really supposed to happen to places that show your level of evolution but.. well. The system does not really care as long as the mana costs are in check, so there are cases where planets are wiped out like this. Now that I think about it, its probably why so many people came and then immediately left again, theres no point in doing anything on a forced transition planet unless your freshmeat for at least a few years." Having finished her explanation, she sighed, giving his hand one more squeeze and getting up off the ground, leaving him sitting there. James, taking all of this in was unsure of what he was supposed to feel. Some part of him hated the worst of humanity, people similar to the ones he''d killed over the last few days. The other, warring part of his brain thought of Alison and Marcy, both of them whom saw a distressed teen and tried to help them out even if it put them both at risk. "So what?... What the hell does that mean for me? For us?" He asked her, his voice raising a little at the end, obviously frustrated and not sure how to deal with the situation properly. He was here, in a small town, to try and avoid things like this, to limit his interactions, but it seems like fate had decided that he needed a motivator. "Extinction? My entire race is going to be led off a cliff so someone else can get what?! Some mana and a special fucking sword?!" He was screaming at this point, and unbenknownst to himself, crying, tears of impotent rage rolling down his cheeks. His fists began hitting the dirt, repeatedly, screaming out an unintelligbile mess of words while L''sara sat there, watching, unsure of what to tell the boy. Her heart was racing, the emotions welling up despite the fact that she knew this sort of thing happened, she never had to deal with the fallout personally. "I.." She started, and stopped, James, jerked his head towards her, and she faltered. L''sara felt fear looking down at the distraught teen, like behind the tears and rage there was something worse lurking, even despite the fact the logical part of her brain was telling her she could crush him with her pinky. That only served to squeeze her heart more, arms coming up to wrap about her chest nervously. "I can''t James... I can''t help them. Maybe I can help you, but given how things are going... even that... that might be too dangerous. But I''ll try." His stare didn''t diminish, he could barely hear her. The words were like they were echoing down a tunnel, his heartbeat was far too loud in his ears. He was getting ready to unleash another yell in rage when he felt her arms around him, his body lifted from the dirt like it was nothing, scooped in a warm, tight embrace. He stopped, eyes wide, lips trembling some before his head began shaking back and forth, hands doing their best to try and shove her off having forgotten anything but brute force and fleeing. "Go... let me go.. let me go." The words were repeated, but L''sara didn''t relent, even when his teeth caught her chin like a rabid animal, trying their best to inflict damage and coming up short.
You have dealt 2 [Blunt] damage You have dealt 5 [Piercing] damage You have dealt 3 [Blunt] damage
She didn''t speak, just kept squeezing him tighter, all the air being forced out of his lungs. The struggling gradually got weaker, and weaker, before finally it stopped altogether. She''d literally squeezed him into unconciousness before he was allowed to regain air. "What the hell am I doing? Is this all worth it? Will I even be able to see you again?" Looking down at the distraught, but outcold face of the teen in her arms she frowned before turning and heading back towards town. Chapter 13 James having been rendered unconscious by L''sara did not find a peaceful slumber, instead, a familiar inky black void greeted him again. This time he was not the only object floating in space, as there was another. It easily towered over his own frame, looking similar to a minotaur from myth, covered in deep brown fur missing in a few places from scarring. When it spoke its voice was deep and graveled, "Back so soon host." The words came as James felt his body lurching towards the ground slowly, settling onto a solid surface, confusion forced across his face. Host? The thought immediately led him to the staff he had in his possession. "Mondura? Why do you look like that?" The tall broad figure chuckled, its laughter booming before its form changed. The creatures body blurred and began to shrink until it was only about chest height to the teen, round in shape, face more cherub like. There were two sets of ears pointed, and eyes far larger than anything he''d seen save for cartoons, nose was non-existent. It tilted its head and smiled at James, letting him take in its new state for a few moments. Once more a mist engulfed its form and this time it thinned out becoming wiry, growing taller as it did so. This form held a set of two limbs on either side, each tinted green and looking more like a bunch of vines entwined with one another. Its body was made up of the same vines, twisting and wrapping about one another to make a roughly humanoid shape with no defining facial features. A set of deep green fires floated in front of where eye sockets should be, leaves and white flowers sprouting out at various points on its body. Its voice this time was almost like wind rustling through the leaves, a whisper he could make out clearly but could not detect the source of, "I am many things host. I told you this." Mondura said as it changed a final time, the mist clumping into a shape roughly the size of James. When it cleared away James felt as if a mirror had been set in front of him, save for the eyes. They were black, close to the tint of the metal the staff was made of. James, looking more shocked than calmed caused the staff-made-human to shake its head before continuing, "When you bond with me, I take a piece of you, your mana signature, as I have all hosts. It is part of our contract, not that you would know anything about that." There was another soft chuckle before James watched his own body slump down into a cross legged seated position on the floor a few feet away. "Your mind is surprisingly vulnerable when pushed to the edge. The connection this time is far easier to maintain." James, still considering what he had been told before was taken out of his thoughts at that, "Pushed to the edge?" There was another chuckle from staff-turned-man, "You don''t remember how you were rendered unconscious? Your ''sensei'' squeezed all of the air out of your lungs while you threw a tantrum like a petulant child. Quite disgusting actually, glad that since I am locked away in your personal dimension I can only see what is going on when your conscious, at least for now." There was no laughter this time, it just stared at James shaking its head, "To think I have fallen so low as to be placed with you. I was contracted to kings, queens, warriors, and now I get to be the wet-nurse to a child that will let his whims control him. Pitiful." Despite the content of its words, there was no malice aimed at James in the voice, it sounded almost bored. "Fuck you!" The teen got to his feet, sneering at the mirror image of his own face, hands clenched tightly like he were getting ready to strike, only to once more be mocked by Mondura, "And that is my point. Someone says something you do not like and you get into a huff, even if it is true. You act like a spoiled child, inconsistent. You let that shop keep and L''sara walk all over you, and yet a few thieves not able to fight against your current abilities attempt to take food and its suddenly like you are a blood crazed idiot. Rabid animals like that have no use, they should just be put down. If you are not going to control yourself I will do it for you or see to it you get killed. Your choice host." "No! Fuck you! You don''t control me!" James lashed out, trying to strike at the still sitting figure, which did not react as James went right through the copied body and landed on the ground with a thud. "You can not harm me here, it would only be akin to harming yourself. As for controlling you, I am merely going to encourage you by triggering a nerve storm in your body when you misbehave. I will not be able to do it often, but I doubt you will want a repeat after the initial shock." Mondura rose to his feet, and looked down on the sprawled James whom was glaring from the ground at it, "Why do you care anyhow? If you''ve had other hosts, why not just kill me and get a new one." This got another shake of its head, "Part of the contract states I can not personally kill you. It says nothing of locking your body and then allowing a beast to kill you for me, but that is the last resort. I get you killed then I get to sit around for however long it takes for the system to send me out again. Apart from guiding you, I still have no free will to exert on existence, so I would rather deal with your outbursts if I can correct them than the void."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. A hand was extended down, mimic James to real James, as it continued, "Besides, you are young, you definitely have control issues, but you are not a complete waste. Thinking to use the dimension in the middle of combat was good, you even figured out it could be used on independent body parts to get out of holds. That is not discounting previous efforts to stay calm and figure things out with your powers. If you could apply that consistently and not go off into a blind rage you might become decent." the real James looked at the hand extended, then back up to the mirror image of himself before sighing. The more rational part of his brain knew that Mondura was right, it was why he took the extended hand, a deeper seated part of his emotions told him that Mondura was lying through it''s nonexistent teeth. Part of his mind told him that he did no wrong, that everyone was out to get him and any attempt at camaraderie and kinship were just thinly veiled attempts to take something from him. He had to quash that part forcefully by biting down on his tongue, drawing a bit of blood. "James. I can hear your surface thoughts. Even if I could not your face is not that hard to read, your emotions are all over it. I do not know what has caused you to lash out at everyone like this, but I am tied to you, you thriving means I thrive, there is no ulterior motive, so if you trust nothing else, trust that." An unnatural sense of calm washed over him, as if those thoughts were being forced away by an outside influence, this caused the grip he had on his copies hand to tighten a little as his body was lifted to his feet. "I see everything you see, I feel everything you feel. I know you tell yourself you hate your kind, that they are greedy, worthless beings that are not worth saving, yet when you were told that they were facing extinction what was your first instinct? Anger. You were angry James. I felt it. You wanted to stop it but could not, you wanted someone to help you. Let me help you. Let your companion help you. Let others help you. I know its fear that consumes you." The voices were muted, but there, telling him this was a lie, it was a trap, and then that influence washed them away again, leaving James staring into his copies eyes, his lips parting, "I..." He was getting ready to try and refute it when the hand tugged him forwards, forcing him to stop, his mimics voice following it, "I can hear your thoughts James, do not lie to me. You were going to say it was your other self right? There is no other self James. It is you. I have watched you ''flick'' the switch. You are still there. It is you doing those things James. You killed those people. Sure, you did it out of a twisted sense of justice, a group striking Alison and planning on other things, a group robbing and shooting others, but you still killed them. Own it." James stared at Mondura, unable to find the words, his brain racing, Mondura did not interrupt his thoughts this time, allowing him to come to the conclusion on his own. James pulled at his hand, trying to get it out of his doppelgangers grasp, but finding himself unable to. "So what! They were pieces of shit anyways!", the mirror shook its head, "Yes. And you were judge, jury, and executioner, now own it." Another attempt made at getting free before he stared his double down, grimace on his features. "Fine okay! FINE! I did it. I killed them. Not some facet of my mind or anything else... I had the power.. and I felt like the world would be better off without them so I killed them!", James slumped to the ground, his arm still held aloft by his twin, who spoke, "Good. That is step one. Step two is understanding that does not make it right. Do you think the ones that put your planet up for material gains are righteous? No. They are strong. You are weak. Your opinion does not matter to them. So what should you do?" "I dont know!", the mimic grinned down at the distraught boy he was copying, "The ones responsible for doing this to your planet are just going to do it to others, do you think they should be allowed to do that?", James, looking up from his spot at Mondura just growled, "No. Fuck no." The grasp Mondura had was released, letting James have his hand back, smiling now at the teen with his own face,"Good. That is the spirit you need. A focus. You need a code of ethics to live by. Do you really think someone making fun of you deserves death? Stealing to feed ones self? Other ''crimes''? Ask yourself these things James. You do not need to be a beacon of all that is good but that does not mean you can just do whatever you want, I will stop you if I have to." The void around them was slowly being turned into a blinding light, Monduras duplicate of James was beginning to fade away as well, "The connection is growing weak. Remember this conversation James, I will not let you continue on your path of self destruction." Chapter 14 James woke to the sound of clashing steel and a chorus of voices. His chest was burning, and his body was left in a heap on the ground at the base of a tree. A hand grabbed at his face, rubbing at it, trying to get his vision to clear faster. When he got enough of the haze away he was greeted to several corpses covered in lacerations. Limbs from the bodies were strewn about in some macabre form of decoration. They were tall, lithe, and covered in some kind of leather armor from top to bottom. Pale white flesh showing in the few places that had been hacked away. That head jerked upwards heart now starting to race, the shot of adrenaline pulling him instantly to the present, his body followed, getting to his feet, shaky at first, but then finding his stride. Left, then right, his eyes sought out L''sara, but he could only see more of those thin wiry beings grouped up around the source of the steel meeting steel he had initially heard, blocking out all but bits and pieces of two others. There was a pause in the fighting as male voice seemed to boom out from the crowd, "You fight like a wild beast! Give us the host and we will forget the matter of you killing so many of my fodder, we''ll even extend an invitation, I assure you my liege pays quite well." A low murmur rolled across the crowd, before the sound of someone spitting and sultry feminine voice cut them off, "Sorry. Need him, and something he''s got I''ll have to carve through you instead~" Her voice was steady the whole way through, but seeing her would have shown a different picture, part of her armor had been shredded away, a finger was missing from her right hand, a gash deep in her left side, cuts littered her body. If the system was not supporting her, she''d likely have been dead already. At the center of the ring, James could just make out the head of a beast far larger than the rest of the ones surrounding the combatants, it reminded him a lot of the form he had first seen Mondura taking, a minotaur, with two massive horns, deep red fur, and a large ring in its nose. That was the thing fighting L''sara. His heart lurched. He''d caught bits and pieces of her through the shuffling crowd, it was not a good picture. The self preservation in him kicked in, his head darted to the right, looking to the woods, could he make it? They were distracted after all. Shes like this because of me. The words he had shared in moments before waking crept back into the foreground, pushing away any thoughts of running, his eyes zeroed in on the circle, fists clamping down tight. The sound of steel meeting steel had resumed. There are too many... When had that stopped him before? His brain was fighting itself, Mondura had affected him more than he knew. He shook head back and forth, hands moving to his hair, fingers entwining and pulling at strands in frustration. His sporadic movements had alerted those closer to him causing a familiar voice to speak up in his head to cease the frenzy and indecision, STOP. Focus. I can assist if you let me, it is easier when you accept me. They were closer now, each of them wielding some form of weapon, sword, spear, dagger. How? There is a spear to your right, on the floor, pick it up and put some distance between you and them. Put the points you have been saving into regeneration, my control will likely not be perfect. Its voice was choppy, as if it was struggling to make the connection, but he could feel it there, in the back of his mind, reaching out to every muscle the teen had. He lurched, diving for the spear that had been pointed out, one of the enemies entering the space he had occupied seconds before. Hands wrapped around the shaft just as he hit the ground, sliding a few feet past where it had been landing. James quickly righted him self just as his pursuers began cackling at the clumsy movements. Loosen your muscles, and get ready to use your storage. It drains too much mana for you to enter fully, but just the spear should be more than enough to surprise them. Loosening his tense muscles was easier said than done, but he still attempted it. A hard swallow forcing down the thumping of his heart in his throat, thoughts drifting, looking for the unhinged detachment he was so used too, yet despite searching only Mondura was there speaking in his head, panic began to set in.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. You will not find your other self. We had this conversation host. We will handle this. Once more weapons were beginning to circle him, trying to pen him in. He had shown no merit thus far so they were playing with their food, after all, why should their boss be the only one having any fun? James gnashed his teeth, trying to get his body to cooperate. It was not used to his mind staying present when dealing with a situation like this and it was proving to be extremely difficult. Mondura, unable to get through to the teen felt like there was no other choice, Clench your teeth and avoid your tongue. Confusion flitted across James features as the warning came, only to be wiped away instantly. His back lit up like someone had stabbed him with a cattle prod, every muscle clenched to near its breaking point, sending him to his knees and causing the encroaching party to pause and look at one another in their own befuddled state. Kneeling on the ground, eyes clenched shut having been unable to even scream, James looked like he had experienced a break from fear. That seeming fear caused yet another round of laughter after the confusion faded, opponents taking their leisure as they approached. A deep breath in, continuing to fill his lungs just until the breaking point, chest visibly expanding. He held it, counting to three, before finally the compression was reversed and he forced an exhale to empty his lungs back out through still clamped teeth. Lids flicked open and his wavering eyes seemed to have a sharpened hone they had when he disassociated, Good. Now stand. Slowly he did so, his movements completely different than before, the pain and acceptance had been enough for Mondura to exert control, refining what motions James went through. It had not gone unnoticed either, as the enemies around him were instantly back on guard, brandishing weapons in his direction. There are too many for me to both talk and guide at the same time. I will be here but silent host. When it went silent he was left to his own thoughts for the first time in his memory, yet, there was no fear, just an surprising calm. Pupils drifted from each opponent to the next. Life was simple like this, he found, unsure of why he even needed another "self". He needed to help L''sara, and he had to go through the targets in front of him. Adapt or die. He quoted Mondura and a smile flicked across his lips, not deranged as before, but rather acceptance. The points he had banked were mentally assigned to regeneration and then his focus shifted back to the spear he held. Almost on instinct it was whipped upwards in an arc, only to come back down, moving far faster than it had any business going in the hands of a novice. Yet, he maintained control, bringing it to his side in a sudden snatching movement, hand just a little behind the middle of the shaft. Fingers tightened down and the sinew on his forearm pulled taut, legs followed suit, one in front of the other, thighs and calves bulging as he bolted to the side. The motion was fluid, even curving as he change direction and charged towards the nearest sword wielding assailant. Spear in front, his eyes focused on the target he wanted. Just as he reached the edge of his Spatial Storage''s range his hand and the spear disappeared from view, putting the assailants on guard. His opposite foot rooted itself on the dirt, using momentum and strength to propel the shaft through the secondary space. The tip of the spear reappeared a few inches from the leather cuirass of his target, slamming home with full force.
You have dealt 30 [Piercing] Damage to Unknown Enemy (1)
The spear and his hand reappeared back at his side once more visible to all just as the one hit slumped to the ground grasping at the new hole in his leather armor in shock. The group did not understand what had happened, and James for his part did not let up, targeting another busy gawking at the fallen one in disbelief. His body shifted and his weight was thrown into a new thrust, just the spear tip disappearing this time as he refined the attack, letting it reappear this time at the throat of the one being attacked.
You have dealt 100 [Piercing] Damage to Unknown Enemy (2) Critical Wound Inflicted on Unknown Enemy (2) Unknown Enemy (2) is [Unconscious]
As his spear retracted, the second hit the ground, this one not moving and chaos ensued. Enemies having vastly underestimated their opponent from not being prepared to deal with a spear demon that could conjure spears wherever he pleased. At least, that was the way it came off to anyone not familiar with the rare trait teleportation, or in James case, the unknown Spatial Storage, decided to turn tail and run to get more backup from the large group surrounding the other two fighting parties.