《Deadliest Sin, Greed》 Chapter 0 - It Begins (Revised) According to the religions of old, there are seven deadly sins in this world, but time and time again one has proven more prevalent than the others: Greed. Greed consumes humans in a way nothing else can and leads humans to commit heinous acts one would think them incapable of. Atrocious crimes, betrayal, and murder¡­greed is a catalyst for all of these things, but I digress¡­let''s go back to before this all started. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was a beautiful Sunday morning that day, and the town was as active as one would come to expect of the Sabbath. Birds could be heard singing in unison and the sun''s rays traveled without interference from the clouds. Although the day was bright, to one man it was as dark as an endless abyss. In a stiff, uncomfortable hospital bed laid a man. His hair was of an ashen-blonde color, which was reminiscent of Autumn when everything began to wither and die. His brown eyes devoid of emotion or light, and their stare unrelenting. The man must have been at least average height, perhaps sixty-seven or sixty-eight inches tall, but what was most notable were the effects of muscular atrophy which ravaged the body over the years. Stubble was present on his face due to the half-hearted care of a nurse who had all but given up on the man, but that wasn''t surprising, as everyone had. Six years was the amount of time. Six years of never-ending, tormentingly slow time which gnawed and clawed at the man''s sanity. Was he even sane anymore? What is sanity? Life is certainly not sanity, no, life is torture. A pained existence where one merely lives through a constant loop of monotony until you cease to exist. Jak Dannikin laid in bed staring out of the window cursing his very existence as these thoughts plagued him.Jak is stuck in a vegetative state and has been for the last seven years since he was nineteen years old. The man returned to his thoughts and memories. College is a great way to experiment and grow accustomed to new youths, social groups, andquestionable morals which you didn''t even know existed, but thefault with a college town lay elsewhere. Drunkenness and its prevalence were unparalleled. Jak was no stranger to this social custom and partook on many occasions, but one would prove to be life-altering. After a party with a couple of new friends Jak had met in the quad, he had begun to stumble back to the dorm. The night air was brisk, refreshing even, and Jak was not inebriated to the point where poor judgment would cloud his decisions, but other people had indeed reached that point. As he crossed the final walkway, Jak looked left to a pair of previously unseen headlights which seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He was not met with the usual last thoughts, or words of repentance in his mind, only a minddevoid of thoughts. A drunk driver. Crippled at the age of nineteen and unable to experience the fruitful bounty which life had yet to offer him, which brings us to the present. One must understand, Jak is stuck in a vegetative state and everyone thinks him brain dead. The man was in an accident, struck by a drunken driver, and has been staring out this window ever since. Jak has been stuck in this sorry state for six years since he was nineteen¡­now he is blessed with such luxuries as a feeding tube, a catheter, diapers, and a fat fucking forty-five-year-old male nurse that shoots him looks of pity every time he receives a sponge bath. The results of the tests on his brain activity were botched and no one is aware that he is still very muchable to think and feel. ¡°Disgraceful. Disgraceful. Disgraceful. Disgraceful. Disgraceful. Disgraceful. I HATE IT,¡± Thought Jak as he continued to stare out the window. ¡°At least this nightmare ends tomorrow.¡± See¡­Jak¡¯s ¡°family", consisted of a drunken uncle, a drug-addicted aunt, and a filthy little twelve-year-old cretin they claim to be their son. He had always wondered how the old man is so out of his shit that he hadn''t realized the little bastard is part Hispanic. His real parents died shortly after his birth...Coincidentally, also a drunken driver. His parents, not having any other immediate family or close friends, assigned this heinous trio as his guardians in the case of an emergency. They immediately sued the drunkard and won the case, but they abused the funds they received leading to Jak''s current predicament. Alas, his settlement money has run dry, and seeing as he has no advanced directive in place because he was nineteen and had no plans for such events to transpire...tomorrow his ¡°family" is going to pull the plug providing him with...you guessed it...life support.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. They can no longer,nor do they want to, keep spending money on the young burden now that he is without usefulness to them... In one sense, Jak was happy to be escaping this hell...on the other hand¡­ well, ¡°Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill them and the other drunk who lived.¡± His desire for revenge was something to be admired, but who could blame him. These years of entrapment have semi-warped his sanity and led to twisted daily thoughts which plague the young man. Brutal scenarios and horrific thoughts reverberated throughout his mind all day. As Jak stared out the window, something strange began to happen. The sky distorted and it looked as though it was warping and reflecting itself. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a dark robed figure floated outside of his window. The skin of the creature was pure black and seemed to devour light itself. It''s neck and fingers were adorned with all manner of fine jewelry and gold. The most disturbing part, though...Its face was devoid of any features, save for one: A large white grin with pointed teeth almost the size of the figure¡¯s face. Jak could only stare...as...well, he couldn''t do anything else. ¡°Ah, you must be Death. Come early to watch my pitiful end perhaps?¡± Jak laughed to himself cynically. The figure grinned wider, which would have seemed impossible if you hadn''t seen it. The monstrosity then raised its long slender finger to its mouth as if to say, ¡°Shhhhhhh.¡± It was probably the most horrifying thing Josh has ever since in his twenty-five years of life. Then just as the figure appeared, it was gone¡­or so Jak thought. The hospital was located on top of a hill that overlooked the city¡­and looming right over the middle of the city was the unknown being, except the being, was bigger than the city itself. Then, it spoke. ¡°Greetings humanity! This one is named Greed. No doubt you''ve heard my name used in many contexts over the years! Regardless, humanity and its ever-growing greed have pleased me and given me much power...enough so to appear in your mortal realm as chance may have it! This one has decided to reward humanity as a whole! What is it that you all desire? Affluence, status, power, or something greater perhaps? All of these things you shall be able to attain through the greed consoles. Greed consoles will be available after the first phase, how exciting! I''m going to turn your earth into a game of greed! What fun! Everyone will start with a random skill, I love gambling by the way¡­also, everyone will start with the skills identify, status, equip, and bag! This one is truly generous! Phase one will begin in five minutes. Phase one will last twenty-four hours, phase two will last indefinitely, and phase three is on a per player basis. Kehkehkeh. During phase one three of your deepest, yet realistic and accomplishable, desires will be made known to you in the form of quests. Whoever does not complete the main quest will be executed in a random manner as this one loves gambling! Whoever completes the second, third, or both other quests will be rewarded! Anyway, that''s all for now! Phase one: Apocalypse...action!¡± The figure vanished and the city was left in utter chaos. I couldn''t see that far, but it seemed various land-dwelling and flying creatures began to appear randomly around the city. What looked to be a giant creature appeared as well, but I could not distinguish any features. In but minutes the city was rife with smoke and destruction and I can only assume the rest of the world was left in a similar state. It was then I heard screaming in the hospital. A male doctor passed by my room and the words he uttered made my heart stop for a second. ¡°The bodies in the morgue have risen!¡± ¡°Shit, well I guess my death won''t come peacefully,¡± Thought Jak. As he laid there silently awaiting his demise, a screen appeared in front of him.
Hey¡­dumbass...get up. Your paralyzed status has been removed and you''re healed. It''s a Miracleee! Halle-Screw-Yah! Praise Greed-zus! Get up, check your quests, and leave. That''s all you get,kid. Kehkehkeh. - Greed
With shock on his face, Jak tried to speak. Remembering the feeding tube, he began to pull it out. Pulling out the tube was not a pleasant experience and left him gagging endlessly. Next was the catheter¡­ ...Five minutes later¡­ Jak was panting heavily and attempted to curse, but all that came out was a dry, raspy noise. He then stood out of bed shaking and immediately fell to the floor. Slowly, he stood up and grabbed the stand which once held his I.V. Bag for support. Jak slowly looked himself over and noticed the effects of years of muscular atrophy were no longer present. Mustering all of his strength and slowly walking to the door...he finally managed to softly utter a single word, ¡°Quests.¡± Chapter 1.1 - Pity Party Josh had a scary smile on his face as he gazed upon the three screens in front of him.
Main quest - A debt paid in blood
In the midst of the chaos, the drunk which left you in such a pitiful state has escaped from prison! Use the included tracker to find and remove him from existence!
Sidequest - No family of mine
Enter the home of the three miserable excuses who were going to end your life tomorrow and instead end theirs!
Sidequest - Pity party
Find the fat male nurse who made the last six years insufferable, kick him in the sack, and tell him off before leaving the hospital!
Josh was always aware of his deepest desires, but never did he believe he would have a chance to see them through. Still smiling, Josh exited the room after some much-needed practice moving his limbs. He was not ready for what he saw outside and began to cringe in fear. The screaming heard earlier was replaced by an eerie silence and in its place remained a scene of gore and carnage. Josh fell to all fours and began to dry heave once more. Not a soul nor creature was present, but signs of struggle were present everywhere. Patients half ripped to shreds strewn about, bloody hand prints on the walls, puddles of blood and organs, and a smell that would make one wish their olfactory senses were no longer capable of smell. This was the true sight of death, and it was not a pleasant sight to behold. After getting a grip on his fear, Josh made his way to the receptionists¡¯ desk across the hall where he had spotted a couple of lockers. Upon opening them he found a few good pairs of scrubs. Dropping his gown, Josh donned a pair of the somewhat loose scrubs. As fate would have it, cowering in fear under the main desk near the phone was the fat fuck who brought him so much shame. The fat bastard crawled out and started spewing unintelligible nonsense, but then immediately fell to the floor again when Josh completed one of his quest requirements: kick fat ass in the sack¡­ ¡°You fat Fuck. Single, old, and balding fucking loser. How dare you look at me with pity. I am the one who should pity you. Now I will never have to listen to your disgusting stories again. Who would ever want to hear you ramble on about masturbating on your hug pillow, or how 2D girls are the best. DISGUSTING. You shall plague me no more.¡± The man''s eyes widened in realization as he found out Josh could hear and understand everything over the years, but before he could say anything Josh spit on him and kicked him in the ribs. ¡°Who would even tell a patient those stories?¡± Thought Josh, as he left the broken, crying human. It was then he received a notification.
Sidequest - Pity party
Side quest complete! This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.You sure told him! Reward: 500 Greed points
¡°What the hell is a Greed point?¡± Thought Josh, and much to his surprise another screen popped up.
The game of greed contains no levels. Each creature, quest or human is worth greed points which can be used at the greed consoles to purchase skills, titles, attribute points, or any item your heart desires! Also, hard quests and creatures will drop Greed tickets of varying ranks necessary to purchase juicier packages and rewards at the consoles! Also, look forward to special events!
¡°I...I guess there''s some form of a tutorial in this...game?¡± Returning his attention to the situation at hand, Josh grabbed a broken chair leg as a makeshift weapon. He then rummaged through some more lockers and found a lunch box with some mixed fruit and a sandwich. It was then the hunger overtook him as he had not eaten real food in six years. Hastily, he ate the fruit and stowed the sandwich in a backpack he had just found. He had nearly vomited due to being unaccustomed to eating solid food but managed to stomach it. Josh¡¯s trip to the hospital entrance was uneventful save for all of the scenes of horror and carnage. ¡°I...guess all of the monstrosities vacated the premises after they couldn''t find any more signs of life here¡­¡± Thought Josh as the double doors opened. Josh¡¯s stomach was uneasy and he was having trouble dealing with all of the world''s sudden changes, but his thoughts of revenge pushed all other thoughts and fears to the back of his mind. Outside, he finally saw traces of the changes that occurred. The parking lot was a disaster and remnants of the undead horde were scattered here and there. Cautiously, Josh avoided alerting the zombies and made his way to a semi-crashed ambulance resting against a leaning light pole. The lights were still flashing and the engine was still running, but much to Josh¡¯s relief the siren seemed to be broken. In front of the open driver''s side door, there was a trail of blood and what looked to be traces of fingernails indicating a losing struggle as someone was most likely dragged away¡­ Pushing thoughts of what may have transpired deep into the recesses of his mind again, Josh climbed into the still operable and relatively clean ambulance. He then shifted into reverse, then drive, and proceeded to head towards the entrance. Along the way, Josh mowed down any undead in his immediate path and was immediately bombarded with notifications, much to his dismay as he was driving...
Killed - Zombie G.10! +1 Greed
Killed - Zombie G.10! +1 Greed
Killed - Zombie G.10! +1 Greed
¡°Damn pop-ups! Have some situational awareness!¡± After a short while Josh finally reached the highway, but as he sped towards his destination he only had one thought on his mind. ¡°Two quests left.¡± Intermission - important explanations (READ) Hello, readers! Players! This one''s name is Greed! During this long short intermission between chapters during your sleep period, this post tutorial will fill you in with specifics on the story game, so as not to bore you during the story game. Greed points - they can be used to purchase skills, items, races, titles, and upgrades at the greed terminals. (Once available) Packages - packages are a collection of skills, abilities, and/or stat bonuses requiring a hefty sum of greed points as well as a greed ticket of the corresponding rank, which can be purchased at the terminals. Greed ticket - a rare item varying in rank from F,E,D,C,B,A,S,SS,SSS, and X. They can be obtained by performing miraculous feats or slaying monsters of great strength. Achievements - achievements are rewarded for merits and certain acts in the game of greed. You can accrue an infinite amount of achievements, but only three at a time may be active. Can be changed at any time outside of combat! Death - you lost! Death is death! You''re gone! Upgrades - items and skills do not rank up through repetition! Oh no, you must likewise invest greed points as you would in anything else to grow in strength and ability. Also, that''s not to say all items and skills can be upgraded! Loot - even though you can purchase many items¡­ creatures and players will still drop [PHAT] loot which can be kept, salvaged, traded, or sold for MUCH less than it would have been purchased for at a greed terminal. Crafting - crafting and gathering skills must be upgraded with greed as well! So get out there and peddle those wares for points! Cash is useless...Simpleton. NPCS - they''ll be around¡­ Pvp - this game is full looting and is PVP heavy! (Lucky you! Maybe¡­) When killing a monster, you will only get one tenth of their accrued/spent greed points! (Excluding their items as well¡­) Oh yes! Monsters can evolve, upgrade, and spend greed points as well! Players, however, will drop all items on death ( Literally¡­all of their bag and equipped items will explode around them like a pinata of [PHAT] loot! The murderer player will also receive one-fifth of their accrued/spent greed points! (Excluding items¡­) So get out there and kill a friend, brother, or simply murder mindlessly! Greed terminals - will start out with a limited selection, but after growing or meeting certain...prerequisites, more varied options will eventually become available. (On a per player basis, unless globally or regionally announced.) Races - oh yes! Even your basic genetic makeup can be Changed if you''re greedy enough, conferring certain...bonuses if you will, as well as offering tasty beneficial...upgrades not available to humans which you can also blow points invest into! Titles - this game''s version of classes! You can only purchase/upgrade one! If you wish to replace the one you already have, you''ll be forced to start the new one from scratch while also losing any bonuses/skills obtained using the old title! (Rumor also has it, after spending certain large amounts of greed points...excluding items...you''ll be allowed to take a second title!....Phase 3...ish? Who knows!!!) Also, after purchasing/upgrading a title fully, it''ll automatically convert to the next rank offering new skills and upgrades! This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Equip - a starting skill, it''s the ability to instantly equip armor/weapons in the bag. (Who wants to actually put on or remove a set of armor each day?) Can be upgraded to store and instantly equip full item sets or store the sets within the equip skill, which frees bag space. Bag - a starting skill, used as a weightless, portable storage device to store anything your grubby little hands can grab on your journey! Can be upgraded to hold more items and equipped items don''t take up bag space. (Initial spaces: 30) Identify - a starting skill, Used to identify everything and provide users with uses, salvage info, crafting info, greed value, etc! Must also be used to identify items with question marks in the name! Can be upgraded to supply more information or identify higher ranked items. Random skill - a die was cast! (Literally) Each player was given (I love gambling) a die to roll to receive a random, system generated skill to at least give the poor sports a fighting chance during the first phase of the game. Kehkeh. Status - last but not least is status! Status gives players a way to monitor their growth! Strength - increases melee damage and very slightly increases melee critical chance/all attack speeds. Dexterity - increases ranged damage and very slightly increases ranged critical chance/all attack speeds. Constitution - increases max health points, defense, and very slightly increases disease resistance/poison resistance/hp regeneration. Wisdom - increases mana regeneration and spell cast speed. Intelligence - increases max mana, spell damage, and very slightly spell critical chance. Perception - increases chance to spot traps, hidden enemies, lies, etc. It also gives a slight chance for attacks of opportunity which will be highlighted red on an enemy. Speed - Increases movement speed, attack speed, casting speed, and crafting speed slightly. Charisma - how much people like you. (Increases trading, persuasion, lying, and leadership based activities chances of success.) Also, has effects on spells from certain titles. Luck - supplements every action a bit. (Critical chance, magic find, crafting, speech attempts, etc.) Those are the basic stats! There are resistances and other values such as attack, defense, health points, mana points, critical chance, etc¡­but I''m sure you can all figure out what those do. New stats will also emerge when certain conditions are met. (On a per player basis.) A full status will be available in story game...now go...it''s time to wake up, but I leave you with a question...where will your greed take you? Kehkehkeh I hope that keeps your greed at bay until the next chapter you wake up. Old boy Greed Chapter 1.2 - No Family of Mine When there''s no room left in hell, the dead shall walk the earth. Josh could not recall where he had previously heard this quote, but it repeated in his mind endlessly. He was unsure what to make of this Greed character and the phases which he spoke of, but one thing was made certain: the first one was aptly named. As Josh made his way to his previous ¡°home", he had seen many atrocities not meant for this world. Most of this escaped him however, as he was lost in thought. ¡°I thought about it previously and devised many plans in my head, but can I actually kill them? I mean, is it acceptable for me to judge another human being? I am not a god, nor am I even mentally sound at this point, but one thing is certain: I was given a second chance at life, and if I don''t embrace it I''m going to forfeit my soul to the cold, lingering certainty that is death. No, I am going to live" Josh continued down the highway for an unknown period of time, and finally saw the exit which leads to the suburbs where the trash resides. As he finally neared the street, Josh was in a state of emotional turmoil. His mind was is a constant state of unrest. Turning down the familiar street, he finally saw the sign he was expecting. ¡°Sunny Side Up Trailer Park, how fitting. Home sweet home. It seems the walking dead made their way through here first as they shuffled mindlessly towards the city.¡± Signs of destruction were present all around him as he drove slowly. Trailers razed to the ground, half collapsed, or otherwise gone in entirety made their way into his view. Josh slowly turned the ambulance around and parked in the middle of the street facing the road. He wanted to be able to escape hastily in the event anything goes awry. He didn''t spot many zombies, but the few he did shuffled towards him. They looked pretty good as far as as zombies go, as they retained all their limbs and were essentially devoid of bite marks. The only one out of place was a middle aged woman whose eye was hanging loosely from its socket. ¡°These must have been the ones from the morgue, but at least they were already dead and are probably soulless husks. Better you than me.¡± Thought Josh, as he clung to his ¡°lucky" second chance at life for moral support. Josh approached one slowly, but was taken aback as it increased in speed and aggression when he got near. They then quickly tried to take a bite of him as their jaws unhinged. ¡°Oh Fuck!¡± In a desperate attempt to slow the nearest creature, he swung the chair leg at it. The zombie then promptly caught the broken wood and hoisted Josh into the air in a display of overwhelming strength. He then tried to kick the creature in defense, which must have angered it because it tried to bite him. Leaning his body to one side, Josh managed to escape the jaws of death. (Literally) The creature groaned in frustration and confusion, and then threw Josh forcefully. ¡°Fuck! Shit! Ass!¡± In a display of colorful vocabulary, Josh shouted many of the English language''s most prized obscenities while gripping his arm. It wasn''t broken, but there was a deep gash due to impacting with a very inconveniently placed fire hydrant. Now fueled by rage, he rushed at the abomination and struck it over the head. His face drained of all color as the makeshift weapon simply snapped in two. ¡°Shit! So much for that!¡± Josh now calmly assessing the situation, retreated a good distance away and ripped cloth from the sleeve of his scrubs to clumsily bandage his arm. As he did so, he slowly surveyed his surroundings which led him to notice the top half of a broken flagpole in front of a collapsed trailer. It was not well made, but it was steel and it had a sharp, pointed tip. It was leaps and bounds above his other improvised club. Brandishing his newfound weapon, he approached the trio once more. ¡°Come on assholes, I know you''re hungry.¡± Josh now kept his distance after realizing the dead weren''t limited by human constraints. As it neared him, his heart was racing and he finally lunged forward.
Critical hit!
Killed - Zombie G.10! +1 Greed
Through sheer luck alone he had managed to pierce directly into the fleshy eye socket, which lodged the tip of the spear in the creature¡¯s brain. Josh panted heavily as he retreated backward a few steps. ¡°I can do this.¡±
Critical hit!
Killed - Zombie G.10! +1 Greed
¡°One...more.¡± Josh spoke aloud to no one in particular while catching his breath.
Critical hit!
Stolen novel; please report.
Killed - Zombie G.10! +1 Greed
Josh finally adopted a sort of battle rhythm once he calmed down, and finished off the other two creatures without remorse. He then fell to the ground exhausted as a plethora of emotions washed over him, but he was mainly relieved. Josh was surprised how exhausting the entire ordeal has been, but quickly surmised it was due to his lack of physical activity over the last six years. Finally making his way up to the target trailer, Josh reached his shaking hand for the doorknob. Once more, he was assaulted by emotions and unnecessary thoughts. *Creeaaak* The door slowly opened of its own accord as Josh barely made contact with it, which startled him even though he was the one opening it. ¡°He...hello?¡± Josh whispered for some reason, despite his mission''s intent. He was met by only silence and a large pool pool of blood in the kitchen. ¡°Something already happened here¡­¡± Josh slowly shuffled inside and left the door open in case the need to escape should arise. His knuckles drained of all color as he clenched his makeshift weapon harder than he thought possible. The sun was starting to set, but light still illuminated the walls of the trailer in an eerie red hue through the few windows it did have. Josh made his way inside the living room, but was not expecting what he found. He dropped the spear, fell to all fours, and began to dry heave. On the ground in front of him was the head of his aunt''s ¡°son" staring unblinking into his eyes. He wore a pained expression and you could tell his final moment was not pleasant. It was just his head and spine, after all¡­everything else was gone. His eyes then wandered to the couch where he noticed what could only be explained as a skeleton. The body was picked clean of nearly all flesh and muscle, but the bony hand was still clutching the prescription bottle. ¡°She...she must have been too dru...drugged up to¡­ no...notice the changes.¡± Despite attempting to steel his resolve on the way here, nothing could have prepared him for the scene before him. It was then he noticed...him...looming in the doorway to the bedroom with a bottle in one hand and the remains of the boy in the other. It was his uncle. Devoid of any life, the lingering husk of the drunkard ambled towards him without any semblance of regret. Josh fell backwards and scooted slowly back toward the kitchen while holding loosely onto the spear with one hand. He dared not utter a single sound, but then accidently bumped into the refrigerator when he had nowhere else to go. All manner of tacky glassware began to crash around him and a small glass bell struck him directly on the head, causing blood to trickle slowly down his forehead. Feeling slightly concussed, Josh attempted to stand. After cutting his hand on random colored shards of glass, he finally succeeded. ¡°No...not like this. I''m...I''m going to live¡­¡± Ignoring the pain in his hands, Josh ran towards his uncle''s corpse screaming. ¡°I''mmmmm...goinggggg...tooo...liveeeeee!¡± Swinging his weapon sideways, it collided with the zombie¡¯s head knocking it off balance. Another quick jab to the chest rendered it prone. Not wasting the opportunity, Josh stood above him striking down repetitively. Lost in his emotions, Josh failed to notice the critical hit and kill boxes minutes ago. By the time he regained his senses, he was sobbing uncontrollably and little remained of his uncle''s head but mush.
Sidequest - No family of mine
Side quest complete! Even though two thirds of the work was already done for you...lucky. They will trouble you no more! Reward: 500 Greed points
¡°You sick bastard! You think all of this is funny? You think this is all one big fucking joke?¡± Josh screamed to the sky, but no answer came. Josh was unable to bear the thought of this horrid place continuing to exist and sought to cleanse it from his memory...both literally and figuratively. Grabbing the almost full bottle of shine from the drunkard¡¯s hand, Josh stuffed a piece of cloth in it. As the cloth soaked, Josh reached for the cigarettes on the table and fumbled to get one out. Walking out of the trailer, Josh trembled as brought the cigarette to his lips. Still crying, Josh lit the smoke in a feeble attempt to calm down, but anything was currently worth a shot. After a brief coughing fit, he threw the cigarette and lit the molotov. Looking one last time at the trailer filled him with no emotion, he was simply empty. He then threw the fire bomb and ensured it wasn''t a dud, but his thoughts were for naught as the structure was instantly engulfed. Josh began to walk towards the ambulance as he noticed the weapon in his hands. The spear was bent, unusable, and the tip was missing. Discarding his weapon, Josh looked to the sky and began to hurry to the vehicle. Night was approaching and he was living on borrowed time. The floating screens had been accurate thus far, and he was not going to be executed like a lame horse when morning came. The man climbed in and closed the door. Tears still fell from his eyes and he was growing dizzy from blood loss, but he still managed to keep his mind on track. ¡°One...one quest left.¡± Chapter 1.3 - I Will Go On
Six hours remaining until phase two!
Josh felt nauseous as he thought about the ominous notification he had witnessed just a few minutes ago. Josh had stopped on the side of the road near the outskirts of the city, right by a small pond. His sickness was caused by the influx of information due to all that had transpired. Not even sure if he is based in reality anymore, he sat staring at his reflection in the water, which was oddly serene despite the chaos occurring all around it. Lost in thought, all that met his gaze was a broken, five foot seven male with disheveled short blonde hair and brown eyes. Josh was scruffy due to lack of shave from the fat, disgusting nurse prior to the apocalypse. He was not emaciated but was rather thin due to being bedridden and no noticeable muscle mass could be spotted despite being healed. He chuckled...even he hadn''t really remembered what he looked like. Josh was banged up pretty bad, and was covered with a mixture of his and...well, who knows who else''s blood. Josh felt tired...more tired than he''s even felt in his entire life, and he pondered if this is how soldiers or Marines feel after a life or death struggle...or maybe it''s just the blood loss. Still dizzy, Josh managed to get up and return to the vehicle. It made him very uncomfortable, but the tracker had led him to the city...which was like ground zero. Josh turned off the lights, parked right outside of the city, and sat in silence. On his way to the city, Josh had scavenged better bandages and some ointments to stave off infections. The man bandaged himself up in silence and was now simply waiting. The tracker specified that the convict was half a Km away, and was moving towards him. Josh had made it in a good timeconsidering there was still two hours left until the deadline, so he decided to bide his time and confront him when he exits the city. Fifteen minutes later, Josh caught site of the silhouette of someone exiting the city...followed slowly by innumerable other silhouettes¡­ ¡°Shit...I didn''t even consider the possibility he was being chased.¡± Josh slowly turned on the vehicle and crept forward. Drawing near, Josh clicked on his headlights and the convict started flailing as if signaling for Josh to pick him up. Josh simply accelerated without emotion. Realizing too late what was happening the man attempted to jump out of the way, but lacked time to do so as he was thrown around under the vehicle. Josh stopped as the zombies approached and began clawing at the doors. He felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders and his head seemed so clear. Despite bathing in the newfound wave of relief, Josh was scared and appalled by just how little murdering another living being had just affected him. He finally thought the last string snapped and his last bit of sanity had dissipated from him, and that he had finally become a psychopath. ¡°Wait...where the fuck¡¯s the notification?¡± This sudden revelation brought Josh back to reality and he started panicking. He then noticed the zombies surrounding him and his fear arose once more, but that was the least of his problems. Feeling the ground shake, Josh entered a state of shock. It would seem his antics had attracted even more much unwanted company. As he stared at the skyscraper directly in front of him, a giant had was all he could see grasping into the side of it...fifteen stories up. Without waiting to sneak a glance at the rest of the creature, Josh threw the ambulance in reverse. ¡°Fuck no! Not today! No way! Double fuck no, even!¡± Josh sped backwards as fast as he could and tried to swing the ambulance around, but then heard some odd noises. *Snap. Click. Urrrr.* Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. *Ding*
Main quest - A debt paid in blood
Main quest complete! And paid in blood it was! Did you really have to make him suffer? Sheeeesh¡­ Reward: 1000 Greed points
¡°Oh¡­¡± Josh managed to utter softly, but immediately turned his attention back to the situation at hand. Josh was finally managing to outrun the behemoth, but it had been following him for over an hour. When Josh initially looked in his rear view mirror, he realized it is literally just a giant zombie, and that it is most likely following the headlights or noise. There was nothing he could do about the lights or he''d be blind, and the sound was the byproduct of operating a damn vehicle¡­ Then, there was nothing¡­ *Dub...blub...blub...bummm* The vehicle was out of gas. Still holding onto some false sense of hope, Josh kept trying to start the ambulance while tears formed in his eyes. *Click. Verververver. Click. Ververververver.* ¡°Start, damn you! Start!¡± Exhausting all options, Josh looked back and saw it was too late. The creature was upon him and towered over the ambulance. ¡°Shit!¡± Josh looked on in horror as the abomination slowly began reaching for the vehicle, and with a quick thought he ran to the back of the ambulance. Just as he felt the vehicle shake and begin to lift from the ground, he threw open the emergency doors and tumbled out. Running in between the oblivious creature¡¯s legs, Josh made a beeline straight for the forest to his left. He turned around and watched in horror as the vehicle he occupied just moments ago was crushed as if it were a bug, and then it exploded. The creature began to thrash wildly due to the explosion. ¡°I...guess even giant zombies don''t like flames...good to know.¡± After the creature calmed down and realized it wasn''t in danger, it began to walk slowly back towards the city leaving Josh alone with the pitch blackness of night. He made his way out of the tree line and simply stared at the flaming wreckage before him...mesmerized. This could have been him but moments ago, but that didn''t matter. ¡°Ha...haha...hahaha. I...I lived. I''m alive, and I have passed this horrible trial.¡± Josh then heard rustling and turned around. Zombies...a lot of them, were convening on his location. He began backing up and was about to run when¡­ *Thud* He turned around and looked up only to see another zombie. The...thing, grabbed him by his left arm and Josh went to stab it with his¡­ ¡°Oh, right...I no longer have a weapon.¡± The zombies immediately swarmed him and fought amongst themselves to be the first to tear into his supple, delicious flesh. As the first one sunk its teeth into him, he screamed in agony and struggled to break free. ¡°No! I survived and did the fucking quests! I''m supposed to live! Get the fuck off me! As Josh began to black out and had resigned himself to his fate, with tears in his eyes he was met by...darkness. All he could see was darkness, nor did he feel any pain and assumed he was dead, until¡­ *Bzzzzt!*
Phase one: End! Time: 00:00
# of remaining players: 21,326,032 Congratulations all!
Achievement unlocked - Against the odds!
Achievement unlocked - Survivor!
Initiating phase two!
¡°...What?¡± Chapter 2 - Phase Two Josh awoke with a start. He surveyed his current surroundings, finding that he was located right where he had passed out. All physical injuries were removed and he seemed to be in top condition.
Phase Two Initiated!
You now have access to the commands bag, status, identify, and equip! Also, I have given everyone a die to throw which will grace you with one random system generated skill, this should spice things up! -Greed
Josh quickly grasped the severity of the situation and checked the specifications of his new skills.
Bag
This skill allows you to store items in a separate,weightless dimension for ease in one''s daily life! Current item slots: 12
Available Upgrades
Increase space from 12 to 24 - 500 Greed Points
Status
You can view your status, dumbass...
Available Upgrades
N/A
Identify
Garner information on whatever you wish...
Available Upgrades
Gather more detailed information - 500 Greed Points View more information about another player - 2,000 Greed Points and B ranked Greed Ticket
Equip
Allows the user to instantaneously equip a saved item set.
Available Upgrades
Save two item sets - 1,000 Greed Points and E ranked Greed Ticket
Josh was taken aback...these were world breakingskills, and yet, everyone had access to them... Josh then felt a soft vibration in his pocket. Upon closer inspection, he found a die had been placed there. Upon removing the small piece of plastic from his pocket...Josh felt compelled to identify it.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Josh then yelled in a rather embarrassed manner, "Identify!"
Greedalicious Greed Die!
A rare drop from certain monsters. Was also conferred to all surviving players of phase one to give them an edge during the challenges which are to come! Cast this die and you will be granted a random system generated skill.
Josh stared with curiosityand awe at the die...it was then the tremors began. Looking towards the center of the city, a jet black tower began to rise.
Greed Towers!
Phase two introduces an environmental element known as Greed Towers! Floor zero is a safe zone versus monsters but not versus players, so traverse these grounds carefully! Every ten floors you will find a safe zone of varying climate and environment. Safe zones contain a Greed Terminal which can be used to utilize your Greed points to Purchase PHAT upgrades to skills and attributes. The Greed Terminals start with minimal options, but your actions shall unlock them and specialize them in a pattern fitting to you as well as what you have achieved.
Josh was ecstatic about the possibility of a safe zone, but a gnawing sensation in the heart of his stomach warned of another impending danger... It was then the young man remembered the die in his hand and began preparing to roll it. Josh figured any skill was better than none and was about to test his luck when another tremor jolted his already shaking body. Josh had dropped the die...Time seemed to slow down as he watched it bounce from side to side, no numbers nor pictures revealing themselves. Abruptly, the die stopped and Josh was once again met with the now familiar blue notification screen,
Congratulations! Random skill acquired!
Blood Price
Josh stared at the new screen and cursed his luck. "Identify Blood Price!" Josh spoke in a half-hearted tone.
Blood Price
This skill allows the user to cast skills which would normally cost mana for a portion of their own vitality. Current exchange rate: 2:1 HP vs MP
Available Upgrades
1.5:1 HP vs MP - 1,000 Greed Points and E rank Greed Ticket +1 HP Regen/S - 1,000 Greed Points and E rank Greed Ticket Double HP Regen - 10,000 Greed Points and A rank Greed Ticket
"Ugh..." Josh had made apparent his dissatisfaction through a primal grunt. "How the fuck is this going to help me survive,you cocksucker? I don''t even have skills!" Josh roared in fury at the god, who was not in sight nor hearing range. Josh was appalled and horrified, not only did the skill serve no purpose for him, but it also drained his own life force. He was athis wit''s end and had not a clue how to proceed in this new yet horrifying reality. With no real goal nor drive, Josh started to walk towards the center of the vibration. Josh was keen on entering the safe zone and finding other survivors... Chapter 3 - Destruction and Whats to Come As Josh walked down the streets of the city, signs of carnage were evident everywhere. Blood and bits of matter were strewn about the ground andrising smoke could still be seen in every direction. Not a whole body could be spotted and Josh assumed the were eaten by some creatures. As Josh made his way around the wing of a Boeing 747, his hunger and thirst became increasingly more apparent to him. Josh walked with purpose toward a partially collapsed gas station known as "Krusty Mart Plus." Upon surveying the area, Josh realized it seemed safe enough and entered the building. Most of the building was ransacked of all vitally important items but Josh managed to get ahold of a couple bottles of water hidden under the debris, as well as some canned goods and a few bags of chips. Josh decided to take a quick break to rest and check his status as well as his new achievements. "Status!"
NAME AGE TITLE RACE
JOSH SOMETHING OR OTHER... 25 N/A HUMAN
HP 150 MP 150
HP REGEN .2/SEC (+1) MP REGEN .2/SEC
STRENGTH 10 (+5) DEXTERITY 10 (+5)
CONSTITUTION 10 (+5) WISDOM 10 (+5)
INTELLIGENCE 10 (+5) PERCEPTION 10 (+5)
SPEED 10 (+5) CHARISMA 10 (+5)
LUCK 10 (+10) ??? N/A
ATTACK 15 DEFENSE 0 (+5)
RESISTANCES
N/A
SKILLS AND RACIAL BONUSES
BLOOD PRICE
ACHIEVEMENTS
SURVIVOR - ACTIVE AGAINST THE ODDS - ACTIVE
GREED POINTS
2,006
"Really asshole? You didn''t even have the time to incorporate my last name properly? Actually...you probably just don''t give a fuck." Josh then looked over the descriptions of his new achievements.
SURVIVOR
After nearly meeting with death, you greedily clung to life and came out on top. Increases resilience, you''re kind of like a cockroach!
+1 HP/S +5 DEF Extra: Keeps the bearer calm despite the changes in the world and new horrors.
AGAINST THE ODDS
In a world thrown into chaos and carnage, you have managed to accomplish what a vast majority could not. Gratz!
+5 ALL STATS +10 LUCK
Josh could only silently admire his achievements. While they were not all that riveting, any help would be welcome in this new hell. As Josh exited the convenience store, his eyes met with another creature''s. The being in question was roughly three feet tall and had large, yellow eyes. It was feathered and they were colors of brown and white. The feet of it were talon-likeand its arms were more akin to wings save for a few long, claw-shapedfingers at the end. "Ah..shit. Identify!"
OWLKA''TOR SCOUT - G.100
The Owlka''torans are a race similar to goblins. They settle in tribes with the oldest being the chief. Due to thebase creature being an owl, their intelligence is far greater than that of a goblin''s, however, they can not fly. They usually equip light weapons but their most notable form of attack lies in dislodging a feather from their bodies and launching it like an arrow.
"Huh...well that''s some interesting shit." THWACK!
-5 HP
Did you really just let an owl dwarf stick you with a feather?
"Oww! What the fuck? You little bastard!" Josh looked down and embedded above his knee was a small white and brown feather. With a newfound rage, he ran towards the...owl thing. With a swift and decisive action, Josh punted the diminutive bird man as hard as he could. A screech and a resounding thud could be heard as the little fellow landed against the side of a crashed vehicle. Not being one to waste time, Josh ran to the bird and started kicking the shit out of it like a loan shark who wanted his money back.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Critical hit!
Critical hit!
Critical hit!
Critical hit!
Killed enemy - Owlka''tor Scout +10 Greed
With a relieved sigh, Josh looked down upon the body of the recently deceased creature while also pulling the needle-like feather out of his leg. He then noticed something under the corpse. "A drop! Who knows what kind of godly item I may have gained from that life or death struggle," stated Josh in a sarcastic manner. It was...I guess...a stick? It was literally a meter long piece of dark brown wood with no noticeable marking or engravings. It''s a stick. "Identify," said the man in a rather dejected manner.
Woka-Woka Stick
A simple club-like weapon of the Owlka''torans. It is pretty much a stick. What''d you expect, a mithril sword?
+5 Attack +2 Strength Durability: 20/20
Greed Point Value: 5
Josh could only stare in utter disappointment at his new found weapon, but it was still better than nothing. While lost in thought, the man then heard multiple "hoo" noises. Looking around, Josh saw Owlka''toran heads popping up everywhere. Atop the buildings, out of alleyways, from trash cans, and as far as he could see. It looked to be over two hundred of the little guys staring back at him. Then, one that looked considerably more aged and slightly larger in size released a guttural screech. All of the bird-men began running towards Josh and firing off feathers, but luckily their speed was considerably slower than his. "Fuck no, not today," Josh yelled as he sprinted ever closer to the tower while dodging feather-arrows. Josh finally reached the obsidian tower and the ornate door ceremoniously began to rise at its own leisure. Without a second thought, Josh slid in like a baseball player trying to go home. He had made it just in time as the Owlka''torans were upon him. All manner of feather-arrows ricocheted harmlessly off of the now closed door. There were multiple Greed Towers all over the city and Josh was hopeful that there would be other survivors here, but his hope had betrayed him. He was still very much alone. The room was comprised of the same obsidian as the rest of the tower and it had gold filigree inlaid in the ornate engravings on the walls. It was well lit utilizing eery blue torches which gave the room a blue hue. The only notable objects in the room were what looked like a spiral staircase leading to a trap door, as well as what was referred to in the aforementioned messages as a "Greed Terminal." Josh used this time to eat and rest. He knew resting here was not the wisest choice, but he felt even if anyone did come to the hour with hostile intentions, they would have a hard time entering with all the bird-men outside. After some time, Josh unknowingly fell into a deep sleep. After an unknown amount of time, He woke up to hundreds of whooshing sounds and then a resounding scream. "Well, I guess whoever that was won''t be joining me in here," Stated josh in a guilty manner as he recalled how he led all the owls here. Josh was surprised he was not affected further by the death of the person outside and could only attribute his desensitization to the added effect of his achievement. He then got up and stretched while taking a sip of water. Walking to the greed console, Josh became slightly excited at all the things he could possibly acquire with his greed points.
Ding!
Welcome to the Greed Console, where all your desires may become reality!
Josh perused the options and was both excited and let down. As it was stated, there were hardly any skills or abilities right now until his actions unlocked them. The console could conjure food, water, clothing, and pretty much anything mundane you desired for greed points. It could impart knowledge to you instantly, such as sciences, math, tactics, and even martial arts. As for weapons and protection, there was not a wide selection available currently. Apparently, it costs ten greed points to increase an attribute one point until it reaches one hundred and then doubles in price every hundred points you have in the attribute, so at one hundred it would cost twenty, at two hundred it would cost 40, and so on. Josh sighed and thought for a while before finally making up his mind. Using his sixteen miscellaneous greed points, he stocked up on food and water, and stored it using his skill "Bag." He then purchased knowledge ofthe martial art Muay Tai as well as the unarmed combat mastery skill to make him more viable in close combat. They had cost five hundred points each leaving him with an even thousand. As for a weapon, he had...a stick, so it was fine for now... With his remaining one thousand points, he purchased a nice set of leather armor which provided some good bonuses and defense. All in all, he looked like a rogue with a stick... Josh sighed as he checked over his new purchased goods.
Leather Cuirass
A simple armor comprised of leather which offers decent protection.
+3 Strength +3 Dexterity +2 Constitution +5 Defense Durability: 50/50
Greed Point Value: 30
LeatherLeggings
A simple pair of leggings comprised of leather which offers decent protection.
+3 Strength +3 Dexterity +2 Constitution +5 Defense Durability: 50/50
Greed Point Value: 30
Leather Boots
A simplepair of boots comprised of leather which offer decent protection.
+1 Strength +2 Dexterity +1 Constitution +2 Defense Durability: 50/50
Greed Point Value: 20
Leather Gloves
A simplepair of gloves comprised of leather which offer decent protection.
+2 Strength +1 Dexterity +1 Constitution +2 Defense Durability: 50/50
Greed Point Value: 20
Unarmed Combat Mastery
+10% Damage when utilizing parts of the body for attacks. +5% Attack speed when utilizing parts of the body for attacks.
Available Upgrades
+20% Damage - 1,000 Greed Points +10% Attack Speed - 1,000 Greed Points Attacks have a 5% chance to paralyze target - 3,000 Greed Points and C rank Greed Ticket Unlock sub-skill Stomp: 5,000 Greed Points and B rank Greed Ticket
Josh was pleased but by no means completely satisfied. He was essentially wearing what would be called starting gear and about to brave the unknown mysteries of this tower, but despite all of the uncertainties, he steeled his resolve and walked towards the staircase...