《Underpowered? (Dropped)》 0 - The Nightmare Begins The dim, dank room was silent, save for the subtle breath of a living creature; motionless, save for the slight rise and fall of a large silhouette''s chest on the messy bed. Time passes slowly but surely, eventually rousing the figure from its slumber. It scratches and yawns for a bit before shambling over to the vague shape of a desk. Bright blue illumination ignites from the now-lit computer screen, giving visibility to its owner''s face. He is unkempt, sporting a rather long and tangled black beard, greasy hair, and gaunt, pale skin. Most notable, however is his dark brown eyes.. They are bloodshot and wild, yet possess an... unusual intensity. I believe the Japanese call these creatures "NEETs". "Better log in" a raspy voice robotically drones. Words probably more spoken than showers taken. Fifty keystrokes are clacked in a quick and rhymic succesion. Login information for the immensely popular Axis Online, the very first MMO to gain a playerbase over one billion strong. Billionaires play it, Hollywood superstars play it, even Political leaders play it. And who, you ask, is the number one? The absolute strongest, in this truly massive game of fantasy war? This schmuck. A wide and truly happy grin slowly creaks across the creature''s visage. Why not? This is his only joy on Earth, nine years running. The hours pass by in an atmosphere that is both joyful and frankly, creepy. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Until a message flashes across the screen. This occurance is unusual for our "hero", so he freezes a moment before he (in a rather impossible feat) grows paler. AXIS ONLINE THANKS YOU FOR PLAYING. TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, IS THE FINAL DAY GAMERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO LOG IN. BUT, THE TOP 1,000 PLAYERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR A SPECIAL BETA TESTING! YOUR WORLD RANK: #1 OUT OF 1,094,644,103 PLAYERS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PLAYING. A fist slams down onto the desk. Then another. And another. Soon, they''re accompanied by tears and the sobbing of a broken man. "Urgh! Why?!" he manages to choke out before completely breaking down and clutching the unaffected screen. He has just lost his only comfort, only friend that he had ever managed to make. Suddenly and cruelly. Who cares about a beta test? His sobs are heard by nobody, fading out hollowly in the empty and dusty house. It all ends in silence... because he is no longer there. He''s gone without a trace, excepting a tear soaked monitor, upon which a new message glows. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE LIVE BETA TEST. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESULTS, #1 RANKED PLAYER, BLOODSING. 1 - New World Have you ever had something that you loved? I''m not talking that wishy-washy, toss the word around every two seconds, love. I''m talking die-for-you, love. Most find it their family, some in their jobs, friends, and passions. But, once you find yours, you defend it. You protect it with all your being. Because life would be infinitely different without it. I''m glad to say, at this young age, I''ve already found mine. It took long years of searching, though. I couldn''t find it in the contempt of my family''s stares, nor the sneers of my classmates, nor the mind-numbing monotony of my job. It was in an MMO, where anonymity was mine. No, I can''t say the love of my life is gaming, though that''d be much simpler. It''s the long hours spent late at night, the discipline I had never shown anywhere else in my life, and that sweet moment when it all paid off, when all my enemies were at my feet. But, mostly it''s the freedom. I don''t have to wear that damn mask I don every day. I have free reign to tell people the truth, no matter how ugly it is. I can be who I truly am. So, yes, I shut myself in for days at a time, futilely trying to become part of a digital world which holds more warmth than Earth ever could. I don''t care about their judgemental looks, or my parents'' constant scolding. I''m doing what I love. At least, I was until yesterday. That''s when everything changed. That''s when I arrived. <<<>>> My head was aching with intense pain, like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was so bad that I couldn''t open my eyes and my groans echoed loudly in my ears. Imagine suddenly having ten days of hangover at once. Yeah, it wasn''t pretty. Slowly, my senses started to work again. First came the slight rustle of grass under me, then the strong radiance of the sun, then, oddly enough, similar sounds of protest all around me. ''Where the hell am I?'' I perplexedly thought. My eyelids creaked open, after much effort, only to be immediately blinded. The sun smote its rays on my nocturnal pupils, leading to further discomfort. Guess that''s what I got for staying indoors for the majority of my life. Frustrated, I sprung to my feet in a single, flowing motion. I could clearly feel the wave of power generated from my core and winding through my legs, resolving into a comfortable thump under my feet. ''Huh? H-how did I do that?!'' It was a good question. So, I forced my eyes open to study my body. What I saw shocked me. I wore a black robe that obscured every inch of skin on my body. Each motion I performed seemed to shift the cloth, not obstructing me in the slightest. But it seemed... unusually dark. Not even a speck of light seemed to reach it. ''Like... like a black hole''. Then it hit me. And it hit me hard. This was my Game avatar''s body. This was Bloodsing''s body. He wore the enchanted robe ''Black Hole Raiment''. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ''No damn way!'' The sheer shock of the realization forced me to look around in a desperate, futile hope that it wasn''t real, that it was a dream. But, no, that''s not how life works, does it? I was in the dead-center of a crowd, peopled by men and women in a similar state than I had just escaped from. Some clutched their heads in pain, and others were totally unconscious. Most notable was their clothing. Robes in a myriad of colors, leather armguards and aegis, even a few with full suits of armor. ''What the hell is happening?'' My mind boggled. The crowd stretched on for quite awhile, but was by no means infinite. Yet, the plains that we stood on did seem so. I would say that we weren''t in Kansas anymore, but, frankly, it did look like Kansas. Strangely enough, my vision was incredibly better than before (which was 20/20)... Then again, maybe it wasn''t strange at all. If this really was Bloodsing''s body, then it''s only logical to say that I inherently have all the upgrades and powers that I worked towards in-game. ''Incredible'' I marveled at how light my body felt. If that really was the case, then I can safely say than no matter where I was, I would dominate. After all, I beat a dragon in-game with my bare fists, who did I have to fear? ''Guess somebody or something summoned us. Probably to be heroes of some kind.'' I conjectured based on the thousands of light novels I had read. Oh, how I wished that was true. But, no, it was far more sinister than that. Interrupting my thoughts, a blaring voice blasted into my eardrums. "EH?! THE SPORTS HAVEN''T WOKEN YEEEET?! HOW FRUSTRATING!" I looked up and saw it''s source. His appearance couldn''t have contrasted to the voice further. He looked to be a young man with handsome looks and flowing blonde locks. He wore a pure and radiant white robe with a sash that seemed be made of gold threaded into cloth. His aura, also gold, seemingly radiated from his sky-blue eyes. Oh, and he was flying too. Not many things were going to surprise me at that point. "Oh? What do we have here? One little sport saw fit to awake from his nap to greet me." His condescension grated on me. "How interesting." But the sudden shift to seriousness was surprising. He intensely scrutinized me with those icy eyes. I nearly panicked before remembering that my robe''s hood was enchanted so that the wearer''s face was always covered in deep shadow, even in broad daylight. That gave me the confidence to stare him down. ''The old me is dead'' I remember thinking ''Alex Cross is gone and forgotten. But he was just a mask. This is an opportunity to be true to myself from now on. Even in the face of impossibility, I''ll never waver. I can''t waver. Because... because I''m Bloodsing!'' A true and wry smile spread across the man''s lips. "Interesting indeed." 2 - Twin The following is a transcript of a meeting taken place in Dr. Wo''s office. As such, it begins at 4:31PM, April 5th 2018. [Dr. Wo] Good evening, Mr. Cross. Mrs. Cross. [Mrs. Cross] H-hello, Dr. Wo. [Mr. Cross] How is our boy doing? [Dr. Wo] He''s made remarkable progress since his admission four months ago. In fact, he''s almost ready to re-enter society. [Mrs. Cross] That''s wonderful news! [Dr. Wo] Please don''t get too excited yet. There are some things I''d like you to know first. [Mr. Cross] Yes? [Dr. Wo] We''ve pinpointed the reason he went wild five months ago. Apparently, Alex has Wesley Syndrome. [Mrs. Cross] What''s that? Is it curable? [Dr. Wo] I''m afraid not, ma''am. Wesley Syndrome has many similarities to Multiple Personality disorder, but there are two key differences. One, both personalities are not equal. One is ''weak'' and the other ''strong'', meaning that all positive attributes are subconsciously put under ''strong'' but ''weak'' gets all the negative. Usually, the weaker personality is the one that is expressed, which explains why he was failing academically and athletically lately. On the contrary, ''strong'' will occasionally come out, leading to an almost impossible level of difference in just about everything. [Mr. Cross] What''s the other difference? [Dr. Wo] One will win out eventually. So, one day, either ''strong'' or ''weak'' will come out on top, completely destroying the other. From then on, that will be the only one that will be expressed. The man who discovered this described it as a twin devouring the other in the womb. [Mr. Cross] That''s all well and good, but how does that explain... what happened five months ago? [Dr, Wo] Simple, Alex has defined violence, calculated thought, and remorselessness as positive attributes. That explains why he''s such a docile young boy most of the time. What occured was simply a powerful flair-up of the ''strong'' persona. [Mrs. Cross] So then, all we need to do is make sure the (I hate to say this) ''weak'' takes over? [Dr. Wo] His mind is in a fine balance. I understand that you''re concerned for your son, but, right now, all you need to do is continue raising him right. Teach him morals, ethics, and love. Trust in what you instilled in him. Trust that he''ll make the right decision. On that day, you''ll know. His eyes will seem... less hollow. [Mrs. Cross] Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! [Dr. Wo] Another thing: try not to put him in particularly stressful situations. Basically, that''d be like forcing a decision on his psyche. The instinctual side of his brain would obviously favor the ''strong'' personality. If so, best case: delusions of grandeur, worse case: Extreme Sociopathy. Here ends the transcript. <<<>>> The floating, glowing, sneering man began to descend in rather grandiose fashion. He seemed rather pleased with himself as his bare feet alighted upon some poor girl in leather armor''s face. She still didn''t stir at all. "Hmph, looks like this blade of grass is bit higher than the others..." He said, eyes still glued right on me. "But that just means you''ll be mowed down first." The idle threat hung in the air, making the atmosphere heavy. Neither of us moved for a few moments, we just... stared at it each other. God, it felt like hours! The pressure that the arrogant man possesed was unbearable! "...Ha! Hahahaha!" He suddenly bent over in hearty laughter. For a minute, I just stood there, dumbstruck at the sudden change in demeanor (which I sensed was a normal occurance for him). He wiped a tear before continuing "I like you, boy... girl? Whatever you are! It''s been eons since someone, escpecially a mortal, has stared me down." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He sauntered closer to me, still giggling, and stopped a mere few inches from my face. "Mortal. Know my name. I am Devros of house Buthaine. Because you interest me, I''ll answer your questions. Well... most of them. That is, if you first tell me your name." I paused a moment in hesitation. This man was obviously someone of high authority. Any name I gave him would be permanent, final. The name that this world knew me by. "Think carefully before you answer. Names have power, and you are in a unique position regarding them. Think of this as a new birth. So, newborn, what is your name?" I shivered. It was almost as if he was speaking to my soul. But his words cinched it, there was no turning back now. I gripped my fists tightly, cracking the knuckles loudly, and I took a deep reassuring breath. "Bloodsing" a deep, temorous voice replied "My name is Bloodsing." So that''s what my avatar''s voice sounded like, huh? ...No! That''s wrong! That''s my voice now! My voice... "Hm? That''s a strange name. In all of my travels, I have never heard it, but the universe is wide I suppose" He shrugged. Something about his answer nagged at me, but I decided to hold it off until I had some answers. "Where am I?" I ventured. A good starting point as any. "The Gauld Plains, which lay south of the Atim Continent. The world is Kinni, the star-system is Lux, the galaxy is Dreamhelm, and the universe is, well, the universe." He nonchalantly replies. ''How interesting'' I pondered ''Perhaps this society has similar or greater technology than ours. I know for sure that they have some form of magic. ...Or maybe it just seems that way. I read once that if technology is advanced to a certain point, it will seem as if it is magic.'' I could tell that Devros'' patience was wearing thin, I had at most three questions before it ended. So, I snapped out of my reverie and got back down to business. "So, how did all of us end up here?" He smiled, as if I had asked the correct question "We summon you through the archaic ''technology'' present in your world. What is now your body is the perception of your ''game character''. Took quite a bit of spell-work to get you all here and make it so that you understand Standard language." Devros bragged, pleased with himself. My blood froze. The hairs on my neck stood up and my tongue felt like lead. The answer to my next question could mean life or death. I don''t know how, but I managed to choke it out. "...Why did you bring us here?" I nearly whispered. The smile on his face only broadened. "Good question, sport." His answer seemed derisive and biting, But he wasn''t focused on me. He was looking straight up. I followed his gaze and saw something horrible. The sky was on fire. 3 - Malanova Author''s Notes: The entirety of this chapter was lost, so I aplogize for the late release. So... this marks the end of the prologue. Thanks for reading thus far, but know that this is not my best work. The quality will rise, I promise :). Comment for faster releases and to be an awesome person. The sky revelled in its carnival of flame. It violently writhed like the sea in a storm, occasionally calming only a moment to fling a red bolt of lightning to the ground below. The deafening boom served to bring a sense of reality to the situation; horrible realism to a nightmare. From horizon to horizon, all there was was blazing sky above and scorched earth below. It was as if someone switched heaven and hell. My strong, new lungs drew in a gasp of surprise, searing my nose with the smell of ash and ozone. My old body held zero chance of even surviving a second in this terrifying landscape. But what happened next, I would always recall fondly. I smiled. Not fake nor a grimace, but a bona-fide one. Some primal part of me clicked. Chaotic memories of battles past danced in my mind and the echo of war-drums filled my ears. I suppose that it was the thousands of battles in Axis online, but the memories felt fresh, real. People were waking up around me, at first groaning from discomfort, but it soon became shouts and screams. Men, women, adolescents, and even young children all joined in the terrified clamor. Why some people chose to play toddlers, I''ll never know. All I knew was that it was damn annoying. My smile abruptly turned to a scowl. I glanced back at Devros, expecting a similar reaction, yet all I saw was pure euphoria. His eyes were rolling back and his mouth hung open in a disgusting fashion. Then I realized it: the freak actually enjoyed the crowd''s horror-stricken din. This is my summoner? Why God?! Why not a super-hot goddess who''s into me? ...I''d settle for a greedy king? No? He abruptly stopped and composed himself a moment before loosing some more of his booming voice. "OI! SHUT YOUR DAMN TRAPS!", his deep bellow resonated. All fell silent immediately. ...Well, as silent as a hellish world can be. All traces of joy were vanished, and his glowing eyes had acquired a feral grace. "...Do you want to know why you are here?", he whispered. Yet, somehow I knew that everyone could hear him perfectly. All stood in rapt attention, almost reverance, like cultists to their false prophet. He peirced the crowd with his scanning gaze, garnering flinches from them when his eyes would rest on a particular ''player''. "...Look above. Nightmarish, is it not? But this type of occurance is not unusual when someone with extremely dense qi enters a low-jui atmosphere. The latent energy in the air can''t help but become hyperaccelerated, creating self-fueled flame." All around were looks of confusion, I was too. All I got was that his presence had somehow caused this. "...This is the type of information children should know easily. After all, qi is the key to life. But, imagine our surprise when we found a world without it. The only discovered universe to display this blatant reversal of the laws of nature. By all rights, you all should be dead. In your terms, it is like finding a fully functional zombie. It defies everything we know to be true. So, we summoned you here." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. At this he grinned. "Yet, don''t think for a moment that makes you heroes, contrary to what your culture has told you about situations such as this. The most you are are idle curiosities for those bored enough to take interest in your mudhole of a world and its denizens. We have bigger projects. But don''t think this is a blessing either. This, obviously, is not your native environment. Your summoning here is like putting a maggot 10,000 feet below water." His grin widened as he surveyed their shocked expressions. "So, I have a deal for you: survive one moon cycle, and I''ll personally give you a reward. If even one of you neanderthals manage that, I''ll be shocked. ...But I am not cruel. I will give you some advice. Don''t fight anything. Run for your pathetic lives. Even in this backwater planet, the beasts hold at least one iota of qi, something you all cannot say. It would be like an ant picking a fight with a dragon, even with your new bodies." He took another moment to savor their sheer fear, before it happened. A reddened bolt of lightning blasted downward incredibly quickly from the sky, abruptly clashing with earth. BOOOM. The soundwave alone was enough to kick me off my feet, knocking the air of my lungs with a dull thud. My new eyes could track it but what use would that be if I couldn''t move fast enough to react? It was truly frightening, even for some kind of side-effect of his mere presence. I shook off the blow and rose up to see the crater, which had to be sizable. I immediately smelled charred flesh and vomit. It didn''t take much looking to find out why. There were people in the blast radius, not thirty yards from me. The huge black indent in the ground was empty, but was surrounded by bodies and the heavily injured. Some had lost limbs, part of their torso or face, and the lucky few were instantly atomized. Devros gave a sort of half shrug/snort in a dismissive manner before saying, "I guess you all have a taste of reality now. Well, it has been fun, but I''ll be going now. See you, or your corpses, in a cycle. Don''t worry, I''ll find you." And he was gone. It didn''t take long for the sky to return to normal, the cheery sun a stark contrast to what had transpired. It almosted seemed like a nightmare, but Devros was right about something. Reality was sinking in for all the ''players''. They had just seen human life taken quickly and cruelly. Even their attempts to help the injured were half-hearted and somber. As for me, I was excited to try out my new body, and hopefully put some distance between me and the group. I competed against most of them over the years and I knew firmly that I hated them all. The last thing I wanted to do was help them survive. I had my own survival to take care of. Perhaps that was why I was unaffected by their deaths, or maybe it was something else. My head was filled with so many questions to eventually ask Devros. I needed answers, and for those I needed to live for a while. <<>> 4 - Anti Gemini Author''s Notes: Thanks for the incredible response, guys! I''m not used to having almost immediate feedback, so it''s really surreal but cool. Again, leave a comment for quicker releases and to be an incredible human being (or whatever you are). :) <<>> Ugh. My splitting headache was incredibly painful. It had begun when I ''woke up'' earlier and had been worsened by the screams. Even now, the lightning victims were shrieking horribly. At least the ones who were still alive. Their wounds were instantly cauterized, but that rank smell of charred meat hung in the air. Some vomitted because of the whole gruesome scene, making the smell much worse. Disgusting. Are we really that frail? That weak? These ''players'' have fought horrible creatures with fantastic powers in Axis Online. Yet, I supposed that it didn''t really matter here. ''Hmph. If there''s a good time to leave, it''s now'', I thought, ''either they''ll turn on each other or wallow in misery. I don''t like either option.'' So I faced what I assumed to be due North and starting weaving through the crowd. Each step was silent, not disturbing the grass at all. ''Well, at least my stealth passives are still active'', I noted. Even the people I passed by didn''t appear to notice me. It didn''t take long to make it out of the crowd, and then I was on my way. After I was about a hundred yards away, I broke into a dead sprint. I was ridiculously quick. The ground blurred under me as I pondered just how fast I could go. After all, I had at least three movement passives. "Gotta go fast", I laughingly said. So said, so done. My legs consumed earth faster than a demon fleeing from a holy man. My steps were colliding with the ground so quickly that I couldn''t even see them. Each footfall was incredibly loud, all of them producing a spray of dirt. BamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBam. I let loose a hearty laugh of pure joy. I had never felt so free in my life. Whenever I had ran before, it was painful and left me wheezing. But right then... each breath felt so sweet. I looked up to the sky and wondered what it would be like to fly like Devros had. Shame that I didn''t have any ''qi''. Of course, living the lifestyle that I had, I was familiar with the concept of cultivation. I had even played a few games before Axis Online that used it as a leveling system. In cultivation stories there were also a ''system'' of sorts. The general idea goes: develop a dantian (or qi core), continuosly absorb qi, continue ''breaking through'' to higher levels, and you''d eventually become immortal, if you survived. That idea was certainly enticing, but I didn''t have any idea how to start. I looked down to my hands, thinking, ''Is so foreign to think that an organism can survive without qi? And what the hell was that thing Devros mentioned? Lui?'' I was consumed in my thoughts, legs on autopilot until I caught sight of something in the distance. It appeared to be a forest a very far ways away. The only reason I saw it, despite my incredible sight, was that the land was so flat. ''Damn... how big are these plains anyway?'', I complained, but sped up anyway. The headache had gotten worse, but somehow... I was starting to enjoy it. A shiver ran down my mind as the image of a mask flashed across my mind. It was pristine white, except for blood stains around the smiling mouth. Its eyes were full of hatred and barely in-check rage. Those hollow eyes stared at me, hauntingly. Then it spoke. Don''t wonder what it will be like to fly, because you will be doing so soon. We clawed our way to the top before, and we''ll do it again. Make those hands into fists. Good. Those are the fists that will shatter this dimension for its insolence. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "We will make our blood sing in their suffering", we said in unison. I shivered again. The mask vanished instantly and so did the headache. Everyone has their demons, I just happen to be my own. <<<>>> A black blur crosses the massive plains at a furious pace, kicking up a cloud of dirt behind it. Unbeknownst to it, a rather large and mismatched crowd is shambling behind the blur at a meandering pace. At the forefront, leading the ''charge'' is a humongous armored individual. From head to toe, it is armored in thick, deep blue metal plates. Detailed and flowing silver runes run along most of the armor, glowing lightly. A gargantuan blade is sheathed on its back, seven feet in length and a foot in width. Its gender cannot be determined, because it is wearing a completely insulated helm. The rest of the crowd are a good three feet shorter on average. Some seem fearful of the figure, but they move on nonetheless. To its side strides a particularly bubbly woman. She is beautiful, to be certain, but seems almost too happy for the situation. Her emerald green eyes are set straight forward, and her raven black hair flows behind her. Her dress is a pure white, flapping gracefully and somehow not touching the ground. In her hand is a staff of white wood, which seems to shine with a wholesome and welcoming light. One can''t be certain whom the crowd seems more wary of. Probably both equally. Either way, they maintain at least five feet distance from them at all times. "His tracks are not hidden, yet we did not notice him leave" the large figure rumbles. "In fact, his footsteps are very deep into the ground." The woman giggles before answering, "Of course! This is most likely a trap. Have you ever noted him to be careless in anything?" Big blue grunts, then answers, "No, I have not. Are you not afraid of such a trap?" "Nope!", she replies "He''s just the strongest ant of the nest. We have much bigger threats to worry about." A voice raises from the crowd, "Then why follow him?" The woman giggles again, but doesn''t answer. The armored one does though, saying, "He usually finds the best farming grounds and strongest monsters instantly. His instincts are impeccable, so I''ll trust them in this situation." "He''s scary though...", a random person voices. "I know, right?! I''m not fighting that monster!", another agrees. "Even in a world with dragons, lions are still dangerous...", the woman mutters. And so, the crowd strolls and converses for a while. The magicians shoot off a few fireballs to impress the ladies, and longtime ''e-friends'' meet each other in person for the first time. On the surface, everyone seems jovial, but it''s plain to see: they''re scared. Scared of what they saw, where they are, and their future. Fear, they say, is the oldest and most primal emotion. The gnawing madness that skirts along the edges of every man and woman''s mind, turning good people to beasts. But perhaps that is what it takes to survive. Beastdom or death, the question looms in everyone''s mind as they wear their smiling masks. ''Just how far am I willing to go?'', the collective thought asks. A question most are unwilling to answer. If they did... it would reveal something horrible about themselves. Night falls and the group falls to the ground, exhausted. A few watches are set and everyone tries their damndest to reach the sweet succor that is sleep. The moon, full in the night sky, is much larger than on earth, but it feels... wrong. It''s not quite right looking. Maybe it''s the order of craters on it''s surface, but it causes unease. So, the crowd falls asleep under a canopy of stars, hoping to see tomorrow. 5 - Lesson Author''s Notes: I dunno if you''ve noticed but this fiction is blowing up! Thanks for that, guys. Really, I mean it. Comment for faster releases and to be a spectacular man/woman/child/unspeakable horror. Or whatever else floats your boat. :) Shorter chapter this time. Sorry, guys. Off-season for track just started and I''ve been swamped. <<>> "Captain! Captain! Status report, and this time it''s urgent!", shouts a hurried young man. His black uniform is ruffled from his recent ''flight'' and his olive eyes belie his near-panic. His brown hair is also untidy and wild from the rush. He catches a few stern gazes because of it. After all, the Lux Endorso prides itself on discipline and neatness. Yet the military outpost haa bigger problems than scrupulous self-grooming. A graying man look up from the glowing console in front him. He wears a similar uniform, only with a gold trim and the emblem of an eagle emblazoned above his chest. Though obviously not in his prime, his focused yellow eyes are dangerously sharp. He stares daggers at the young man a moment before motioning for him to continue. He gulps before speaking again, "We have detected 1,000 life-forms on in our home system, Lux. Although it is on Kinni, they''re rather peculiar..." The captain glowers, making everyone uncomfortable (especially the young messenger). "You didn''t come for just ''peculiar''", the captain growls, "Did you?" "N-no, sir!", the young man quickly replies, "They seem to be... completely devoid of qi. Even so, their thermal scans are normal, and otherwise exhibit all signs of life. One even seems to be matching the terrestrial locomotion of a D-rank Steel Cultivator." Confusion crosses the captain''s visage before recognition does. After a pause, his voice solemnly resounds, "You aren''t supposed to be privy to that information yet, Private Connors. I suppose this is the result of your downright meticulous habit of scanning the outer planets. So, you''ve earned the right to know to truth... if it leaves this room, you die." Private Connors shudders at how casually his captain says that but leans in with curiousity. "The council has enacted the yearly summoning ritual, but it''s not the usual super-soldiers from the Gold Dimension. No, they''ve discovered a new dimension; a realm that has only one intelligent race. Stranger yet, every single life-form they found was devoid of qi, not even a bit of it. If you ask me, that''s unnatural, but I guess they were summoned because of some kind of experiment. Seeing how they react to an environment with qi, or if they even survive it", the Captain spoke ominously. The private''s mouth is agape in shock. The mere idea of a being born without qi chills him to the core. Hell, even his cat in middle school had a Stone level dantian! "Don''t ask me more", the captain waves dismissively as he speaks, "That''s all they told me. That and Devros Buthaine was ''introducing'' them." "Damn", Connors mutters, "He''s one scary bastard." The Captain can only shake his head in agreement. His big brother certainly was. <<<>>> The forest loomed ahead, dominating the entire horizon. I had forgotten a while back just how long I had been running. Yet two things remained constant: I still wasn''t tired, and the trees just never stopped getting bigger in my eyes. I mean, I ran and ran but all it seemed to do was bring the trees closer to the sky. The trunks must''ve be wider than cars... This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The sky was illuminated equally by a plethora of stars, accompanied by a massive moon. The light level was actually quite close to daytime. I remained alert to predators, heeding Devros'' advice. It never does a warrior well to underestimate his enemy... damn, I was starting to sound like a shonen protagonist. Speaking of which, I never got to see the finale episode of my favorite show... Oh, well. My parents probably were relieved at my sudden disappearance. My family was quite prestigious and well-to-do. We had inherited the royal bloodline of twelve countries, after all. But I was particularly stubborn stain to their image, being the ''crazy and lazy one'' and all. I''m pretty sure that I would''ve been assassinated long ago if it weren''t for my tamper-proofed cameras around my apartment (which I never leave). Hell, if I had turned out just a bit better, I could''ve been a prince or something. But no, I was hated and shunned instead. Just another reason that I''m glad to be here. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I finally made it to the outermoster layer of trees. They had dark grey bark, light gray leaves, and most of all: were GIGANTIC. The titans stood wider than half a city block and stretching incredibly far into the sky. How did they get so big? Something to do with qi? I was both very curious and in awe. The next layer was only a slight bit bigger, but I inferred that the tree sizes would grow to be ludicrous the farther I went in. The ground below the giants was dark brown and shaded, completely devoid of plant life. How could there be with all these trees sapping up all the sun? It only got darker the further I peered into the "thicket". Shuddering, I wondered if the forest was pitch black at its core. Curiosity and something... deeper fueled my steps further into the forest. I half expected the forest to echoing with the strange grunts and roars of wild animals. But no, there wasn''t a single sound to be heard. Eerily, that included my footsteps. Stealth passives are useful until you need something tangible to hold onto, like the sound of a footfall. Otherwise the mind goes untethered, delving and spiralling into recesses of the mind most don''t want to see. Astronauts experience a similar phenomena in space, but I knew that feeling on earth. So I went deeper and deeper. It gradually became quite dim, then completely dark. I was alone in the silent darkness, yet I didn''t feel scared at all. My footsteps never faltered. It felt as if something was calling out to me further on. I had felt a similar way in Axis Online before I got rare items or quests, but this feeling was stronger, much stronger. Really, it was a wonder that I didn''t bump to into trees. ...or was it? I had taken the exact right path to avoid the wooden giants; if I reached out my right hand, it immediately struck bark. The Masked One had led me here. I began to realize why: it was training. I had to finely tune my senses in this pitch black, then maybe, just maybe, I''d be able to feel qi. That gave me a shot at survival. I wasn''t a fool. I knew that Devros had no obligation to reward us for surviving, so I planned to at least be strong enough to flee from him by the time he returned. To do that required qi. And so, my training began in the somber black labyrinth of trees. 6 - What Have I Found? Author''s Notes: Hello again. Nice to see you, I hope you''re having a good day/night. If not, well, I hope this''ll help even just a little bit. <<< What Have I Found? >>> My feet ached. I had been going my full speed for a while now and it was catching up to me. Like a fool, I had thought that my new body was invincible. Obviously it was not, that''s why I was there, in that darkness. Fortunately, I had managed to keep myself from ramming straight into any of those monstrously large trees. I had no way of knowing, but I suspected that they were getting bigger as I went further into the forest. It seemed strange, but my feet automatically took the slim pathway left between them. It still seemed like something was calling out to me. The feeling hadn''t gotten weaker, but almost unbearably stronger. It drove me. It beckoned me. I... I couldn''t stop. I didn''t want to. So, the infinite hours passed in moments, leaving me there still, alone in the dark. Well, except for him. He didn''t speak a word, but was far from silent. The growling he produced was frightening at first, but it slowly became comforting. The soles on my boots had long worn out, and the callouses on my feet were beginning to burst. Fortunately, there was no light to see the blood, but it was excruciating. Every step, every movement was pure pain. I had no other reference point for it in my life. It just... was. Just like how I was, or like how he was. I was wrong before, about how there was no animals or plants in the forest. They were small, sure, but they were there. I occasionally bumped into a small patch of fur that would bark at me in a strange tone and then scurry away. Then again, sometimes I stepped over something very similar to grass, only each of its blades would almost lick my bloodied feet as I passed. The further I walked, the scarcer the way was of such lifeforms. Their replacement was an annoying buzzing. It was so loud that it drowned out his growling. Then, suddenly and severely, I became aware of my acute hunger. I was ravenous. It felt as if my stomach became a little beast all of its own, clawing and gnawing for a chance to escape from me. The thirst began as well, drying my insides into a desert, scorched in a blistering and unforgiving sun. Almost as if to complement my misery, the tug to move forward exploded in strength. It was like gravity had shifted and every moment I wasted was in direct conflict with its force. What else could I do but go forward? Forward.. Forward... I forgot about my feet, I forgot about my thirst, I forgot about my hunger, I forgot about the buzzing, I forgot about him. I forgot about myself. All there was was forward. All I had was forward. So I walked. <<<>>> Light. I saw a speck of light ahead. Whether I had unknowingly looped around or not, I didn''t care. That''s where I was being pulled, so I went toward it. I was so close, it was frustrating. I understood what a donkey chasing after a carrot on a stick felt like. Slowly, ever so slowly, I inched toward the light. Though it was blinding, I didn''t look away. I hadn''t come all that way for nothing. It began to get painful and my eyes watered from the exertion, but I had made it. Blinking a few times to clear up the tears, I looked around. I had arrived in a clearing about a mile wide, completely devoid of trees. My feet met the familiar feeling of grass under them, real grass. The sun shone down brilliantly upon the single pond in the direct center of the clearing. It was still, yet not filled with algae. If not for its perfect reflection, I wouldn''t have thought there was water in there at all. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I stood there for a while, stunned. All my aches and pains were gone, and it felt so... surreal. It was the first place I had encountered since I came to this planet, Kinni, that I had felt truly alien in. Even those enormous trees didn''t harbor any particular unearthliness. But this place.... it was way too still. After my dumbfounded pause, I slowly shambled over to the pond. My hooded visage stared back at me. At once, the urge to move grasped me again. I had to go in. Looking around for anything alive and threatening, I carefully wiped my feet before easing my way in. The cool water was immediately comforting, even if it only reached to my waist. I waded to the middle and the urge left me. Immediately, I gasped a sigh of relief. My muscles loosened and my nerves calmed. It felt like I was Atlas, and the weight of the world was lifted after a thousand years. ''Come to think of it'', I pondered, ''How long was I walking?'' The question wasn''t so much a concern as an idle thought. I felt at peace, completely serene in that still pool. But it didn''t last long. I heard a voice over my shoulder. "So, are you good and relaxed now, boy?", it grumbled. I whipped around quickly to see the source. It was a tall, muscled man wearing simple green trousers and and an earthy brown shirt. He was one of those pretty boys I used to love to hate. His flowing silver hair and tanned skin severely contrasted the wisdom held in those jade green eyes. His arms were crossed in annoyance as he inspected me suspiciously. I smiled, something he couldn''t see under the hood. I had been through hell to reach my heaven, he didn''t scare me in the slightest. "Yeah, I''d say so", I said in a completely serious tone. It still kind of jarred me how deep my voice was, but I rolled with it. He lowered down to crouch, staring at where he assumed my eyes to be before replying, "How did you find this place?" The man seemed to be genuinely curious. "It called out to me", I said simply. It was the truth, yet vague enough to keep a few cards in my hands. A few moments of silence turned to a few minutes. I didn''t back down, but neither did he. I was struck at how similar it was to how Devros stared at me when I had just arrived. The pressure was definitely similar, if not stronger. "...What cultivation level are you?", he broke the silence. "Kind of a personal question to ask a stranger, don''t you think?", I returned. He cocked his head to the side before saying, "I''ll go ahead and say that it''s zero then. Strange. I had heard the council had discovered beings such as yourself, but I doubted that information''s credibility until now." He stood up in a fluid motion. "That just leaves one question", he nearly whispers, "How did a being born without qi find the Teardrop of the Gods?" ''Huh. So that''s what this pool is called. Kind of a stupid name choice, but hey, different culture and all'', I thought. He motioned for me to get out and I complied, because I was kind of a sitting duck otherwise. He looked me up and down, nodding now and then. Every so often he would motion for me to raise my arm or cock my chin. I did so and only flipped him off once. "Hmm", he hummed quietly, "Yes, I see." Abruptly, he shoved me down onto the grass. It wasn''t particularly hard, but it was definitely quick. I hadn''t even processed it before my torso hit the ground. "...", he stared at me, hand on chin. "...", I returned the silence. Before breaking it, saying, "What the hell, man? Rude, much?" He didn''t reply. But a grin slowly spread across his face. He nodded in self-affirmation before helping me up. "I am Merlin. From now on, you are my apprentice, young one.", he affirmed with an absolute tone. Just what the hell had I gotten myself into? Announcement I apologize for my absence here; I''ve been in another country without any internet. My uncle had a stroke and we had to leave to visit him with no preparation. But my perspective as an author has changed quite a bit since I had a talk with him in the hospital. It turns he actually was reading my story and didn''t know I was the author. I''ve since told him and we''ve had a good time discussing it. He was quite interested in the universe I''m building, enjoying the apathy or downright hatred towards humanity as a whole. "It''s a rare thing to see done well in fiction", he said. One thing he didn''t like was that the protagonist was not scared or intimidated by his situation. Not even a little bit. That wasn''t human and it plain didn''t convey a compelling story. I admit, that was a rather large mistake on my part. He gave me some ''required reading'' on that subject, the works of HP Lovecraft. I loved every word of it, devouring The Call of Cthulhu and The Dunwich Horror within a day. I highly recommend them. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. As I sat back at home, staring at my screen wondering what to write in the next chapter of Underpowered?, I realized that this story could be so much more. It could have rolling horror and suspense, weaved into an entertaining bildungsroman. It could be something that my Uncle would read with respect, and maybe a slight bit of fear. So, I''ll be scrapping this story where it''s at and moving onto a quasi-fanfiction novel set in the Cthulhu mythos. These chapters will still be available to read, but I''ll also link to the new novel when I release it. Thank you all. I''a I''a Cthulhu fhtagn. tl;dr - Underpowered? is scrapped and to be replaced soon with a bigger and better novel. Link(s) to the next project(s) Hi. I''m still planning the cthulhu horror novel, but a bit of inspiration struck me and I now have another fiction up and I''ll be updating every two days. Check it out, I hope you''ll like it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Here''s the link: Conjured Villain. Thanks for your time.