《Nerfed At Birth [God-Killing LitRPG]》


 01 - The Book of Death

    Pure white surrounded me. Without frost. Without cold. The chill of nothingness. My body incorporeal. In the vast space of nothing, I saw my first something. Unhollow was I when the book presented itself to me. A new chance to redeem. A new chance to die.


    * * *


    ¡°Hurry your ass, Carmine. We¡¯re going to be late,¡± Alex said to me. I couldn¡¯t bother to look up from my phone. My texts weren¡¯t going through to Donovan; winters in Kansas were always a gamble. Alex threw a snowball that whiffed beside my head, his aim was laughable.


    ¡°You missed.¡±


    ¡°The next one won¡¯t if you don¡¯t hurry up!¡±


    ¡°I already texted Don that we¡¯re here. Go bang on his door or something.¡±


    I admired Donovan¡¯s house whenever we visited. Two stories, a beautiful porch, a three-car-garage, and the suburbs were in walking distance to a strip mall. Even though a blizzard kept everyone else huddled in their homes, it didn¡¯t stop us. As broke college students, we scraped together what little money we had for matinee tickets to the movies. And damn the world if the three of us weren¡¯t going to see the next iteration of Chaos Killers.


    Alex pounded on the door repeatedly and screamed all types of profanities. We were lucky that Don¡¯s parents were on holiday, but I feared the wrath of his sister most of all. The garage opened with a mechanical screech and there she was, Sage, peeking her head out while wearing an oversized t-shirt that drooped to her bare legs.


    ¡°The hell do you want!?¡± she yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting on your dumbass stepbrother!¡± Alex yelled back. ¡°Can you go get him!?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get him!?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying¡ª¡± The front door opened and Donovan stood there charmingly, putting on pink gloves two sizes too small for his dark hands.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I couldn¡¯t find¡­ y¡¯know.¡± He flashed a bright grin and ushered for Alex to get off his porch.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sage asked with chattering teeth.


    Her tiny space heater glowed a warm orange in the forceful frost of the snowfall. Her garage was a workshop of rust and stainless steel. Anything that broke, she¡¯d further destroy. If she ever repaired or created anything, I¡¯d never know¡­ and it¡¯s not like she¡¯d tell me anyway.


    While she conversed with Don, all I could see were the brush strokes of rose-red painted upon the pale canvas of her face and knees, the chestnut brown of her hair, and the honey-colored eyes that hid behind her frost-ridden breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring again, poet,¡± Alex snickered. ¡°Thinking of what to put in your little diary book?¡±


    I glared at him and shook my head. ¡°They¡¯re poems.¡±


    We shivered as the snow built around us. My mittens wrapped around my face. Alex paced back and forth. He checked each second that went by on his watch. The countdown to the last showing of Chaos Killers III ticked down.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving without you! Come on, Carm.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, alright.¡± I turned my back and took one slow lumbering step after another while Alex raced ahead down the street. His puffy red jacket was as bright as the brake lights of the few cars that plagued the street. Each breath that nerd took fogged up his glasses; and he would wipe them with his damp gloves to no avail.


    Don¡¯s footfalls crunched through the snow behind me. ¡°Thanks for waiting,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course.¡± We walked in tandem with our hands buried deep into our jacket pockets.


    ¡°You excited?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I could live without it. I¡¯m just glad to be out of the dorm.¡±


    ¡°I hear that,¡± he said. ¡°This storm has lasted too damn long. When did it start? Like the third of the month? And what is it today?¡±


    ¡°The 17th.¡±


    Don scoffed, ¡°Way to bring in the new year.¡±


    Our walk to the theater was blistering cold. I had no scarf so I kept my chin close to my collar and braced the howling winds. My green eyes were half-shut and glued to the top of my shoes. Donovan and I lost track of Alex ahead but knew we had a block left to go.


    As we pressed onward into the veil of frost, I tripped on a concrete curb and fell with a silent thud into the pillow of cold. When I raised my head, Don was gone. I followed in his footprints and pushed ahead. But eventually¡­ they vanished as well. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Pure white surrounded me.


    I could not see my sneakers nor the hands in front of my face. My body was so cold that it numbed all of my senses. I no longer felt the wind or heard the howls. My breath, my whispers, my shouts, and the cries to my friends were soundless.


    Silence encompassed all.


    The snow was gone. The concrete was gone. Just the pure white landscape remained until it felt like I was gone. I couldn¡¯t tell when I lost my reality, for even my mind felt cold and hollow. Alive? Dead? Dreaming? I knew not and could not muster the energy to fight my descension into nothingness. I only had my consciousness that floated in this white fog of purgatory before me.


    What the hell even happened to me? Did I goddamn freeze to death walking to a shitty action flick?


    In the mist, a table draped with red cloth caught my eye. With the thought of my legs in motion, I walked to it. An open leather-bound book and a feather quill inside a jar of ink sat atop. My ghostly mind raced with questions that could never be answered. I knew not if this was the Book of Life or if the Gates of Heaven were defunded and this is how I¡¯d enter eternal paradise or the pits of damnation.


    I willed the book to flip to other pages. All the same. Marked and signed with ink from others. Some pages were splattered and drenched in the oozing black while others were torn from the book entirely.


    It returned to my own empty page at the very end. As I read the gilded lettering, it reminded me more of a character sheet for a roleplaying game than a list of virtues and sins that I¡¯ve accomplished.


    Choose Your Bloodline.


    Distribute Four Points Into The Following Attributes.


    Sign Your Name.


    Three directions that I had no choice but to follow. The quill called to me and I obliged. The pen dripped with ink as I read over the options for my bloodline.


    Dwarf [+1 to CRAFTING]


    Elf [+1 to DEXTERITY]


    Beast [+1 to ENDURANCE]


    Orc [+1 to STRENGTH]


    No humans, huh?


    After all my years of wasting my life on games, I found it humorous that in my death all I¡¯d see was another character creation sheet. I¡¯ve done it all before: the warrior, the mage, the merchant, the sneaking rogue that specializes in archery, all of it. Nothing drew me to Orc in particular, but if I had another chance at life, why wouldn¡¯t I be stronger?


    Next, I had to distribute the four points into the following attributes:


    STRENGTH [STR]


    DEXTERITY [DEX]


    ENDURANCE [END]


    SPELLCASTING [SPL]


    CRAFTING [CFT]


    That¡¯s it? Which one do I put points into to get smarter?


    What was peculiar about the choices that I made was that I was unable to make any. It was as if the ink slipped off the pen each time I dipped it into the jar. I tried using my spectral hands to dump the ink onto the parchment but even then, no mark.


    This was my life¡­ or lack thereof. Trapped in limbo and not being able to finish the book. I was the last page. And I failed to complete it. I wandered the white nothingness in search of anything. But the table appeared before me in every direction.


    Doubt a damn thing would even happen if I finished it. Guess I¡¯ll go meander through this white hell forever.


    I stared at the leather, the gilded lettering, and the ink that I''d previously placed. Time did not exist. Only the befores. And the afters. Before I saw the book. After I wrote in it. Before I failed to exist. After I wandered. Before I tried to flip the table over. And the after¡­ when I heard the laughter.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± I shouted in my mind. The deep cackling echoed through my head. It was the only tangible sense I could feel that wasn¡¯t caused by myself. I repeated it over and over, thankful to whatever oddity it was in this prison of nothing.


    Eventually, the voice returned.


    ¡°This is the beginning of your death, Carmine. Now sign the book and embrace it.¡±


    "Who are you!? God!? How do you know my name!?"


    "I am your Creator. And you are nothing. You are what I wish for you to be and not to be. You may forever despise us, but may you take solace in the knowledge that your life is eternally forfeit. You, Carmine, are bound to this world to be fed upon. Nothing more. Nothing less. Your kind has come once before, and will fall once again. Whether by a beast, the lands, or your own hands, your kind has always failed in the end. As my last creation, I have gifted you what many have sought after¡­ a swift death."


    My emotions were stunted as this phantom, but rage had consumed me now. It was the first emotion I was able to harness that didn¡¯t feel dulled or tainted with despair. An ember glowed a soft orange in my mind, and realizing it was this entity was the cause of my purgatory only fanned the flames.


    It deemed itself my Creator yet it told me I was nothing. It dared not to show its face to me yet it threatened me with a swift end.


    ¡°Coward¡­¡± I muttered.


    I wished for my mundane mortal life to return¡­ one way or another.


    I took the quill into my spectral fingers, skipped over the attribute section, and signed Karnyn into the book as my first act of rebellion. The bastard that spoke down to me did not deserve my true name. When I threw the pen onto the table and shouted above, a door appeared.


    The door had a peculiar zig-zag pattern that I happily stomped my way forward to. I threw open the entrance, grateful to escape this limbo and return to Earth. However, as I stepped into the passage and saw nothing but blackness, my soul shivered. It felt like I stood on the precipice of light and darkness. Of life and death. I knew not where this new gateway to the abyss led, but before I could contemplate it any longer¡­ I was shoved through.


    Pierced by cold air, my lungs burned and my skin felt like ice. It wasn''t until I felt the soft powder between my fingers that I realized I was buried in the snow once more. I rose from the pile like a man escaping his grave. Joyous to return to the wintery hell of Kansas. But forests surrounded me, not the concrete streets of a suburban town. None of this looked familiar. Not even my own hand.

 02 - Ding!

    What was I to do except run? Through knee-deep snow in a body that wasn¡¯t mine. With legs that weren¡¯t mine, with arms unfamiliar to me, with eyes not my own that gazed upon the falling flakes of snow. But my movements were natural, the senses were mine, the mind¡­ was me. The purgatory I was trapped in was the definition of nothing, but this world was my new reality.


    I took a breath against a snow-covered pine tree, thoughts of reincarnation, simulations, and mutations infested my head, but none could explain the numbers stuck to the top-left corner of my vision. I couldn¡¯t swipe them gone with my hand or blink them away. I stared at the colored bars and they enlarged to be readable.


    Health: 0/0


    Stamina: 0/0


    Mana: 0/0


    ¡°Zero points!?¡± I said aloud. ¡°If I stay any longer in this fucking cold I¡¯ll freeze to death.¡± I looked around and saw the tops of the trees lessen to the south. My [Stamina] fluctuated to negative decimals whenever I ran out of breath. I dared not push myself, I felt weak as is and the cold grasp of death pressed its icy fingertips against me.


    Through the thickets, I saw the warm orange glow scatter across the dark. A lantern hung outside a wooden shack. I stumbled to the humble hovel and threw myself against the door. My fist met the pine and I could hear rustling inside.


    The door swung open and there before me were two monstrous creatures not of this Earth. Ones of tusks and of muted green skin belonging to a fable.


    ¡°Shit¡­ you¡¯re orcs,¡± I said with labored breath.


    She stared at me with wide muted red eyes, ¡°You¡¯re a hybrid!¡± She slammed the door with the sound of a metal latch locking it shut.


    A masculine voice echoed beneath the door frame I leaned against. It sounded like bickering inside while I froze to death on the opposite end. The last thing I saw was the door open and a muscular orc pointing a sickle at me. But as my [Health] entered negative, all I could do was fall into the dark nothing.


    What a cruel fate it is to have the Creator kill me mere minutes after my rebirth.


    * * *


    I was the most disoriented I¡¯ve ever been. I knew not if I lived in a dream or entered the purgatorial abyss again. Green skinned monsters loomed over me, whispers of a lady rang in my ear, and numbers filled my vision.


    I sat up in a panic. Bound by blankets of fur and placed in front of a fire, the two orcs stared at me. ¡°We¡¯re not going to hurt you,¡± the lady said.


    The man beside her huffed and placed his sickle on a nearby table. ¡°I thought his kind were extinct.¡±


    ¡°But he looks just like us!¡± she said.


    His kind? Look like you? They placed a bowl of some multi-colored slurry in front of me. The flames of the fireplace flickered in the silver spoon that sat the stew. Within the reflection of the utensil, I saw my new self. The unkempt short black hair was mine. The bony jawline was mine. The dimples on the corners of my cheeks were mine. But the tusks were not.


    Like a boar, the canines protruded from my bottom lip. It was unnatural that they didn¡¯t feel unnatural. They were ivory white and came to a sharp point, enough to draw blood if I pressed my finger hard enough. My flesh was ever the same but a drab green crept under my sun-touched skin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors of others seeing them near Kamahlor. But I suppose they¡¯re tall tales no longer,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Where am I? Am I still on Earth?¡± I said.


    The orc furrowed his great bushy eyebrows. ¡°Earth? You¡¯re on wood flooring right now. Not soil.¡±


    I rubbed my temples while I tried desperately to remain calm. ¡°No, not the ground. I mean the planet.¡±


    ¡°Our planet?¡± the wife said. ¡°You¡¯re in the realm of Carrion, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    I could see her arms were as big as her presumed husband¡¯s when she ripped peppers off the vines that strung from the rafters. These ¡®monsters¡¯ I saw were no different than humans back home. Scary were their size, tusks, and skin, but now I was no different from them. A stranger of this world, like myself, could judge them no longer.


    ¡°Which moon did you fall from? Kyular or Gwelar?¡± The husband said with a puff of air from his tusks.


    ¡°Knock it off, dear. He¡¯s had a long day and should rest,¡± the lady said.


    My life had changed. Carmine was left back on Earth while I, a half-orc, sat amidst an orc couple and ate their stew. With each bite the [Stamina] and [Health] bars in the top left of my eyes raised above the zero I saw before.


    But as I sat in the comforts of the home, the stew wore off, and my status bars returned to their original state. Within the confines of coziness and my own mind, I soon fell into slumber.


    I was back home. The summer sun shone upon my face as I floated in a backyard pool. Green trees swayed above that flickered shadows down upon me. But as I gazed up high, the sky turned red and the sun turned black. Water from the pool evaporated into a gray smog. The leaves above wilted and the wretched branches contorted around my neck and limbs. My home disintegrated before me as I was held in an endless field of salt and sand. Incessant dings and the Creator¡¯s laughter resonated in my nightmare.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Your [System] is ready, Karnyn. May you enjoy the wonders of your new home.¡±


    I jolted awake. I prayed to any Earthly deity that would hear my wishes to escape this fantastical realm, but none responded. The sun¡¯s morning rays glistened through the foggy windows. But as I stood to admire it, blue holographic screens blinded me.


    [SYSTEM ACTIVE: WELCOME KARNYN]


    It then swiped to the [Overview] menu screen and listed all of my attribute levels.


    Strength: 0


    Dexterity: 0


    Endurance: 0


    Spellcasting: 0


    Crafting: 0


    I scoffed aloud. All zero. Of course. Everyone else at least got one in everything, but not me! With a focused eye on each of the attributes, a basic explanation appeared beneath. They were all self-explanatory: [Strength] increased power, [Dexterity] tied with coordination, [Endurance] paired with my [Health] and [Stamina], [Spellcasting] increased arcane power and [Mana], and [Crafting]¡­ well¡­ increased my ability to create items.


    I didn¡¯t know how I could increase these attributes or if I could, all I knew was that I was cheated. My orc bloodline didn¡¯t give me any benefits to [Strength]. As well as the fact I was unable to distribute any points into the attributes at the start like others did before me.


    More tabs were next to the [Overview] section. As expected, [Inventory] had only the new clothes I appeared in. My shirt was a rough maroon tunic while my pants were of brown linen. It was at this time that I checked my pockets and realized my phone and wallet were missing. Guess I¡¯m not making it in time for the movie.


    The [Skills] section was completely blank, unsurprising given my lack of attributes. Although I was surprised to see the [Map] being functional, it was the only useful thing the [System] menus had to offer so far. It was a small map of the surrounding topography and the village I was currently in. Labellum was small, but it showed a road south. The last menu listed my [Party Members]. The menu that shocked me most of all.


    My smile grew from ear to ear as I saw two familiar names: [Elixir] and [Don]. That dork Alex just couldn¡¯t help himself and decided to choose the same name as his online persona. Both of their locations were unknown, as well as their statuses, but I was thankful to know I wasn¡¯t alone in this hell.


    Soon after, the orc couple opened the door. The lady of the house held a basket while the husband held a sickle at his side. ¡°You okay?¡± she asked, bewildered at my jolly expression.


    I nodded and the brawny male orc cut to the chase. ¡°We¡¯ve spoken to the elders and they¡¯ve decided that you cannot stay here any longer. We¡¯ve prepared supplies for your journey.¡±


    ¡°Where will I go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Anywhere but here,¡± he muttered.


    The lady perked a smile and shrugged, ¡°Following the road south will be most fortunate to you! We¡¯ve heard rumors of others similar to you in other towns, so perhaps it¡¯d be best if you joined them!¡±


    It was like I was talking to my parents when they kicked me out of the house for college. The sour sting of rejection was there, but they were right.


    ¡°But this is for you! Should last you a few days if you savor it,¡± she said, handing me the basket. The man gave me his sickle and warned me of vague ¡®creatures of the night¡¯ but I was thankful nonetheless.


    With clear blue sky above and the powdery white snow below me, I heard the metal latch of the door lock behind me, and made my way onward. To say I wasn¡¯t excited for the journey to meet up with Alex and Don again was an understatement. However, the looming fear of a world completely unknown to me drove a nail into my stomach.


    I knew not what lurked in the dark. If dragons ruled the skies. Or if highwaymen would have ambushed me on the road forward. All I knew was that it was morning, and I had to keep walking to the next town over. My map didn¡¯t show of any civilization yet, only the mountains to the east and the river that flowed from it. But I pressed onward.


    * * *


    It was late into the afternoon before I noticed the [Auto-walk] ability had appeared beside my [Stamina] bar. As I focused upon it with my retina, my legs seemingly moved forward on their own down the path. Like cruise control in a car, I was free to not exert myself as much, and instead, focus on my menus or the view in front of me. When I closed my eyes, time seemed to have gone by faster, as if I was in a daze or daydream.


    My eyes later opened to the purple twilight. Evening called. The time to find shelter or a tree to nestle under was paramount. The cold was tortuous in my light clothing, but the night made it deadly. I didn¡¯t know how to make a fire besides slamming stones together, so that¡¯s what I did.


    The hardest part of bashing rocks together was finding the damn rocks in the first place. I shoveled snow with my hands until they turned a bright gray, desperate for pebbles. Although I couldn¡¯t find anything below the cold, I cried with gratitude when I saw the cairns along the road.


    Slabs of rough stone marked the edges of the path. I toppled the delicately placed rocks and carried the biggest one to a dry spot under a tree. Luckily, in these pine-covered forests, I was able to find pinecones, bark, and enough twigs for kindling and fuel. The pile was set and my sickle was ready.


    The orc that gifted me the tool and the smith who created it would have wept if they saw what I was doing to their precious craft. I scraped the blade across the stone repeatedly in hopes of a spark. The blade dulled. My frail arms turned weak. The dark rose. The cold intensified.


    In the final struggles of the night, my [Stamina] dipped lower and lower into negative decimals with each swing. In my final slash, a thin trail of smoke streamed. An ember glowed. Out of shock and of breath, I almost let it fade away with the wind. I scooped up the nest of kindling and gingerly blew on it and cradled it in my palms.


    Come on. Come on. Come on! ¡°Come on!¡± I shouted through chattering teeth. The faint wisps of smoke blew above. The fire roared. Engulfing my hand in fire, I was more afraid that I¡¯d fall unconscious again and burn alive in a sea of snow. I dropped it in the pile of sticks I gathered and gazed upon its bright beauty.


    I was able to survive the night alone, without the need of a ferro rod, bow drill, or lighter. All I had to do was lean my back against the bark, make sure the flame didn¡¯t fall too far, and wait for the sun to rise.


    The moon appeared above me through the branches of pine. ¡°Silver and dusty as the one back home,¡± I muttered.


    Its craters and patterns were different, but the size remained the same. Whether this was ¡®Gwelar¡¯ or ¡®Kyular¡¯ that the orc mentioned, I had no clue. In the black void of the night sky I couldn¡¯t see another satellite. I assumed it had a different orbit but it could have been a story that was part of some orc-like mythos. I knew not. I cared not. The orange warmth beside me was all I needed.


    In my restful state, my eyes shut gracefully and my dreams began to take over. But before I was able to envision an imaginative thought, my mind resonated with a shrilling Ding!

 03 - Crackling of Fire

    Skill Discovered!


    [Firemaking] Acquired!


    My eyes were as bright as the stars. With the roaring flame in my view, I jumped up and danced around the fire. Like I was cast far away on an island of solitude, I howled and cheered in the frozen lands. With the knowledge that I could learn skills in this world and possibly level-up, my mind raced with all sorts of possibilities.


    I can make my own sickles. Make my own food! Farm! Hunt! Slay! Create! ¡°I can do anything, you bastards! Damn you all above who watch down upon me! I made this with my own two hands! I¡¯ll be the best firemaker to ever grace this realm and burn the world to ash and cinder!¡±


    I kicked the snow around me and it was at this moment that my fire sputtered embers and began to die. I muttered curses to the Creator while I foraged for more dry twigs. After piling enough for the night, I sat down with my head held high. I pondered my existence in this fantastical world. Why the Creator cheated me of my birthrights, I¡¯d never know. A swift end was clearly designed for me, but none came upon this night. I needed to escape this world, but first I needed to continue to survive within it.


    * * *


    When the morning came and shimmered above the mountains to the east, I continued south. While I used my [Auto-walk] ability, I admired the [Firemaking] skill that sat lonesome in my menu.


    Create and maintain basic fires. Reach higher levels to ignite fires with greater efficiency and power.


    I read the description over and over. My mind wandered with how this skill could be used if I further specialized in it. A raging inferno inside the dampest goblin cave? Bonfires to signal across the lands? A string of fires to entrap a dragon in a forest? The possibilities were endless.


    ¡°If I can do anything¡­ Then how do I spellcast?¡±


    Although my attribute for [Spellcasting] was zero, so was my [Crafting]. But that didn¡¯t stop me from trying. I snapped my fingers, shouted ¡°Fireball!¡± in a hundred different ways, imagined flames growing in my palms, tore a twig from a tree and flicked it across the horizon, but to no avail.


    I was trying odd positions of casting when my eyes met another¡¯s down the road. My leg was raised while my hand was pointed in a gun-like manner underneath it. I slowly lowered my leg and unruffled my tunic as the stranger stared at me. Unmistakably another orc, I thought. But you¡¯re not as round and brutish like the one¡¯s back in the village. You look the same as me¡­ half human.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    This guy must think I¡¯m a damn psychopath. Probably heard me this entire time too. ¡°Uh¡­ trying to cast spells.¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± I nodded toward him, ¡°You?¡±


    The words escaped my lips and a three-foot spike of ice pulled from his fingertips. I heard it whistle next to my head before it erupted into shards of frost against a pine tree.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do that!?¡± I exclaimed. My heart raced as I prayed the next one wouldn¡¯t be aimed at me.


    The man shrugged. ¡°I took the snow into my hand and meditated, I guess.¡±


    Meditated? Who has time for that?


    I cautiously walked closer to him. With every step I took in the snow I watched his hands as they clasped together or swung at his side. He wore an outfit similar to mine with a rucksack strapped to his back. The midday sun shone through the pitch black of his hair and reflected off his glossy olive skin. A dozen feet away and I could notice his garnet almond-shaped eyes, his wrinkles, his curled tusks, and the lack of ice spikes coming from his hands.


    ¡°Name is Karnyn. Nice to see I¡¯m not the only half-breed in this world.¡±


    The man chuckled, ¡°My name is Taro.¡± He bowed and a neutral expression crawled across his face.


    ¡°Where are you from originally?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nagano, Japan. But I spawned in the village to the east called Dorinor.¡±


    ¡°Japan, huh? Your English is really good.¡±


    ¡°My English? Your Japanese is practically fluent. Where did you study?¡±


    I tilted my head and furrowed my brow, ¡°¡­But I¡¯m not speaking Japanese.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°This world translates our languages!¡± we exclaimed at the same time. Taro and I wrapped our hands together and smiled in excitement.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°So you¡¯re speaking Japanese right now!?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking English right now!?¡± Taro asked.


    I smirked and thought that the [System] must have some flaws. Language was too complicated for it to translate perfectly. ¡°Here, repeat after me. She sells seashells by the seashore.¡±


    Taro looked at me with an inquisitive glare, ¡°She sells seashells by the seashore.¡±


    My jaw dropped and told him to repeat it faster. Each time was perfect. It¡¯s not like I knew if the word ¡®seashore¡¯ existed in Japanese, but either way, I was impressed with the [System].


    Taro snickered and laughed between each word when giving me my own tongue-twister. He said it slowly, I assumed it was hard even for him to say. ¡°I laid this bamboo against the bamboo fence because I wanted to lay bamboo against it.¡±


    I must have looked at him with the same confused glare, it wasn¡¯t exactly hard to say. ¡°I laid this bamboo against the bamboo fence because I wanted to lay bamboo against it.¡±


    I¡¯ve never seen a more shocked expression in my entire life. With ¡®oohs¡¯ and ¡®aahs¡¯ he told me to repeat it over and over. He stood frozen with a hand to his forehead.


    ¡°So I can speak fluent English? And you can speak fluent Japanese?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    I was taken aback at this late-aged man shouting curses at me.


    ¡°Shit! Bitch! I hope you d-¡±


    I laughed with a nervous smile, ¡°Yeah man, you¡¯re cursing in English. Be careful when saying that in front of others.¡±


    Taro gazed at the puffy clouds above, a white fog of breath loomed in the air with every exhale. ¡°So we can all understand one another. Cool.¡±


    A smile grew across my face. ¡°Cool.¡±


    * * *


    Taro and I officially partied together on the journey. His name and portrait appeared at the very bottom of my [Party Members] list below Elixir¡¯s name. Alex and Don¡¯s faces were still unknown to me in this fantasy world but their names were comforting enough. I could see Taro as a small dot on my map, as well as the amount of monsters and players he killed.


    Taro Matsuno


    Health: 10/10


    Stamina: 10/10


    Mana: 50/50


    Monsters Slain: 0


    Players Slain: 0


    Must¡¯ve put all his attribute points into [Spellcasting]. Glad to know he isn¡¯t a serial killer either.


    In the [Notes] section on his profile I put old Japanese guy. Orc. STR: 2. SPL: 5. Three more buttons were on his profile that weren¡¯t on my friends¡¯: [Message], [Block], and [Disband]. I pressed [Message] and a blank text box appeared that I could type into with my mind.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    [INSUFFICIENT MANA]


    A red warning sign blinded me until I swiped it away. I couldn¡¯t have shit in this world. It felt as if I truly was better off dead than trying to survive. When I vanished the rest of the menus, my overreactions and disgruntlement went with it.


    I expected Taro to question me about my lack of statuses, but he never did. Whether he was too old to know how to use the [System] or couldn¡¯t care less, I envied him.


    While we walked south, he was usually quiet unless I spoke to him first. He explained how he was heading to other towns as well because his village kicked him out. I wondered if every orc village did that when us ¡®hybrids¡¯ randomly appeared at their front doors.


    Out of the four bloodlines to choose from, I imagined what the dwarves, the elves, and the beasts lived like. This had me thinking of the lack of language barriers between the creatures of the realm, after all, the orc couple spoke plain English. I must¡¯ve been speaking some type of orcish to them. I chuckled to myself, If only I could¡¯ve heard a recording of it. It¡¯d really impress Alex.


    The shadow of night fell upon Taro and I. We ended our [Auto-walk] together and searched for a decent campsite. A dry enough spot was found and it was time to show off my new skill. With the sickle in hand and the rough rock from before, I slashed at the stone.


    Nothing.


    I wryly laughed, ¡°It usually takes a few tries.¡±


    ¡°Take your time,¡± Taro said. Like a father watching his kid do homework at the dinner table; he was over my shoulder the entire time.


    On the fourth strike I sighed in relief. A spark of ember shot out and landed in the nest of kindling. It was getting easier.


    With the flame growing, we rested under the trees and shared our rations. We both had potatoes, carrots, beets, and turnips in our possession.


    ¡°Guess not much else is growing right now,¡± I said. My stomach growled and yearned for protein.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t have a market either. We must keep proceeding south.¡±


    I nodded. And buy meat with what money? I slammed my head back into the trunk of the tree and groaned. I looked through my [Skills] again to see if anything magically appeared, but no. [Firemaking] had a yellow progress bar beneath it that was a third way full. It was good to know that the level-up was in progress if I kept creating more fires.


    Although this world was my prison, I found joy in company for once. Taro must¡¯ve been a middle-aged man working in Japan one day that ended up signing the book and becoming a half-orc with magical powers. I¡¯m sure he had lost more than I did, so I didn¡¯t ask him anything about his personal life before all of this.


    ¡°Taro,¡± I said. ¡°Did you see the book as well? On a red table surrounded by fog?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He stared into the fire with open palms, extracting as much heat as he could.


    ¡°What made you choose orc?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I thought they looked cool. But I was expecting it to be more pig-like. Not green-skinned.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. At least your [Strength] is naturally better than other bloodlines.¡±


    Taro nodded his head from side to side. ¡°I put all my points into [Spellcasting] though.¡±


    Mhm. That¡¯s how you¡¯re able to cast so easily. ¡®Meditate¡¯ my ass.


    ¡°Did you hear the Creator as well?¡±


    He looked at me with a cocked eyebrow, ¡°The Creator? No. I didn¡¯t hear anything there. I signed the book and a door appeared. I walked into it, and another step after that, I was in Dorinor.¡±


    I clicked my tongue and looked at the clear sky. It was the most stars I¡¯ve ever seen. In a world seemingly without electricity, I should¡¯ve expected there to be no light pollution. I contemplated my life before, tears almost fell from my eyes when I thought of all the friends and family I was stripped away from. I shook my head and focused on the food and the company I was with.


    ¡°Hey, Taro¡­ What if I told you that I wasn¡¯t given any streng-¡± A rustle of brush shook behind us and all I saw was the illuminated white pupils of a wolf¡¯s beady stare. Its low growl silenced the crackling of fire and the whispers of the wind.

 04 - First Death

    It pounced over the fire while we scrambled to opposite sides of the camp. We flanked either side of it but it peered at us like we were morsels of flesh and bone. Thick with winter fur and half our height on all fours, it would¡¯ve towered each of us if it decided to stand on hind legs.


    Dark gray fur striped with black and white circled Taro and I around the campfire. Flames dwelled in its amber eyes that were extinguished by its wrathful soul. Black gums and red-stained teeth sneered at us while the wolf lowly growled.


    My jagged sickle was held taut. Taro took hold of a pinch of snow and clasped his hands together. A low arcane light glowed in his palms as a dust of frost poured from his fingers. Dammit Taro I hope you can kill this fucking monster.


    I reached low for a stick lit aflame. The wolf followed. In its low stance, it sprung itself forward. Taro released a burst of cold that glistened over the beast. Even a few steps away, I felt the adhesive burn of frost stick to my skin.


    The beast backed away but shook it off. Dust of snow twinkled in the air like stars in the void of space.


    ¡°Use an ice spike!¡± I exclaimed.


    Taro huffed in frustration, ¡°You have the strength of an orc! Use it!¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t!¡±


    The wolf charged again. I stuck the torch in front of its muzzle but it only ushered closer. A thin spike of ice entered the creature¡¯s side before it narrowly chewed upon my fingers. It whined in pain and sneered with fury. The beast of winter unclenched its foaming jaw and charged at me.


    It knocked away my torch. Threw me to the ground with its 350 pounds of mass. And turned to Taro. It dove at the mage who was prepping another icicle. Taro was brought to the soil beneath and pierced the wolf repeatedly with his dagger of ice while its canines dug into his neck and shoulder.


    I stood frozen while crimson splattered the snow with each strike from the half-orc. Strings of blood and tendons left the wolf until Taro¡¯s body turned limp. The spike of ice turned into a shard of red as it rolled from his hand.


    [PARTY MEMBER DISBANDED]


    The red [System] notification snapped me to reality. The beast feasted upon my companion and I knew my turn was next. To defy the Creator and avenge Taro, I pounced on the wolf as it did to him. My sickle dug deep into its furred shoulder. It whimpered in agony as it threw me to the ground. The beast was on top of me while I was stuck under its back, wrestling its claws away from my head. I maneuvered my sickle around the wolf¡¯s head and pulled toward myself with all of my might. Caught in the round edge of the blade, it sliced through its own winter coat and eventual throat when it tried to writhe and toss itself back onto its legs.


    Sliced fur and blood covered my eyes. The warmth comforted me when the creature eventually laid still, but it was crushing me. I pushed it off to the side and worried about the negative decimals in my [Stamina]. But with every breath I recovered it ticked back up.


    I stumbled over to Taro¡¯s lifeless body. He was dead. The damage had exceeded his meager [Health] bar and plunged it into the negatives to never recover. His motionless eyes stared at the smoldering fire. What was odd about his wounds was that no blood sank into the snow beneath him. His red flesh was torn and his blood was splattered, but it was like it sat atop the earth like oil or grease.


    I gazed at his corpse and watched as it, and his blood, disintegrated into blue arcane particles. Like embers in the wind that vanished in the air, he was gone. No trace of him was left. The only other human I came across was no more. I would¡¯ve died to the wolf if not for the damage he dealt.


    Why am I cursed? Tears seeped from my eyes where Taro once lay. If I was as strong as him from the start and not as frail, I could¡¯ve saved him. But instead¡­ I relied on him as I stood useless. I turned to the wolf¡¯s body. It soaked the snow in a dark-syrupy red.


    The beast was still warm. Without a second to think, I gritted my teeth and sliced my sickle down its belly and did my best to carve its fur from the body. Parts were tattered. Some were torn. I cared not. My lack of butchering experience could wait while I tried not to freeze to death.


    Crimson from head to toe with the dripping flesh of the carcass I wore, I rekindled the fire and sawed off whatever meat I could from the wolf. I roasted it over a fire until it was black and paired it with the vegetables I was given. It was the best meal I ever had. So good in fact, that I saw my [Health] and [Stamina] rise to single digits!


    How pathetic.


    I rested beside Taro¡¯s spot next to the fire. I still couldn¡¯t comprehend it all. He was there with me a moment ago. And now he¡¯s not. He was gone from my [Party Members] list as if he never existed. His bag was still propped against the tree. But his body wasn¡¯t. I leaned my head back and pulled the pelt over myself as a blanket to shield myself from this world.


    * * *If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    While I tried to sleep, it felt as if the sun rose as soon as I had closed my puffy eyes. The clamoring sound of a billion people surrounded me. The soft snow felt like rough sand. The desert heat was killing me. Every night was a new nightmare.


    In my sweat-ridden fervor, I threw off the pelt. This was no dream. The sun was high in the sky. Billions of people did surround me. Wisps of sand had blown from the colosseum floor. It was night a moment ago, and now it wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t think that this was a new layer of hell. But it might as well have been.


    Before I amassed a panic within myself like the rest of the crowd, I gazed at the half-elf hybrids that sat near me. They were in a frenzy but turned frozen with fear when they looked back at me. I forgot I was stained red until I looked at my hands.


    ¡°They¡¯re supposed to be green!¡± I said with a jesting tone. But they didn¡¯t seem to find it humorous. They continued to scream and try to rise from their chairs. It was at this time that I figured I should¡¯ve done the same. However, my ass was magically glued to the seat. I couldn¡¯t stand nor turn. I opened my menus and was met with a red pop-up.


    [SYSTEM LOCKED]


    Oh shit. This is actually bad. I couldn¡¯t press, swipe, or blink away to a new screen. Only the ominous red message in front of the [Map] appeared before me. I squinted through the holographic screen and could make out that this location was called Hubloc. But it didn¡¯t matter as fate was not in my hands at the moment.


    Soon, A pedestal rose from the center of the arena and with it came a slender full-elf who stood upon it. He was the size of an ant all the way down there but my [System] screens projected his image. The elf slammed an ornate gold-spiraled staff into the platform that sent rippling waves of sand from the floor. Then all was silent.


    I heard the smack of his lips from 900 feet away but not the cries of the hybrids next to me. I tried to shout but not a sound exited my mouth.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± he said with a grin and a spin. His white robes were trimmed with gold on the edges that reflected the sun wildly. ¡°My name is Favian Bormallow. Elf. Spellcaster. Deity. But you may call me ¡®The Announcer.¡¯ Every hybrid, plainskin, half-breed, otherworldly, chosen human is here! Welcome to our beautiful realm of Carrion! The Creator may have sent you here¡­ but it is up to the rest of the gods to see how you meet your end.¡± Favian pointed upward and a large floating platform shadowed the colosseum. Five figures stood atop, differing in bloodlines and abilities.


    ¡°Each of the attributes you carry within your [System] correspond to a God! Whether it be Irokirth, God of [Strength]! Shaedral, Goddess of [Dexterity]! Seismont, God of [Endurance]! Harnyx, Goddess of [Spellcasting]! And who could forget Kraxmon, the God of [Crafting]!¡± Each god held high an item that represented them: An axe. An arrow. A shield. A staff. A hammer.


    ¡°There¡¯s more gods than these five, some create the beasts, some of lands, some of fortune, and some of death. But these five will increase your chances of survival if you shall perish in this realm, for you have a second chance upon death! All it takes¡­ is the will to slay your own kind.¡± The Announcer smirked a pearl-eating grin while the platform floated away.


    The bright desert sun scorched the sands of the arena once again. Two gates rose open on either side. ¡°May I present the first deaths of the realm¡ªsurprising it took this long I know¡­ John Cescov the Crafter¡­ versus¡­ Taro Matsuno the Mage!


    Taro!? This is where he was sent after dying!?


    ¡°Each time one of you half-breeds die in the wild, you will be sent here to fight another who has also perished. One of you will have a second chance while the other¡­ won¡¯t be so lucky. Failure to fight each other will result in the death of both contestants. So don¡¯t fuck this up.¡± Favian clapped his hands and the deafening cries of the billions returned.


    Gladiatorial combat in return for freedom was all sorts of fucked, but if Taro could return to his life here, it¡¯d be a miracle.


    ¡°Come on Taro! Use your spikes!¡± I shouted.


    Taro stepped into the open arena with proper steel adorning him. Armored plates covered his chest, limbs, back, and head. A longsword adorned his hip but his hands were exposed to the open air. He saw Cescov on the far side of the colosseum, bowed, and sat cross-legged on the sand.


    Cescov, myself, and every other hybrid that spectated were ashamed to see Taro¡¯s end so pitifully. John ran his stout dwarven legs across the sands with a maul in hand to meet the orc. With his hammer held above his head, nearly six steps away from Taro, he was unable to bring it down.


    A small cyclone shifted around the spellcaster. Particles of sand ripped across the half-dwarf¡¯s face.


    ¡°You can do better than that Taro!¡±


    The cyclone ended and the orc was standing with the same neutral gestures he used when he was with me. The dwarf charged with a guttural bellow. But Cescov fell to his knees in silence. A shard of crystalized sand struck through his side.


    Similar to the wolf, crimson blood pooled along the ground. This was it. The half-dwarf would not vanish into blue arcane particles, but instead rot and blister in the desert sun when he died.


    I saw on my [System] screen what could only be tears welling in the man¡¯s eyes as he sat motionless on the ground. Taro stood before him, gazing down. He took a fistful of sand and together the crowd repeated two words: ¡°End. Him.¡±


    I caught myself repeating the phrase, but what was I doing? The chaos of the crowd drew me in like a mantra I had to consciously break away from. These were two humans a few nights ago. And the gods above changed us overnight. They turned us into monsters that killed one another for our own survival while they watched us for sport.


    I looked away as Taro aimed the second shard at Cescov¡¯s head. I only heard the thud of the body and the splatter of blood across the sands. A message appeared and the cheer of the crowd confirmed his ultimate end.


    [John Cescov: SLAIN!]

 05 - Lusterless Maw

    The last I saw was Taro raising his arms to the scorching sun before I was returned to the snowy forest. The immediate altering of temperatures left me clung to my wolf pelt. The cold sucked out any warmth from the desert and left me to freeze beside my extinguished fire.


    At least it¡¯s day now. The Gods can teleport us as we please, lock our menus, change the time of day, have us kill one another, yet they couldn¡¯t have given me a better spawn. With chattering teeth, I took a step down the southern road before the [System] pop-ups spammed me.


    Attributes Leveled-Up!


    [Strength] ¡ª LVL 0 -> LVL 1


    [Dexterity] ¡ª LVL 0 -> LVL 1


    [Endurance] ¡ª LVL 0 -> LVL 1


    [Crafting] ¡ª LVL 0 -> LVL 1


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. I could increase my attributes. I thought I was doomed to forever be cautious of death from a single mosquito bite or a chilly breeze, but no more. I was like everyone else¡­ although a little behind.


    Skill Leveled-Up!


    [Firemaking] ¡ª LVL 1 -> LVL 2


    Skills Discovered!


    [Butchering] Acquired!


    [Tailoring] Acquired!


    [Cooking] Acquired!


    I immediately opened my menus and in the [Overview] page I saw my newfound stats.


    Health: 10/10


    Stamina: 10/10


    Mana: 0/0


    Monsters Slain: 1


    Players Slain: 0


    There must''ve been a delay when I killed the wolf but why the hell is my [Mana] still at zero? How do I level it up if I can¡¯t even cast a single spell!? I blinked to see other menu screens; my [Inventory] listed the [Direwolf Pelt] I wore.


    The sound of crackling electricity echoed behind me and blue arcane particles formed the silhouette of a knight in steel. I kept my hand on my sickle while the knight looked at his hands and surroundings.


    ¡°Taro?¡±


    The knight unsheathed his sword and gazed in the reflection of the blade.


    A familiar Japanese voice resonated from the helm, ¡°I look good, don¡¯t I?¡±


    I laughed and patted him on the back, ¡°You look great for someone who died!¡±


    ¡°No thanks to you!¡± Taro sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Taro, I really am. But hey, I killed the beast and you were rewarded with a second life and some new gear. Not too shabby, huh?¡± I didn¡¯t know how else to talk to someone once dead, let alone one that was killed by my lack of actions. I wouldn¡¯t have blamed Taro if he decided to drive a spike through me at this instance, but I was thankful he chose not to.


    We partied with one another again and continued our journey down the southern path as if nothing happened. While we [Auto-walked], all I could hear was the crunch of snow and the metallic clinging of Taro¡¯s armor. I gazed through my menus but I was most intrigued by my party member¡¯s stats.


    Taro Matsuno


    Health: 10/10


    Stamina: 10/10


    Mana: 60/60


    Monsters Slain: 0


    Players Slain: 1


    Fully healed, a level-up in casting spells, and a mark that would forever tell of his killing of Cescov. I prayed the amount of other hybrids I¡¯d have to kill would stay zero throughout my life. The only stat I wanted to stay the same. Killing another was inherently wrong, but to willingly slay a fellow man in a world full of monsters and malicious gods? It made no sense to me. I knew not what I would¡¯ve done if I had been in the colosseum instead of Taro, but it made no difference now.


    * * *


    89 miles were behind us as the Irsha River lay before us¡ªthat was what the [Map] revealed anyway. Taro and I were only a mile away, but the snow fell again and camp had to be made. The river headed westerly to the coast, spilling from the looming mountains of the east. I could see the twinkling starlight that reflected off their glistening snow caps on the horizon.


    With my [Firemaking] skill, I was able to produce a spark that kept us warm for the night with ease. My eyes were now keen to pick branches that would burn the slowest, and ones that would make the fire brighter. I imagined Taro was impressed, although it was hard to tell under that steel helm of his. He sat cross-legged with the longsword in his lap; I couldn¡¯t tell if he was asleep or staring into nothingness.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    I was pressed under a tree when I realized how much I missed my bed. It was too hard to count how many times I complained about the full-size mattress in my dorm, but now I yearned for it. Hell, I missed so much of my old life. The food, the bathrooms, the lights, the cars, the cracked sidewalks, and roads full of potholes, I missed all of it. I needed to escape Carrion. But even in my dreams, I was unable to flee.


    When I opened my eyes, an ocean of blood under the two moons of Gwelar and Kyular surrounded me. They peered down at me as if they were the Creator¡¯s eyes. I heard trickling beneath my raft of twigs and saw the first body rise. Cescov. The half-dwarf with a broad nose and braided beard treaded the crimson surface. White were his eyes like the moons above. Soulless. More trickling. More bodies. Taro, Alex, Don, Sage, the elves that sat beside me, and all others rose from the depths beneath with fileted flesh and gouged eyes shining a hollow white. They laid still, surrounding my raft. One grabbed hold of my boat. Then another. Then another. Then another. All tried to clamor aboard.


    My movements were useless. It felt like I was chained to a mast and waded through water at the same time. I was unable to push away the corpses until they began to sink me, bringing me to the maroon red depths of the abyss. My lungs were filled. My skin was stained. The teeth of a leviathan closed behind me as I drifted into its black lusterless maw.


    In the void, I heard a voice. Gentle was her whisper as it entered my ears. It wrapped my body in warmth while I sank deeper into the beast. Her voice was muffled but I carried with me one line she spoke before I awoke. ¡°You will fall, before you rise.¡±


    * * *


    Gray was the sky and white was the ground when I rose from my bed of snow. My hands were still stained, but not red as I expected. My green skin tone still felt unnatural, after all, I had my previous tanned skin for 21 years. It became darker in the summer and paler in the winter, but it was mine. This¡­ was not.


    Taro washed himself with boiled snow when I got up to relieve myself.


    ¡°You should bathe too,¡± he said sternly.


    ¡°Is that a suggestion or an order?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A polite order.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Whatever you say, elder.¡±


    Gone are the days of warm morning showers, I thought. Without a towel, I hugged the fire in order to dry myself while I hopped from foot to foot in the frosty air. I put on my damp starting clothes and wrapped myself in the direwolf pelt.


    My teeth chattered as I put on my boots, ¡°H-happy now?¡±


    Taro nodded and gave a fictitious smile.


    Past the pine and down the dirt path, the Irsha River was in view, and the town of Kamahlor stood behind it. I could sense an emotion from Taro for once since his return: a sigh of relief. I couldn¡¯t help but join him in the sigh. We practically skipped along the wooden bridge that hovered over the icy rapids.


    The smell of smoke rose from chimneys and fell into our nostrils. We felt warmer already. Orcs stared at us as they swept the powdery snow off their porches. I asked around for a place to stay and they pointed me down to a building called Snowed-Inn on its swinging sign.


    ¡°Cute name,¡± I said.


    ¡°Unoriginal,¡± Taro muttered.


    An orange glow flooded beneath the doorframe. We could hear the murmurs and the dull laughter within. But upon opening the door, Taro and I were met with an extinguished candle blown away by winter¡¯s breeze, and deafening silence from hybrid orcs alike.


    ¡°More humans?¡± One whispered.


    ¡°Where¡¯d they come from?¡± Another said.


    ¡°Where¡¯d they get that armor?¡±


    One of the half-orcs dropped their mug of ale as they stood from their stool and bellowed to all, ¡°Is that Taro the Mage!?¡±


    The whispers and questions quickened from them all. Doubts, skepticism, and suspicions swept through the air until they asked the knight to perform a spell. Taro grumbled and clenched his fists. He relaxed his grip when the arcane threads of snow formed into an icicle. He launched it into the wooden floor at the base of a skeptic¡¯s feet.


    Every patron inside gasped but a cheer soon followed. Tankards that swirled with brown booze were forced into our hands and chairs were cleared for us at the small bar. Surrounded by over a dozen hybrids, we were queried about our origins, our spawns, and our stats.


    ¡°All my stats are pretty low,¡± I wryly chuckled. To these strangers, I didn¡¯t want them to know of my curse. I had no need for idle sympathy or questioning of what the Creator said to me.


    ¡°But you slayed a wolf haven¡¯t you? Must¡¯ve leveled somehow!¡±


    Yeah. To level one. ¡°I gained a few skills like [Butchering] and [Tailoring] but not much else. Taro did most of the work with those spells of his!¡±


    It only confirmed to everyone that Taro was this almighty mage that won in the Arena everyone was forced to spectate. Luckily, he enjoyed the attention and the free drink, while I enjoyed the diverted attention. As much as I enjoyed being around others that were stolen from Earth, I wanted to find Don, Alex, and get the fuck out of here. But wood walls, a shingled roof, and a fireplace were hard to escape from when the cold winds rattled the door to the outside.


    It was at this time that a true orc walked through the entrance. He towered a foot above all of us, wore an apron under his cloak, and carried a barrel on his shoulder. The crowd cheered and tapped into the oak container.


    He gruffed at Taro and I when he first saw us, ¡°There¡¯s more of you?¡±


    ¡°Billions,¡± Taro said.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll need more kegs.¡±


    ¡°You the owner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Aye. Name¡¯s Borno.¡±


    ¡°What is that? Italian?¡± I joked. The orc gave me a furrowed brow and continued pouring cups of ale.


    ¡°May we stay here for the night?¡± Taro asked.


    Borno sighed and looked around to his other guests. ¡°I have no more beds. You¡¯ll have to share with the others or sleep on the floor.¡±


    The steel-draped mage hummed his thoughts while he looked around, ¡°What of payment?¡±


    Borno widened his eyes and licked the edges of his tusks. ¡°You actually have something to pay with?¡±


    Taro grimaced and shook his head to the dismay of the orc. Borno groaned and rolled his eyes. ¡°None of you have anything to pay with,¡± he muttered. ¡°I should¡¯ve kicked you all out when the first of your lot started pouring in! I pray with a closed fist to Irokirth that all of you leave with the caravan tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Caravan?¡± Taro and I asked in sync.


    ¡°Aye. Here to drop off and trade supplies with nearby villages and towns. And you better tell all of how welcoming I was to you lot on your travels!¡±


    ¡°Where will it take us?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Across the entire damn continent of Cosara if you wish. It never stops. An endless cycle of bartering on the road. Sounds exhausting.¡±


    ¡°Will it take us to Hubloc?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll probably be the first damn place it goes to after reaching Labellum. It¡¯s the biggest city that I can think of.¡±


    I was hoping you¡¯d say that. It¡¯s the best chance I have to find Don and Alex. Beats staying in this frosted hell anyway. Me, Taro, and the rest of the hybrids slept in the cozy hostel. Snowflakes fell outside the window of a purple twilight while we awaited the caravan that would take us to the capital of the continent.

 06 - In God We Trust

    Pure white surrounded me. With frost that fell. With the chill in my bones. Through the eyes of a window that saw everything, I now peered into the endless abyss of the city of nothing. Dark were the days of a world now collapsed. And deafening was its silence. I waited for a sign of his death, but not even that came.


    * * *


    ¡°Good morning Bison County! Another chilly day awaits us this early morning! Currently -12 degrees here in Fallfield with highs up to -2 around noon. Blizzard alerts are still in effect so keep those pipes dripping and stay bundled up! But good news for the week! We forecast these winds from the north will soon be at an end and the temperatures will rise to about 13 degrees tomorrow that steadily rise throughout the week. As always, don¡¯t travel if not necessary, stay indoors, keep your¡ª¡± click.


    Every day was the same on the news. More cold. The square windows above my garage door were frosted but I could see the tiny shadows of drifting snowflakes outside. I wished for summer but I knew once it started, I¡¯d be wishing to be wrapped in blankets sipping hot chocolate while the cold crawled under my doors again.


    My shag rugs, cloth couch, and small heater had defended me so far from the freeze, but the air turned stale and stuffy. Don always irritated and berated me about staying in the garage whilst he spent all day in his office playing games. He didn¡¯t understand that tinkering with old electronics was my form of entertainment.


    I picked up my screwdriver and looked for the screws to reassemble an old radio I found in the dumpster of a Hardware Hovel. A chipped mug with faded text that said World¡¯s Best Sister was filled to the brim with a pile of screws. While searching for ones long enough to put the plastic shell of the radio together, three consecutive bangs echoed through my garage. Startled, I accidentally dropped the mug. Its handle shattered into a multitude of pieces against the concrete floor.


    I rushed to the window and saw someone knocking on my front door while another stared at his phone. When I flicked the switch to raise the garage door I knew it must¡¯ve been my brother¡¯s imbecilic friends.


    ¡°The hell do you want!?¡± I yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting on your dumbass brother!¡± he yelled back. He then had the audacity to tell me to go fetch my brother when I was obviously in the middle of something. I told him to do it himself before Don greeted him at the door. He stepped outside, dressed to brave the blizzard.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked while shivering. ¡°Are those my old gloves!?¡±


    He pulled the pink gloves down his palm with his teeth and wiggled his overstretched fingers. ¡°Thanks for letting me use them,¡± he smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the other day that I was going to the movies with them?¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­ now you know. I¡¯ll pick up something for us to eat after the movie ends. Should be around 6 p.m. or so. We¡¯re already late so I gotta go catch up with the boys. Shit¡ªfeed Freddy won¡¯t you? I forgot. See you in a few! Love you, ciao!¡±


    Before I could utter another word he was already knee-deep in the snow on the sidewalk. ¡°Fucking Freddy,¡± I muttered to myself as the gusts of freezing wind blew against my legs. I hastily shut my door and watched Don and his two nerd-necked friends disappear into the white mist.


    After sweeping up the remains of the mug, I wandered the empty house in search of anything to stave off my hunger. It felt odd whenever Don left; I was so used to his screams directed at his friends when he played competitive games or the music he¡¯d blast out loud. But now all was quiet except for the raging winds that resonated down the chimney.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Hmm. Cereal, soup, or ramen.¡± I groaned and took hold of the instant ramen from the near-empty pantry. This storm was draining our food supplies since neither one of us wanted to walk down to the grocery store. My phone was on the fritz all this morning but I tried sending Don a message anyway.


    ¡°You should go to Fraums and bring me a #10 w/ a hot chocolate :^)¡±


    I noticed the message went through after I was boiling water for my meager lunch. In the meantime, I went into my brother¡¯s room and peered at his fish tank. The damn betta fish, Freddy, was already flaring his gills at me. Like the skin of a dragon, his white scales shimmered with the LED lights above him while his red halfmoon fins waved in the water.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem, huh? Starving?¡± I gave the bastard a pinch of his pellet food and watched as he swam up to the surface to take one bite after another. He flared his gills at me again and hid behind a sunken pirate ship. I seldom went inside Don¡¯s room. RGB lights dazzled from his PC and keyboard while a plasma ball danced on the corner of his desk. Purple beams of ionized neon arced from one finger to the next as I enveloped my hand over it.


    I turned on the TV after almost boiling out all the water from the pot on the stove. ¡°Good morning Bison County! Another chilly day awaits us this early morning! Currently -12 degrees here in¡ª¡±


    ¡°The same segment from earlier?¡± I switched the channel and half of them were black screens while the others continued a normal broadcast of reruns. I finished making my ramen and spent the rest of the day fighting the spotty internet on my phone and going in and out of my workshop. I¡¯d stare at my unfinished projects and scribbled schematics, pick up a tool, and then immediately place it back down. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was bored or frustrated in the confines of my home. If it was bright and beautiful outside I¡¯d willingly stay in here, but I¡¯ve been trapped here for over two weeks now without a say in the matter. I sighed and spun around in Don¡¯s office chair. I was tempted to roll it off the stairs to gather an ounce of energy but I figured it wouldn¡¯t make Don too happy to find his sister with a broken neck at the bottom of the foyer.


    * * *


    It was getting late. The digital clock showed a vibrant blue 7 p.m. and no word from Don had arrived.


    ¡°You still out with your boyfriends? LMK when you¡¯re on way plz.¡±


    7 turned to 8 and I called him only to be met with the 15 seconds of ringing before it went to voicemail. ¡°Asshole! Where are you!? I¡¯m starving to death over here! If you don¡¯t come over soon I¡¯m going to have to fry-up Freddy!¡± I laughed to myself but Freddy didn¡¯t look too amused. ¡°I know the internet and cell has been fucked all week but let me know whenever you get this. Thanks, love ya¡¯.¡±


    With a sigh, I looked at the clock and prepared for an early snooze. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower, Freddy. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Water fell down the drain. Steam filled the bathroom. I was scrolling on my phone looking at old forum posts and seeing if Don responded until my screen fogged up. We were lucky that the water still ran. Pipes were bursting from the cold a couple neighborhoods over.


    I threw my Artificer band shirt into a wrinkled ball along the tile floor before I entered the shower. Blue globs of New Herb Body Wash streamed down my ghostly legs. It claimed to be a ¡®5-in-1¡¯ but I barely trusted it as is. I would never know why my brother used this crap. Courtly Shampoo ran through my long brown hair and fell to the porcelain below. It was past my shoulders now, and I was in dire need of a trim. Morning Bird Conditioner slipped between my fingers to make my hair shine while LauraKi face wash flowed to the pipes beneath.


    Before I could rinse all the product out of my hair I heard a shrilling BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEP come from the living room. It sounded like the warning system of a missing child or that severe weather was inbound. I thought it was a blizzard alert but as it continued for another minute and a male robotic voice echoed throughout my house, I wrapped a towel around myself and rushed downstairs. There on the black television screen with bold red text could only be described as the beginning of the downfall of man.


    THIS IS NOT A TEST. THIS IS NOT A TEST.


    A CATASTROPHIC EVENT HAS OCCURRED ACROSS THE GLOBE.


    ALL MILITARY AND FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE CEASED OPERATIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND SHELTER IN PLACE.


    EFFECTIVE UNTIL 09/09/9999.


    PRODUCED BY REMNANTS OF FEMA AND THE FCC.


    IN GOD WE TRUST.

 07 - Vinegar for My Thirst

    The red letters encompassed my room in crimson while a black shadow fell behind me. I trembled where I stood trying to process what blared from the television. My thoughts were an amalgamation of the Four Horsemen that stampeded around my head.


    War? A plague? An asteroid ready to fall upon us? I looked out of my windows and saw the peaceful cold of the night. A full moon loomed above as stars twinkled in the sky as they always have. The winds were quiet but nothing was out of the ordinary. I wondered if it was a scare-tactic or prank but every channel on the television rang the same. I checked my phone and the same alert covered my screen until I exited out of it.


    ¡°Don, did you see the alert? Are you okay???¡±


    [MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND]


    [RETRY?]


    [MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND]


    [MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND]


    [MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND]


    I tried calling but was met with constant ringing that turned into a crackling buzz of static. It hung itself up after five minutes. I tried all of his social media. Half of them didn¡¯t load while the other half failed to send any messages. My feed was unable to refresh. It felt like I was cut off from the world and left to drift in my own bubble of terror. There was nothing for me to do except worry the entire night until the sandman took me.


    * * *


    Yellow beams of sunlight shone through the veil of my dark curtains. I felt exhausted. I wished for nothing but to stay in my bed all day. In habit, I unplugged my phone from its charger and opened up my socials. Nothing. Not even the posts from yesterday morning or the days before. Each of the apps were endlessly loading and my service bars were constantly jumping up and down.


    ¡°Maybe my phone is just fucked,¡± I sighed.


    I buried the news of yesterday with my morning routine: washing my face, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed. There was still no sign of my brother so I put another pinch of fish food for Freddy and went to gather my own breakfast. A bowl, a spoon, and a mountain of Captain Sugar¡¯s to scratch the roof of my mouth. I went into the fridge where I was greeted with the lack of milk inside.


    ¡°Goddammit, Don.¡± I pondered the idea of using juice or water but I shivered the thought of using anything but. I never used a replacement in my 22 years of life and I didn¡¯t want to start now. I put my boots and jacket on and peeked my head outside. The weather was calm. I could see my breath and the snowflakes that gently fell to the frosted earth.


    I stepped into the soft powder in pursuit of Archie¡¯s Groceries. The store was roughly a mile away and I lacked a car or bike. I was fortunate to have always lived near schools or bus stops so I never bothered to get my license. Don had one, he was planning on buying a car when summer came, but that was just another dream lost in the frozen mist.


    On my trek through side streets, I didn¡¯t see anyone on the road. I walked past a car with a running engine that sputtered every few minutes but no one was inside. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not a thief,¡± I muttered. It wasn¡¯t all that uncommon to see running vehicles absent of their owners, especially in the winter months when the car still needed heating up.


    Signs of life became more evident the closer I came to the grocery store. It would have been dishonest of me if I didn¡¯t say I was relieved to know that I wasn¡¯t the last person on Earth. When I came into view of the parking lot, I could see dozens of people rushing in and out of the store. The glass windows were broken and the automatic doors were stuck open. Unfamiliar faces were loading their vehicles with shopping carts and driving recklessly away. The first words I spoke to someone in this new world were to my childhood friend, he was crouched behind a car and wore a striped track jacket.


    ¡°Ralph?¡± I asked.


    He heard my voice behind him and without a second thought he aimed a handgun at me. I instinctively ducked behind a snow-piled car and yelled at him.


    ¡°Holy shit, dude! What the hell is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°Sage, is that you!?¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes, you goddamn psycho! Are you going to shoot me!?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry! You spooked the shit out of me. Come over here.¡± Ralph waved his hand over to me and instructed me to stay low.


    After collecting my breath, I went over to him. ¡°What¡¯s with the gun? Why are we hiding?¡± I whispered.


    He looked back at the store, ¡°I saw like four fucking guys armed to the teeth go in there. Nothing good could¡ª¡± before he could finish his sentence the rhythmic pops of gunfire echoed from the store. The number of shooters was unknown but it was clear to all that it was two different calibers being shot.


    The mass of people took what they could and rushed out of the store when the shootout started. Some bled when scraping against shards of glass while others were pierced by stray bullets. Soon, the gunfight stood quiet and the four guys Ralph pointed out were sprinting out of the store. The rough-looking men with rifles threw duffle bags full of supplies into the bed of their trucks and sped off. They jumped over the concrete curb and drove through the snow-covered fields of grass surrounding the store.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance,¡± Ralph said.


    I pulled on the back of his shirt, ¡°I know a better way inside.¡±


    We went around the back while it was quiet to avoid the mess of glass and debris. I guided him to the delivery depot for the supply trucks that arrived at night. A semi-truck was currently backed into it and the large shutter door was open to deliver the goods. Ralph and I entered through the side door next to it, the key was still under the rubber mat.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know it¡¯d still be there?¡± Ralph said with a smirk.


    ¡°I worked here for like half a year when I was 19. They haven¡¯t changed a thing. I bet I can still call over the intercom too.¡±


    We entered the warehouse through the heavy steel door. Cardboard boxes and pallets sat upon shelves that reached the metal rafters. They were all full of stock for the front of the store. Besides all of the untouched goods, the warehouse also hosted two managerial offices, a dingy employee break room that I always hated, a bathroom, and a freezer dedicated to the cold items and bags of ice. I noticed they all sat empty with lights on.


    I took hold of a clipboard that was on top of a shopping cart full of goods labeled Damaged. The checklist on the board was unfinished, I almost envied whoever quit while they were in the middle of working. It was a monotonous job to write down all the stock that got ripped, shattered, or smashed, but it beat stocking or being a cashier.


    Ralph peeked into one of the boxes and smiled, ¡°All the employees must¡¯ve left, huh?¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve left too if people were breaking through the windows. I know for certain I wasn''t paid $9 an hour to fight off looters.¡±


    Everything was untouched in the backrooms. In the beginning of the apocalypse, the EMPLOYEES ONLY sign still defended itself against all intruders¡­ except for us. It was like Christmas in the back of Archie¡¯s. Plain cardboard boxes labeled with only the names of brands were opened to surprise us with whatever food awaited to be in our baskets. We each filled up two shopping carts to the brim and were as giddy as schoolchildren. Cereals, snack cakes, pop, sugar, flour, water, bread, chips, pasta, cans of sauce, vegetables, tuna, beans, beef, soups, and stews alike.


    We packed and balanced as much food on top and beneath our carts. I hadn¡¯t realized that we didn¡¯t have any bathroom products until after we were full. Before I went to the front of the store I noticed Ralph had sat in one of the small forklifts, quiet sniffles and soft whimpers came from within.


    ¡°It¡¯s all screwed, Sage. It¡¯s all screwed¡­¡± Crumbs fell to the floor as he took another bite from a spongy cake.


    ¡°What happened, Ralph?¡± I asked somberly. ¡°Everything was normal just the other day.¡±


    Ralph shook his head, dripping tears onto his jacket. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s like the fucking rapture, Sage! I was talking to my mom in the kitchen, and then I was filling a cup of water from my fridge and then¡­ I just heard her voice fade away. I couldn¡¯t find her anywhere¡ªcall her¡ªshe was just gone!¡±


    ¡°The rapture? She must¡¯ve just gone somewhere, Ralph.¡± Thoughts of my brother crept into my mind again. Don couldn¡¯t have just vanished.


    He shook his head again and bit his quivering lip. ¡°Her car was still in the driveway. A lot of our neighbors are gone too. Empty cars that are still running are piled along the highways. And it¡¯s not just here, Sage, look.¡± He took out his phone and opened his gallery. He showed me screenshots from his friends saying the same thing in other countries.


    ¡°Are you still able to go on the internet?¡± I asked. Perhaps there was a way I could still contact Don.


    ¡°Not anymore. This was yesterday around noon. I can¡¯t load anything now. Sage, if the majority of people vanished, the world as we know it is fucked. First, it¡¯ll be the internet. Then cable. Then the electricity and plumbing will be shut off. The world will be in shambles if the government doesn¡¯t come back.¡±


    ¡°The alert last night didn¡¯t inspire much hope,¡± I muttered.


    Ralph gave a slight laugh, ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. But there¡¯s still remnants. Maybe they could form a coalition and start building the country back together¡­ I don¡¯t know. Is Don still around?¡±


    My stare turned blank and all I could do was repeat the phrase, ¡°Is Don still around? He must be. All he did was go to the movies. If the internet and phones went down then maybe that¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t able to respond to me. He must still be at the movies or went to his friend''s place.¡±


    ¡°I hope he comes back¡­ along with everyone else,¡± Ralph said. He hopped off the forklift and wiped his snot and tears on the sleeve of his jacket. ¡°I need a tissue.¡±


    The generic pop music of our time resonated through the empty store while we gazed at the rampage that occurred. Glass everywhere, shelves toppled, cereal and flour ripped apart and scattered across the floor. It was a mess. Fluorescent lights flickered above while he went to the toiletry aisle.


    Archie¡¯s had a small selection of non-edible goods: toilet paper, tissues, tampons, pads, soaps, air fresheners, trash bags, candles, and mops. There was usually a mountain of toilet paper stocked against the back wall but it was thinning. Ralph and I both grabbed three ginormous packs that had to be balanced atop our carts. I didn¡¯t want to think of when I¡¯d run out. I didn¡¯t want to think of anything being different. I didn¡¯t want to think of my brother now gone from this world.


    Ralph and I were skirting along the perimeter of the store. After I grabbed a gallon of milk, we passed the fridges of cracked eggs and the booze coolers. It was unsurprisingly missing a few cases of beer.


    ¡°Might not be able to get another chance,¡± he chuckled. ¡°You want any?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I didn¡¯t care for it before the world turned to shit.¡±


    We passed by the butcher and deli. Most of the meats and cheeses were strewn about and missing from their shelving. We took three packs of chicken and ground beef each. If the power was going to go out soon, the only freezer we¡¯d have was burying it in the snow outside.


    Lastly was the produce section, the prepackaged bags were missing but individual carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and the seven different types of apples still sat on their stands. Ralph was bagging me some while I wandered about near the registers. Bullet holes riddled the candy shelves. I stuffed a few Betwixts and Regi-Sweets into my pockets before I turned to the canned-goods aisle. I remembered there being jerky at the end of the row next to the pickles.


    Shell casings clinked and rolled along the tile with each step I took. About all of the cans were gone or shot-through. At the end of the aisle, I smelt the pickles before I saw the body. Smashed jars dripped a vibrant green liquid below to the corpse hunched along the shelf. He was full of holes. The elderly man¡¯s gore stained the white tile beneath. It was an image that cemented into my brain. The smell of vinegar. The sight of death. The mix of both components made me turn my head and gag viciously.


    Ralph ran over and turned his head at the sight, but still kept an eye on the body. I spat along the floor and wiped my nose while he stepped near the corpse. The man¡¯s pistol landed a few feet away from him, avoiding the blend of pickles and blood.


    ¡°It has 11 rounds in it. You should keep it,¡± Ralph said. I instinctively took hold of it when he handed it to me but I didn''t want it. Ralph refused to take it back but I grasped it tight when I heard the rumbling of engines outside.

 08 - Evils Pursuit

    ¡°They sounded heavy,¡± Ralph said, out of breath.


    ¡°Military?¡± I asked. We crouched behind the employee doors of the warehouse after pulling our stuffed shopping carts, looking through the small plastic windows.


    ¡°Bikes.¡±


    We watched as six men dressed in black leather and shades combed through the store. Sawed-off shotguns and revolvers adorned their hips while rebel flags were stitched to their chests and backs. Their beards were as yellow as their rotten teeth that gave crooked smiles upon the dead man.


    We crept upon the concrete floor as we exited the warehouse. With squeaky wheels and falling boxes of cereal from our carts, we managed to push our supplies through the doors unnoticed. But it didn¡¯t stop us from hurrying when we heard the bikes rev their engines and felt the ground tremble beneath our feet.


    The bikers encircled the building while Ralph and I ventured into an alley nearby. A trail of cookies and snack cakes was left in our wake that one of the bikers easily noticed. I was hunched over picking up the candy bars that fell from my pockets when a blast from a shotgun splintered the wooden fence behind me.


    Sugar poured on the sidewalk as I fell to the ground frightened. Ralph dragged my cart forward and used it as cover as he took potshots at the biker. With no road to drive upon and no cover to hide behind in the open field of snow, the biker sped off.


    ¡°Come on, Sage. Greenwall Street is only a couple blocks away.¡± Ralph lifted me to my feet and pulled the carts down the road. Through a maze of alleys, neighborhoods, and paths dedicated to drain the Kansas storms, we were okay. But the distant thunder of rumbling engines was a constant reminder of people who sought out to do us harm.


    Our bountiful haul wasn¡¯t overflowing as it was before, but we were proud of what we scored. Some would¡¯ve called looting on the second day of the apocalypse ¡®theft,¡¯ but I called it survival. Mostly everyone seemed to have agreed that the game of continued existence began and the rules of an archaic society were left to wither.


    ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t expect to be shot at and hunted down this morning, huh?¡± Ralph laughed.


    I scoffed, ¡°I only went to the store to get milk for my cereal!¡±


    ¡°Yikes, tough life already. What kind was it?¡±


    ¡°Captain Sugar,¡± I said under my frosted breath.


    Ralph winced and shook his head, ¡°You definitely need milk for those. They¡¯ll scratch the shit out of your mouth if you eat them dry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡±


    We caught our breath in a narrow alley and waited for the sounds of motorcycles to dissipate. Ralph and I¡¯s houses were two streets away. We were childhood friends that grew up on the same road. He was more of Don¡¯s friend than mine, but he was always nice to me. After we graduated high school, we didn¡¯t talk much. Though, being with him made me feel safe through the beginnings of this new world.


    The dim afternoon of a gray sky came before we reached Greenwall. A neighborhood once brimming with all families alike now sat still in the silence of winter. I missed the barbecues, the children playing, the smell of cut grass in the morning while the dew still dripped from leaves. Now, all I heard was the howling of motorbikes and the smell of gunpowder.


    Ralph pushed me aside when we saw the pack of wolves speeding down the road. Our carts were stuck in the snow and we were too late to return back to the alleys before they had us down their iron-sights. Shell casings bounced off the powdery asphalt as they drove past us.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Their aim was atrocious on their first pass, but the pack circled us like injured prey. When I peeked my head above the bullet-ridden dumpster, I saw my house not even a block away. I couldn¡¯t tell if there were 12 or 20 in their swarm each time they drove past. They kept us pinned in the alley. Ralph¡¯s poor accuracy with his pistol was unable to draw them away this time.


    A bullet whizzed by Ralph¡¯s ear and punctured the trash can with a metallic ting. ¡°Fuck!¡± he exclaimed, feeling the side of his head for injuries.


    ¡°You okay!?¡± I shouted over the engines.


    Ralph shot twice more into the swarming streets, ¡°We¡¯re fucking dead here! I¡¯ll lead them away! You run to your house and bar the door!¡±


    ¡°What about you!? What¡¯s your plan!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡± Ralph smirked. ¡°Be sure none follow you back home!¡± He rushed out of the alley firing his pistol and making his way to our shopping carts. The bikers swerved. Their aim was unfocused. Between parked cars and the build-up of snow, I could see the holes in Ralph¡¯s clothes but I saw no blood fall from him.


    He pushed his shopping cart off the sidewalk and watched as two bikers sped into it. An eruption of cereal and sugar flew through the air while Ralph shot the two downed motorcyclists. I could hear the shouts and cries from the wolves when they checked on their brethren. I didn¡¯t see if they rose from the earth but the area was painted red and their bodies were left on the street. Ralph took three more shots at the gathering crowd before he disappeared down the road. The bikers revved their engines and with a rallying cry they followed him.


    I heard the echoes of the engines fade into the distant city. ¡°Dammit, Ralph. You better live,¡± I muttered. I proceeded to wrangle the shopping carts from the snow and cross the road. It felt like the bodies stared at me while I pulled each of the baskets up my porch steps. I busted through my front door and wheeled them in. Puddles of water and snow littered the wood floor; I could only imagine my parents scolding me for making such a mess.


    Ralph¡¯s other cart was back across the road. I didn¡¯t want to think of what his fate was. If he breathed frosted air and still lived. If he lay bleeding in the snow. I don¡¯t know what gave me the courage to retrieve his items. Was it my own naivety and belief that he¡¯d return to retrieve his property? Or was it selfishness in this frozen hell to take his belongings for myself? Either way, I betrayed Ralph and unwittingly spat on his words of wisdom when one of the bikers followed me home.


    I was dragging Ralph¡¯s shopping cart up the stairs when I heard the whooping hollering of an aged man and the screams of his trike down Greenwall. The cart¡¯s wheel stuck between the porch steps. The bellows grew louder. When I saw the silhouette crest over the hill I dropped the basket and watched it fall down the steps, scattering supplies in the snow. I ran into my house and locked my front door but it was too late.


    Between the curtains and the frame of the window beside my front door, I saw the trike pull in front of my house. It popped over the sidewalk curb and ran over my plastic mailbox. The gun Ralph gave me was held taut. Its cold steel frame grew warm in my grip.


    The leather-clad biker turned off his trike, pulled the sawed-off from his holster, and unsheathed the 12-inch knife from his hip.


    ¡°I think you made a mess, little missy! Come on out and I¡¯ll help you clean up!¡±


    I made sure the safety was off on my pistol. When I looked back outside I saw him staring at the window I looked through. I dropped to the floor and shivered while my back pressed against the wall. I could hear each heavy footfall climb my porch. In the seconds of silence after, I only heard my own shaken breaths. He then rattled the door handle.


    ¡°Come on out missy and I won¡¯t hurt you!¡± he snickered. A calloused fist pounded against the door that grew stronger and stronger. Then it stopped. The silence came. I braced myself for what he¡¯d do next. With trembling hands, I aimed my pistol out in front of me.


    The shotgun blast shook my house and sent a ringing into my ears. Splinters from the door stuck into the walls as he barged inside with a steel-toed boot. I repeatedly pulled the trigger toward the doorway with my head turned and eyes closed. Each shot forcefully pulled my wrist upward until I stopped when it felt like my tendons were going to tear.


    Then the silence came again.


    My ears came to and I was unable to see a body. Bullet holes riddled my walls and my front door stood crooked. I hesitantly rose to my feet while frosted winds blew through my house. Before I could take another step, I froze in fear when I heard the creaking of wood on my porch. Then my ears drowned in the incessant ringing of a silent earth while the smell of gunpowder filled my nostrils. Shards of glass pierced my skin from the shot-through window. The last I saw was the twirling snowflakes of a gray sky entering my home before a calloused hand tightened around my throat.

 09 - Fathom the Fortune

    The wagon¡¯s wheels rattled with every pebble on the dirt road. Covered was the canvas above as the pitters and patters of evening rain descended upon us. A train of carriages and horses led the way down southern roads and out of the mountains. I didn¡¯t realize how high up we were until the hills of Kamahlor loomed behind.


    Taro, I, and five others were confined to this rattling wagon of wood and nails for three days now. Labellum was the end of the road of the eastern coast of the continent and the caravan now returned south to restart the cycle of endless bartering. On our travels, we visited an orc farm called Rivonmok and the dwarven lake-city of Derkrao. The dwarf hybrids Taro and I ran into there weren¡¯t fond of him slaying one of their kin in the colosseum. But like Taro told the dwarves, it was him or Cescov. It was safe to say that we left the city in a hurry before tensions between the bloodlines escalated.


    Trapped by trinkets and crates of silk, I sat in the back of the wagon with four others: Taro, two orc-hybrid twins that we met at the inn named Ethan and Mell, and a hybrid elf that called themselves Selara. The two who sat above us, leading the horses, were Gadaan and Briar. They were both beasts of fur but Gadaan was the only one with a snout. He was a pure-blooded beast. The first I ever saw in this world. A canine on two legs with furred fingers on their hands and paws for feet. His passenger, Briar, was much the same. Despite the ears, tail, sharpened nails, and furry skin, it was easy to discern that they were a hybrid like the rest of us.


    The orc, Ethan, groaned and stretched his arms from the constricting bench he sat on and looked over at the blonde-haired half-elf. ¡°Hey, dagger-ears, where¡¯d you spawn from?¡±


    Selara scoffed and rolled her eyes while Ethan¡¯s sister punched him in the arm.


    ¡°Be nice!¡± Mell exclaimed.


    ¡°I was just asking a question! What am I not allowed to ask questions in this world that you brought me into!?¡± Ethan said.


    His twin sister gave an agape expression. ¡°Me!?¡± she yelled. ¡°You were the one who decided they needed a ride to Fraums!¡±


    The back and forth bickers of blame happened for well over a minute before Taro or the driver told them to shut up. The identical siblings were doing this well before Taro and I ever stepped foot in the wagon back in Kamahlor, and they would continue to do so until we reached the end of the day.


    Campfires lined the road behind and ahead. Hundreds of passengers and traders dotted the shrublands. While the stars glittered above the silhouettes of mountains, I opened my [Map]. It updated while we were on our travels and showed two different areas, the harbors of Drafael southwest of us and the city of Hubloc to our southeast. We didn¡¯t rest at Drafael but each new location I heard rumor of, it seemingly marked on my [Map]. Where these locations were exactly, I couldn¡¯t tell unless I reached the edge of my current [Map] and entered a new area.


    The only city that I previously discovered through forced-teleportation was roughly 400 miles away. Hubloc was surrounded by a dark blue of unexplored area on my [Map] but a large section of it was colored with its proper sand-ridden terrain since I was last teleported to it.


    Zooming in on the city, I could see the colossal arena that seated over a billion hybrids. If Hubloc is the only location discovered by all of us, then everyone must be headed there. If Alex or Donovan travel there, I¡¯d know. I swiped to my [Party Members] tab. Elixir and Don were still listed as unknown, but if I made it there first, hopefully they¡¯d be in a rush to meet me.


    ¡°You fuckers better not have spawned across the world,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    The half-beast, Briar, heard my grumbles and tilted their head, ¡°Say again?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was nothing. Just hoping some of my old friends go to Hubloc.¡±


    ¡°Friends from Earth? How do you know they were transported here?¡±


    ¡°I can see them listed in my [Party Members] menu. Can you not see yours?¡±


    Briar¡¯s ears flicked as they nestled into their cloak. I could see their eyes move about as if they were digging through their menus. ¡°Mine is empty.¡± Briar gave a stifled laugh, ¡°But it¡¯s not like I had many to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Were you with anyone when you got transported here?¡± I asked.


    The beast shook their head.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Maybe because I was in close proximity with Alex and Don, that¡¯s why they¡¯re listed. It¡¯s not like every friend I had or any of my family is listed on my menu. So it¡¯s not based on relationship statuses from Earth.


    ¡°Taro?¡± I asked. He was staring deep into the fire like before with the cold steel of the knight¡¯s helm guarding his expression.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he responded.


    ¡°Were you near anyone when you got transported?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was in the office.¡±


    ¡°Any friends, coworkers, or family that you were near? Any of them listed under [Party Members]?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°My nephew that I worked with isn¡¯t listed on the menu. Nor the coworkers I was close to. Nor my boss. We were being¡­ physical before I was taken here.¡±


    ¡°Like fighting!?¡± Ethan spewed with a mouthful of jerky.


    Taro grumbled and I could only assume that he was looking for a better way to explain himself, but he settled with a blunt ¡°No.¡±


    I hid my smirk, Alright Taro, you fiendish bastard. But damn this [System] is strange. So it¡¯s not based on relationships or proximity.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I looked over at the siblings, I wondered how they were together in such a vast world. ¡°Mell, did you and Ethan spawn next to each other? Were you both already partied up?¡±


    Ethan took another bite, ¡°Yah, we were both¡ª¡±


    ¡°He asked me!¡± Mell yelled before altering to a more calm demeanor. ¡°Yes, my brother and I both spawned a little ways south together. And yes, we were already partied together.¡± She gave a gleeful smile before turning her head and scowling at her male counterpart.


    I stoked the fire and watched as a mass of embers erupted into the moist air. Well, that only leads me to more questions. It¡¯s not based on relationships or proximity, so maybe they were just lucky?


    While I was deep in thought and trying to rack my head around the rules of the [System] or gain an ounce of explanation, the elf, Selara, raised her hand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spawn with them, but I can see my five brothers in my menu,¡± she said.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Ethan blurted out. ¡°How tall are they?¡± He scooted closer to the elf but his sister put a hand on his chest and shoved him off the log he sat on.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin whenever the two of them fought. It reminded me too much of Sage and Don. ¡°I hope you find your brothers, Selara. Hubloc would be the best place to go. They¡¯ll see that you¡¯re there since everyone discovered it.¡±


    Selara looked solemnly at her leather boots and nodded.


    Soon, Gadaan approached our little camp. He told us before he left the camp that he was going to talk with other drivers, but like the nights previously, we knew he¡¯d spend the night drinking away. It was amusing to watch a coyote-like beast dressed in a cloak and brimmed hat down a bottle of purple wine, but I worried that he wouldn¡¯t sleep it off by the time the sun came up.


    ¡°You all need to rest! We¡¯re going off the path this week.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Briar asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see, little pup¡­ you¡¯ll see.¡± Gadaan left the camp with a stumble and a hiccup before leaning against his wagon and passing out.


    The rest of us soon followed suit. Upon the ground of barren soil and dry grass, I looked to the stars and moons unfamiliar to me. Although fascinating, it saddened me to my core that there was a high likelihood that I¡¯d never see the ones recognizable to me ever again.


    * * *


    Winds whipped through the canvas and scattered loose trinkets across the sands. I knew I should¡¯ve covered myself when Gadaan put on goggles and wrapped himself in a scarf. The rest of us braced ourselves in a circle of limbs and linen shirts in the back of the rickety wagon.


    The sky was a haze of dark orange in the morning sun, shadowed by the arid storm. From frost, to grass, to shrubs, to desert. I was unaware how dreadful the lands would become at the base of the northern mountains. I poked my head out and saw the dim light of a lantern ahead. We were still following the caravan.


    After hours of thrashing winds that threw hot sand across our bodies, the storm stood still. The skies were still a cloud of dim red that blocked the blue above, but the wheels of the wagon continued to turn. Gadaan¡¯s four horses embraced the sands and trotted through the desert with ease.


    Dawns would rise and dusks would fall. The sea of sand was freezing in the night and scorching in the day. Clumps of snow would build in the shadows of the tallest dunes, only to thaw and be consumed by the sands beneath.


    While the sky turned pink in the dusk¡¯s light, we lurched off the caravan path and headed east. By nightfall, the skies were clear and we could see the yellow and white dots of wagon lanterns meet the stars on the horizon.


    Our driver pitched a tent and laid ragged blankets for us on the dunes. He carved a small pit for a fire but his spark wouldn¡¯t catch the kindling.


    I offered an empty hand, ¡°Let me try.¡± With a single strike from his fire starter I was able to light the kindling and make it spread to the dried lumps of wood. It was challenging to not let it be extinguished by the sands that surrounded us, but I somehow knew in my mind that the fire would hold for the night.


    ¡°Some skill you have,¡± Gadaan huffed.


    I scoffed but a smile grew across my face, ¡°It¡¯s about the one thing I¡¯m good at.¡±


    We sat in silence while the others fell asleep without hesitation once they stepped off the wagon.


    ¡°Are we still heading to Hubloc?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We are.¡± The beast gazed at the stars and petted the dust off the satchel on his side. ¡°Did you know that you are not the first of your kind to enter this world?¡±


    I furrowed my brow while I replayed what he said in my mind, ¡°What do you mean exactly?¡±


    He produced a low growl, not out of anger but of frustration or contemplation. ¡°Hybrids have come before. They weren¡¯t around in this millennium until now but I have reason to believe that they came before. Besides the fables and mythos about a new type of creature formed from split bloodlines, I have seen artifacts and architecture that are not native to this world. But¡­ maybe they were from a different realm not native to yours either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have to see it to be certain, but I find it humorous how our realms have crossed. Bloodlines of elves, orcs, dwarves, and beasts existed only in art, ink, and¡­ let¡¯s just say theater. But now, we¡¯re living in a world where it¡¯s physical. I¡¯m sure some of the hybrids are ecstatic to have left the old world and live in this new one but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But not you?¡± Gadaan asked.


    ¡°No. Now, I don¡¯t blame the others. We come from a realm of death, disease, and destruction not caused by giant wolves or literal gods, but caused by our own human nature. As much as Earth could be improved and with how much hate is encapsulated inside it, it is my home. I know if we return then we''ll have the power to mold it into something beautiful.¡±


    Gadaan leaned back on his forearms and raised his chin at me, ¡°So you wish not to flee your Earth like your peers and change it for the better? That is noble¡­ although a challenge.¡±


    ¡°It''s one I¡¯m willing to accept,¡± I said.


    Gadaan scoffed, ¡°It seems our hearts and our realms are all too similar, but I assume we have more dragons,¡± he cackled.


    ¡°Shit, those are real here too!?¡±


    He gave a sly smirk and a shrug.


    ¡°Well at least you don¡¯t have nuclear bombs¡­ yet, ¡± I laughed.


    The driver¡¯s ears folded back, ¡°Knew-clear what?¡±


    * * *


    After two days of driving in the flat empty sands, we saw the first beacon of stone and red rock. Gadaan pulled over to inspect the landmark and flip through crumpled parchments in his satchel.


    ¡°What are we out here for? Hubloc is south of us,¡± Selara said.


    Gadaan held a piece of paper up to the scorching sun, ¡°I¡¯ve heard tale of a dungeon not far from here. You all will help me locate and extract its treasures.¡±


    ¡°Treasures?¡± I asked.


    Taro gripped his hand and the spirals of sand encircled his gauntlet. ¡°What is stopping us from leaving you here and taking your wagon to Hubloc?¡±


    Dammit Taro, you have a thirst for blood now?


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Ethan and Mell exclaimed.


    I was going to defend our driver and his escapade but he defended himself well enough.


    ¡°I carried you this far and now you threaten me!? I beg of you to relieve me of this realm of sand and send me to the grasslands with Seismont! But even if you haul yourself through the dunes, with my horse team alive, and sell all my wares at Hubloc, you¡¯ll still be coinless compared to what we¡¯ll find here!¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± Ethan mocked.


    The beast smirked, ¡°If only you could fathom such fortunes.¡±

 10 - One of These Things...

    We traveled more grueling miles through the dunes until the sun rose high. Gadaan took shelter underneath a large cliff face and waited for the sun to set. He knew we were on a time limit. Our food and water were scarce. There was enough to make it to Hubloc still, but not if we spent another day out here.


    Everyone swept the sands for the entrance to the dungeon during the frosty hours of dusk and dawn. We combed a flat field that Gadaan swore was the opening. I knew not what was written on his parchments, but he counted each step he took. The beast held it to the stars above, trying to match the constellations.


    ¡°It should be here!¡± he sneered.


    Briar and Selara walked along the dunes with rusty lanterns while the rest of us took a huddled respite around a fire.


    ¡°How much do you want to bet that we ain¡¯t finding it?¡± Ethan said with chattering teeth.


    Mist floated from Mell¡¯s yawn, ¡°I¡¯m giving him until sun-up, then we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Taro nodded silently while I observed the treasure-hunters. Gadaan paced back and forth while Briar would stay near him and listen to the winds. On the other hand, I saw Selara be much more proactive with her time. She climbed the red sandstone cliffs with nimble hands and quick footwork. We tried to climb it before but our orcish grip was unable to secure any handholds without tearing them from the rock.


    Selara made it to the top. Her dull blue cloak billowed in the windswept desert as her shining blonde hair danced with the stars. I didn¡¯t know if all elves had better eyesight, but she certainly did.


    ¡°I see it!¡± she exclaimed.


    All of us followed where she pointed but saw no grand entrance befitting of a dungeon. Selara exhaled in annoyance and slid down the cliff with grace. She skipped to the north, just a dozen steps past Gadaan, and stood atop the dune she declared was the doorway. But as we stepped closer, the moonlight glistened off the crystal sands that glanced off the curved structure buried in the desert.


    We stepped onto the stone next to Selara. What we saw was no sand dune, but a bowl-shaped cavity that sunk into the lands.


    ¡°How the hell did we miss this?¡± I said.


    ¡°Nice one, elf-eyes!¡± Ethan exclaimed. He nudged Selara''s shoulder and she took an uncomfortable half-step away from the orc.


    I had to stop the rest of the crew before they sprinted down the jagged steps of stone that spiraled around the perimeter. ¡°We should party up before we explore this place.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Taro said.


    Ethan and Mell groaned but the rest of us opened our [Party Members] menu and added one another. I already had Taro added but I found it amusing that both the siblings had the exact same stats.


    Ethan Hilldoc


    Health: 30/30


    Stamina: 30/30


    Mana: 10/10


    Monsters Slain: 0


    Mell Hilldoc


    Health: 30/30


    Stamina: 30/30


    Mana: 10/10


    Monsters Slain: 0


    Selara


    Health: 20/20


    Stamina: 20/20


    Mana: 30/30


    Monsters Slain: 0


    Briar Montrove


    Health: 20/20


    Stamina: 20/20


    Mana: 20/20


    Monsters Slain: 0


    ¡°There¡¯s six of you but I only have five added, am I missing someone?¡± I asked.


    Briar pulled on my shirt and whispered in my ear while Gadaan stood back with crossed arms and a tapping paw. ¡°We can¡¯t add him. He doesn¡¯t have a [System] like we do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Thanks for letting me know.¡± I went over to our driver and explained to him how the [System] was attached to us hybrids.


    He waved me off, ¡°Do whatever sorcery you wish! It¡¯s not like I have treasure to attend to¡­¡± the beast huffed.


    While we were adding each other, I saw Selara squint her eyes while she was messing with her menus.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It says I reached the ¡®Party Maximum.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You have five brothers you¡¯re already partied with, right? I suppose 10 is the limit.¡±


    Selara left with a hum and was the first to walk down the steps.


    ¡°Wait, what about weapons?¡± Mell asked.


    ¡°What if there¡¯s a dragon!?¡± her brother shouted.


    Gadaan rolled his eyes and continued down the steps. ¡°I got one on me and I already gave my spare to the pup. The knight has a longsword and the boy has a sickle, what else do we need to cut cobwebs?¡±


    The twins huffed and we all continued down the stairs. I couldn¡¯t see the bottom of the entrance except for the layer of sand that built on the floor over time. The dust-ridden walls were carved from the same red stone as the cliffs nearby. I ran my hand over them and I could feel the intricate curves and swirls etched into them.


    Lantern light washed over us as we stood at the bottom of the pit. I looked up and could see the waves of sand fly over us and pour small grains upon us. Selara looked around and found a thin doorway inside. After one step, all of the hybrids could see a [System] message appear in front of her.


    [DUNGEON DISCOVERED!]


    [Input Location Name]


    Ethan loomed over the elf¡¯s shoulder to read the notification, ¡°Oh shit! We¡¯re the first one¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°Of course we are,¡± Gadaan said. ¡°This place hasn¡¯t been touched for centuries.¡±


    Selara shoved him off her shoulder and turned away, thinking of a name to give the dungeon.


    ¡°Name it something stupid like Selara¡¯s Hole!¡± Ethan cackled.


    Selara scoffed with a disgusted expression while Mell continued to yell at her brother.


    Taro, Gadaan, and I waited patiently as Briar went up to our explorer and sheepishly suggested naming it something pretty like Rose Stone Sanctuary but Selara shook her head and the young half-beast solemnly put their head down with a quiet ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Selara looked at me for a suggestion and I shrugged. As much as I was a poet at heart, I had too little to go on to permanently name this dungeon. She clicked her tongue and spoke the name we all waited to hear, ¡°Gadaan¡¯s Grotto.¡± It was finalized on the [Map] and the name appeared on our screens as we entered the doorway.


    Ethan booed while the rest of us shrugged and carried on down the dark hall. While we stepped ahead, I could hear our driver and the elf talk behind us.


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t see what you¡¯re all seeing, I appreciate it, missy.¡±


    ¡°It should be named after the one searching for it after all.¡±


    Through the first carved hall, we finally found an empty room void of sand. I shook the red dust from my pelt like a year-old rug while the others dumped the crystallized grains of time from their boots. Taro lifted his visor and an entire dune poured from underneath.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough sand to build a castle for such an esteemed knight such as yourself,¡± I jested. Taro left me with only a scoff. Still a win in my book. I found this once-Japanese man more peculiar as we traveled together. He was more aggressive than I initially thought he was but I suppose if I was in the middle of fornicating with my boss and was thrusted into this world then I¡¯d be pissed too.


    Although we were excited to explore the dungeon, we were sun-beaten and bruised from the gales blown from distant dunes. The cold touch of the stone and chilly breeze in the air zapped the rest of our energy. I made a small flame on the floor out of Gadaan¡¯s fire starter and the last of the wooden debris we had on the wagon. Surprisingly, I was met with a [System] notification.


    Skill Level-Up!


    [Firemaking] ¡ª LVL 2 -> LVL 3


    ¡°Ah nice. You guys see that?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Selara asked.


    Guess that answers my question. ¡°I just leveled up my [Firemaking] to level three. I guess I did it enough times.¡±


    Briar was the only one to feint any interest but they seemed to genuinely care. ¡°You barely used any kindling, how¡¯d you know it¡¯d light?¡± they asked.


    ¡°Something just clicked in my head that I didn¡¯t need it. I hollowed a bit out of the wood earlier and just flew the spark inside the log and¡­ y¡¯know.¡± There was no proper way to explain how I knew or what my technique was, it was like my hands acquired muscle memory in such a short amount of time.


    Briar tilted their head but I could tell they somewhat knew what I meant. The rest of the party surrounded the fire and sat against the stone walls. I could see each of their [Stamina] bars steadily start to rise.


    ¡°How long are we resting? An hour?¡± Selara asked, digging through her rucksack.


    Gadaan sneered through fanged-teeth, ¡°I know you have the itch to explore more but we must take our time. It¡¯s not going anywhere.¡±


    Selara slid her back to the stone floor with a pout.


    ¡°Before we do anything,¡± said Ethan, ¡°I have some questions.¡±


    ¡°Proceed,¡± Gadaan groaned with his hat lowered over his eyes.


    ¡°One, do we know for certain there aren''t any monsters here? And two, if there are monsters, do any of us have skills to fight them!?¡±


    Mell slapped his arm, ¡°Don¡¯t be dumb! There¡¯s seven of us! Taro killed an actual person and Karnyn¡¯s stats say that he killed a monster before.¡±


    Gadaan lifted his hat with a claw to look at the sickle on my hip, ¡°How¡¯d you manage that?¡±


    ¡°And why is your [Mana] at zero?¡± Selara uttered.


    Jeez, am I going to have to explain myself to every person I come across? I told the party what I told the orcs at the inn back in Kamahlor. ¡°Taro did most of the work before he¡­ died. I just managed to get the last couple strikes in before it was able to get me too. That¡¯s how I got this pelt.¡±


    ¡°But what happened to your [Mana]?¡± Briar¡¯s tone was kind, but it felt like it was the type of voice someone would give to a loved one inflicted with some fatal disease.


    Either the fire got hotter or the sun rose early and scorched the sands above. I was sweating from my back and my brow. The direwolf pelt suffocated my flesh, I had to take it off. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. Maybe I was just born cursed. I put the points into the rest of my attributes like you all did.¡±


    Ethan and Mell gave me a stern inquisitive look. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why isn¡¯t your [HP] or [SP] higher?¡±


    Shit they¡¯re still so low it looks like I just spawned. ¡°Oh, I just put all my points into [Crafting],¡± I said with a wry laugh. Fortunately, they couldn¡¯t view my attribute levels and my [Firemaking] skill was more than enough to prove to them that I was weak by choice and it wasn¡¯t some curse that the Creator decided to bestow upon me. Definitely.


    With the party satisfied with my story, we all slept on the hard stone ground. My pelt as my blanket, my arms as my pillow, I fell to slumber that ended quicker than I anticipated.


    My fire still smoldered and I could see the blue twilight of dawn from the previous hallway. Five curled up shadows surrounded me but before I could process that Selara was the one missing, I heard the creaking of wood, the clinking of metal, and the crushing of bone. I rushed down the dark winding hall with an ember-lit torch. As my footsteps echoed down the passage, the noises stopped. Through the doorway, a red crimson liquid washed over my boot as I saw five treasure chests in a circle. They surrounded a blonde-haired elf. With two halves of her body now torn at the waist.

 ~My Sincere Gratitude + Patreon Announcement

    I haven¡¯t done something like this since I released Wanderlust</a> back in April 2024 and it¡¯s always nerve-racking to submit a new story. A lot has changed since then, not only in my life but in my writing ability as well--as much as some of you dorks might think otherwise :P but nonetheless, I¡¯m incredibly thankful to those that have helped me with this entire process.


    First, a big ol shoutout to the wondrous Sleepy_Sluggo</a>! My amazing girlfriend, cover artist, editor-in-chief, and my biggest critic :D (check out her art and nature pics!)


    Secondly, a humongous thank you to the members at the discord server Immersive Ink</a>! Writing can be a lonely task, so I¡¯m thankful for all those who have given me feedback, critiques, inspiration, or just given me a laugh when the days got tiresome. It truly is a warm and inviting community that I¡¯m grateful to be a part of and I recommend any writer to check it out.


    And lastly, thank YOU, the Reader! I appreciate you even giving me time in your day to read this message! Although I¡¯ve written hundreds of thousands of words in my lifetime (maybe even a million if you¡¯re counting all the essays I had to do in school), I¡¯m still unable to properly communicate how much having any sort of viewership that cares even a sliver about my stupid little stories mean to me. I¡¯ve always written from my heart and to now have a proper audience who want to follow my characters and setting is a type of feeling I can¡¯t explain. It gives me a sense of purpose that I had never had. It makes me want to make this story right. It makes me want to make this story as amazing as it can be!Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Patreon Launch


    With the release of Nerfed At Birth on my Patreon</a>, I¡¯m currently offering a $2, $5, and a $10 tier.


    Every tier offers early chapters ranging from 4, to 12, to 20 chapters ahead! This not only includes the early chapters, but maps, shoutouts, character sheets, and a discord role in my server</a> that unlocks exclusive Patreon-only channels.


    If you liked the story so far and binged every chapter on RR that has been released, I highly recommend checking out the Patreon. Not only does it show me that you like the story, it allows me to work on it full-time. I can be stress free of my bills and pay it toward improving the story, commissioning artists, and maybe even upping how many chapters Patrons get (if Irokirth wills it and Kraxmon blesses the speed of my fingers on the keyboard).


    My Gratitude


    The story is planned for roughly 10 books/volumes at the moment with holiday-oriented chapters and spin-offs as well. I want to make this story incredible and I will do my damndest to make it so. I want to put all of my effort and time into crafting this story, and I¡¯m grateful for any and all who have granted me the ability to do so, either through reading, rating, commenting, or subscribing, thank you, legitimately, from the bottom of my heart. Happy New Year from me to you, let''s make it a good one!

 11 - Rime-ridden Corpses

    My gun flew from my hands when he pulled me outside. I was able to squirm out of his grasp and with glass-ridden palms I clacked the man¡¯s teeth together with a strike into his lower jaw. The biker stumbled back with a vile yellow smile. Blood poured from the corners of his mouth and soaked into his beard.


    He charged at me with his bowie knife that caught only a few strands of my hair. But I felt his next swing. With the empty sawed-off in his other hand, he smacked the cold metal of the barrel into the side of my head.


    My vision blurred. My legs swayed. We clung to each other in sickening frustration while we danced on the white-powdered porch. He overpowered me in every way but I dug my nails deep into his wrists and wouldn¡¯t let go. He snarled, sneered, and bit at me like the wolf he was.


    In my desperate attempt of control while he was shoving me around, I stomped on his knee and made him buckle. In his off-balanced state, I threw him to the side. What I didn¡¯t expect was for him to bring down the wood fence surrounding my porch with him.


    Rapid panting came from me. And wheezing, from him. I didn¡¯t know if he had a broken spinal cord or was catching his breath. But I didn¡¯t wait. I staggered down the steps and picked up the shotgun protruding from the snow. I wanted his knife but it was lost. I saw his eyes turn frantic and his hollow gasps of frosted air when I loomed over him.


    With closed eyes and both of my hands over the gun, I clubbed it into his skull. My screams and cries into this depraved world blocked the sounds of his bones fracturing. I stopped when the stock of the sawed-off splintered in two.


    I then threw myself off the man and wept into the snow.  The cold felt comforting on my swollen face and sliced hands. All I wanted to do was lay there for eternity. I never wanted this. I didn¡¯t want to choose my own life or be forced to end another. My gaze avoided the biker when I turned back. His legs were still and his breath silent. That was all I needed to know.


    Past Ralph¡¯s scattered groceries, I walked back into my broken home. My head pulsated. I headed for the bathroom in search of bandages and a mirror. In the reflection, I saw a purple bruise crawl across the side of my face. The white of my eye turned bloody in the corner but I hoped it was just a burst blood vessel.


    While I looked over myself, thin streams of blood fell from my hands into the porcelain sink. The injury wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought but removing the few shards of glass from my palms with shaky hands and tweezers was agonizing.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I said with gritted teeth. ¡°I better not have glass under my skin for the rest of my life.¡± I pulled out as much as I could and soaked it with water. I wrapped my hands with gauze and took a bag of peas from the freezer for my head. My body wanted to rest but I resisted with all my might to go into my room and fall asleep in case I had a concussion. Instead, I stood near my front door and listened.


    No revving motorcycles. No gunshots. Only the soft sounds of northerly winds blowing through naked branches and sweeping against the asphalt road. It was hard not to pass out on the couch right then.


    I decided to make myself busy by collecting Ralph¡¯s shopping cart and items. I did my best to avoid looking at the biker¡¯s corpse but once I made eye contact, it was all I saw in my mind when I looked away. I gingerly stepped to him with my head turned over my shoulder and rolled him onto his chest. His knife jutted out from his back.


    I closed my eyes. ¡°Motherfucker,¡± I whispered. I continued to collect Ralph¡¯s fallen groceries until I heard a shout from down the road. I fearfully knelt down by the body of the biker but rose when I saw my childhood friend jogging on the sidewalk.


    Even from here I could tell he was exhausted and out of breath. He panted and spat out icicles when he came over. ¡°Are y-you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll live, Ralph. I just¡­¡± I had no words left to tell as my tears froze to my cheeks and Ralph wrapped around me. He led me to the living room and sat with me before gathering the rest of his groceries.


    ¡°How¡¯d you make it out?¡± I asked. It was so hard to speak it felt like chains were wrapped around my throatThis tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Ralph smirked, ¡°Easy to lose them in the streets. They weren¡¯t from Fallfield. I doubt they¡¯ll return anytime soon but they won¡¯t be too happy if they see their buddies laying on the street.¡±


    ¡°What do we do with them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deal with it. You get some rest.¡±


    ¡°But what if I have a concussion?¡± I asked. ¡°I could slip into a coma!¡±


    Ralph scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s a myth, Sage. I¡¯d tell you to look it up but the internet is still down. Trust me when I say that you can rest. I¡¯ll clean up and check up on you in a bit.¡±


    While in my bed and wrapped in blankets as the cool breeze flooded my house, my head spun. Memories of the past were drowned by those of this afternoon. My comforts. My house. My brother. My face. Stripped away. Destroyed. Stolen. Battered.


    Time sped by while I came in and out of slumber. Visions of my brother came to be and scenes of a place unfamiliar to me crept in my mind. I could feel grains of sand sift through my fingers and the gusting wind of a distant storm in my hair. I wanted to sleep more to escape my current reality but my body wouldn¡¯t let me.


    In my struggles, Ralph came by my bedside and asked if I was okay. I awoke in a jolt and a heavy breath. The windows cast dark hues of the coming night.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay here,¡± Ralph said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I groggily muttered.


    ¡°You need somewhere with a lock and a front door at least!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fix it later.¡±


    Ralph stared at me with half-shut eyes. ¡°You have an entire empty neighborhood to yourself. You can sleep anywhere! Let¡¯s just do it for the time being until we repair your door or think of something better.¡± He practically dragged me out of my bed and pushed me outside before I could refuse.


    I stumbled as the snow fell in the night but he led me to a house a few doors down. I didn¡¯t even know who my neighbors were and now I was sleeping in their bed.


    ¡°Just think of it like a hotel or a vacation rental!¡± Ralph exclaimed. He had fun nitpicking their decor and combing through their drawers but my body and head were too tired to deny rest. I laid my head on soft pillows and crawled under silk sheets of the master bedroom while Ralph went into another. I was fortunate that he was beside me. I dared not imagine what my life would¡¯ve been like without him in the first days of the apocalypse¡ªwhile the water still ran and the power stayed on, while gas was plentiful and stores still stocked.


    * * *


    I pondered my dreams of a false world while in the stranger¡¯s shower. The water felt hotter, the soaps felt cleaner, and the towels felt fancier. I dried myself off with the velvet rags and considered digging through their closet, but as I stared at the portrait of an elderly couple on the wall, I decided against it. I put on my torn blue jeans, my old high school shirt that was now stretched at the neck, and my snow-covered jacket.


    Ralph was already up and I could see him giddy with excitement.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Never better!¡± he shouted. I had hoped for news of the world turning to normal or my brother was found but alas he pointed to the garage and dangled keys in my face. I rolled my eyes as he persisted that I follow him to see what was inside. I wasn¡¯t surprised to see a large SUV in such a high-class home, but I was impressed to see it in such nice condition. It shone a glossy hue like it was brand new.


    Ralph started the engine while I combed the rest of the garage. There were few tools and fewer things to tinker on. I noticed the custom license plate read WAND3R before Ralph bellowed with joy.


    ¡°Full. Fucking. Tank! Where do you wanna go, Sage? Yellowstone? Rushmore? Grand Can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Home, Ralph.¡±


    He somberly looked at the wheel and shut off the engine and left with a sour ¡°Sure.¡±


    I sighed and walked behind him as we exited the house. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave my home, Ralph,¡±


    ¡°What is there left to hold on to?¡± he yelled. ¡°The world is actively collapsing around us! We had to steal! We had to kill people! You don¡¯t even have a functioning front-fucking-door!¡±


    ¡°I still have Don!¡±


    He threw his arms down and gripped his beanie in frustration, ¡°How do you know? Has he texted you yet? Sent any letters through our defunct postal service? Knocked on your fucking door? From my point of view, everything we gave a shit about is gone!¡±


    Tears crept in my eyes and my face turned flush. ¡°I have to find him!¡±


    ¡°And where will you look?¡± Ralph shouted.


    I clenched my fist and pressed my foot deeper into the snow, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the movie theaters and check if he¡¯s there!¡±


    ¡°And if he¡¯s not there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll search the town!¡±


    ¡°And if he¡¯s not there!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explore the whole fucking planet!¡±


    Ralph stood silent with a smirk, ¡°Good. Then pack your bags, your fish, and let¡¯s search for Don.¡±

 12 - Mimicry Mimicking A Mimic

    The smoke of torchlight rose to the stone ceiling, crawling through eroded cracks of ancient times. We stood together and watched as Selara¡¯s body disintegrated into blue particles that joined the wisps of smog above.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone¡­¡± muttered Gadaan.


    ¡°Not yet. She has a chance to still live,¡± Taro said.


    Briar¡¯s light-brown ears pinned back, ¡°But she¡¯ll have to kill someone.¡±


    Just like Taro before, a red notification from the [System] alerted me that she was [Disbanded] from our party. A knot twisted itself into my stomach when I imagined what her brothers were thinking, but I had more pressing issues to tend to. Her killer was still here.


    I held taut to my sickle, ¡°We¡¯ll suffer the same fate if we aren¡¯t careful.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±  Ethan and Mell shouted.


    We stood behind the backs of the chests that once encircled the elf. Made of hardy timber and sturdy steel, all five looked like any ordinary treasure chest from a fantasy tale.


    ¡°Gadaan, do you have mimics in this world?¡± I asked, looming behind the containers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard not of a ¡®mimic¡¯ but I¡¯ve heard tales from the dwarves of a creature called ¡®thorsoks.¡¯ Carnivorous creatures who shape themselves as treasure and gold.¡±


    Sounds like a classic mimic to me. But how do they behave in this world? And which one is it? Ethan and Mell wanted to rush ahead and bash all the chests with lanterns and torches but I advised against it. Briar hid behind Gadaan while Taro and I treaded carefully. I scraped my wretched sickle along the stone in search of a reaction from the mimics, but all I was able to discern from it was that the noise made the beast-people flinch and cover their pointed ears.


    Fine, if I can¡¯t bait you the easy way¡­ ¡°Gadaan and Briar, raise your swords. Taro, prep a bolt of whatever you can muster that isn¡¯t ice. Ethan, toss me your torch. Mell, your lantern.¡± The orcs groaned but lobbed them both to me. After an ungraceful catch, I shaved the sides of the torch handle, sprinkled the kindling between the chests, and poured a meager amount of oil where Selara¡¯s blood once covered.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna burn the loot inside!¡± Ethan exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯ll survive if we kill the mimic fast enough and smother it. Now, ready yourself.¡±


    The role of the leader in this encounter wasn¡¯t chosen by me, but fell in my lap. I wasn¡¯t naturally this outgoing on Earth, but I bore witness to enough of my party member¡¯s taken by the gods to want to prevent it from happening ever again. I wished for this world¡¯s demise. Even if that means stomping on any of the vile creatures spawned by the Creator.


    You¡¯re the best firemaker in the realm, right? Turn it all to ash and cinder. To ash and cinder. To ash and¡­ I sucked in my breath and drew my arm across the stone with the sickle¡¯s steel, producing a vile screech and throwing an ember into the center of the chests. It turned into a blaze. Like the depths of Hell, I cast us into an inferno of flickering shadows and dripping sweat. The heat of the desert above was not enough to match the flames below.


    I heard the chests begin to crack and collapse. The metal singed and screamed with a vibrant orange glow. My party grew worrisome of the treasure held within but I knew of the monster hidden amidst. I knew not if the quivering heat from the fires made the chests dance or if they were doing it themselves. All five shook and rattled as if under some sorcerer''s curse.


    We held our ground with weapons raised when the chests screamed in a unified fury and stood on two legs. Over eight feet tall, their bodies were grotesque, limber, and made of rotten timber. With chests for heads and lids lined with sharpened teeth, they transformed themselves into a cacophony of amorphous shapes that burned away and forced them to stay in their original gangling form. They ran wild and swung at each other as if blinded by the blaze.


    Taro launched a bolt of hardened sand at one that struck through its torso. Like a chameleon, it took on the color and texture of the red sand for a moment before it returned to its original charred flesh. It dripped black ichor like squid ink with every step.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I knew not if the monster sensed where the bolt came from or heard the rattling of Taro¡¯s armor, but it charged after him. With limbs hard as bone and claws sharp as glass, the mimic slashed away his sword and gorged down on half of his body. Rows of mangled teeth pierced his steel and crushed his sternum. I saw his [Health] dip lower and lower: 10/10, 9/10, 8/10, eventually falling to 4/10 [HP] until Ethan and Mell slammed against the monster before it could tear him apart or swallow him whole. I believed that Taro would¡¯ve been chewed in half like Selara was if he didn¡¯t have that armor equipped.


    The twins killed the beast with bare fists and scolding torches to its sweltering flesh. Mell was the first to earn the kill after bearing her tusks into the creature¡¯s throat. Her ink-stained maw smiled with joy while her brother voiced his complaints and the mimic contorted along the ground.


    Briar and Gadaan dealt with their own manic bipedal chest while I dealt with mine. Three of them were still on fire with the screaming singes of metallic hinges. A wild slash from a mimic caught the young beast¡¯s shoulder while another¡¯s kick met the back of Gadaan. In the corner of my eye, Briar¡¯s [Health] dropped to 14 points. If not for the natural fortitude of the beast bloodline, they would¡¯ve been near death. The leader of this expedition snarled and bore his fangs after failing to protect the hybrid-pup. He thrusted his sword through the back of one of the mimic¡¯s and charged it to the stone floor. Gadaan twisted and skewered the monstrosity even as the flames seared his fur.


    With no sword in hand and so little [Health], Taro was out of commission and clung to the back walls. I and the rest of the party diligently targeted the trio of mimics when they weren''t near one another. We stood ready as they shapeshifted and contorted into a variety of bulbous sizes and formless shapes. They would turn as orange as the flame surrounding them or gray like the stone beneath. Ethan and Mell managed to bring another down after I narrowly dodged its grasp. I was able to tell which one the siblings earned the kill after Ethan bellowed with joy.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re even!¡± he shouted over the cries of the remaining mimic. It charged me with its song of terror and reached to take hold of me. Briar came to my aid and shoved me aside. The fur-beast slit the palms of the mimic. In its fury, the creature gripped the shoulders of Briar and moved to devour the young adventurer as the other tried to do with Taro.


    Crooked rows of teeth dug deep into the beast¡¯s skin, staining their orange fur a dark crimson. I regained my footing and lunged at the heinous abomination. Slashes from my sickle peeled away its scorched flesh and left it kneeling in a puddle of blackened blood. My hands dug deep into its maw to pry its teeth from the beast. I could feel the ivory daggers enter my skin but I didn¡¯t release until I saw Briar fall from the mimic¡¯s mouth. I stood atop the creature¡¯s seared back, prying the top lid of its treasure-chest-mouth until I heard the wood splinter and the metal crack on its hinges. All witnessed the loud snap of its jaw that fell the remaining foe. Its limp body threw me to the stone below in a tumble, but it was vanquished.


    Attribute Leveled-Up!


    [Strength] ¡ª LVL 1 -> LVL 2


    * * *


    I later awoke in a daze against the chilling stone walls. Bodies of the mimics smoldered before me, breathing only the life of a fire that once consumed them. I could feel that same flame upon my hands, inside my gut, and suffocating my mind. This bloodthirsty fervor in my mind, whether caused by my orc bloodline or the waning adrenaline in my body, left me exhausted.


    Looking top-left, I was happy to see the other four hybrids still alive. With the four mimics put to the sword¡­ or fist in the twins¡¯ case, we were able to rest and recover. All of our [Stamina] was drained but our [Health] however, was worse for wear.


    Ethan Hilldoc


    Health: 19/30


    Monsters Slain: 1


    Mell Hilldoc


    Health: 24/30


    Monsters Slain: 1


    Briar Montrove


    Health: 8/20


    Monsters Slain: 1


    Taro Matsuno


    Health: 4/10


    Monsters Slain: 1


    I noticed me and Taro had the same amount of [Health]. I envied his armor now. If I had sustained the same attack that he did, I would¡¯ve been sent to the scorching sun of the Arena. The party shuffled in their own pockets of the room and checked on one another.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Briar asked.


    Gadaan grimaced his canid fangs when wrapping his wounds. ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll live, pup.¡± He ruffled between Briar¡¯s dingo-like ears. From the corner of my eye I could see both their tails wagging while I limped to the mimic¡¯s bodies. You can¡¯t be shaped like a treasure chest and not contain any loot now, can you?


    With sickle in hand and in search of the corpse¡¯s treasures, it was only a matter of time before my [System] gave me a notification once I began to slice.


    Skill Level-Up!


    [Butchering] ¡ª LVL 1 -> LVL 2

 13 - Every Last Coin

    Flesh fileted, limbs rent asunder, cavernous stomachs opened. The four mimics before us were mutilated in the search of treasure. Although their heads appeared as the container for bountiful riches, the loot was lodged deep within their multiple stomachs. Abyssal black with the charred trim of an ember-smoldering orange, the mimic¡¯s bodies held glittering silver and steel.


    The party stood behind me as they watched me pull the plunder from its guts. While they gazed longingly at the strings of silver coins, my arm was stained black and my nostrils filled with the heinous stench that smelled of a mixture consisting of methane and gasoline. I threw the loot to the side, letting my party clean the stinking loot themselves.


    Ethan was the first to take hold of it, wiping the mimic¡¯s blood off the coin with spit and his tunic. ¡°So what is it?¡± he asked,


    ¡°You don¡¯t have currency where you¡¯re from, half-orc?¡± Gadaan mocked. He took it into his hand and tilted it toward the lantern light. The coin shimmered a silver shine with a subtle iridescent coating. From under my bloodstained brow, it looked to have a hole drilled into the center that allowed a string to be put through and tied as a necklace. What surprised all of us with an amusing ¡®ooh¡¯ and ¡®aah¡¯ was when the fur-beast took pieces off the coin. Eight curved triangle pieces were taken apart from the coin and placed in his palm. Each of the individual pieces had a missing section and a part that jutted out so that it could all be put back together like a jigsaw puzzle and form a round coin once again.


    ¡°Because the pieces are a pain in the ass and have a tendency to break apart in one¡¯s pocket, we like to set the coins in a frame called a ¡®skeleton.¡¯ They¡¯re cheap as shit and made of iron. No value besides the convenience of holding all your pieces together.¡± He placed the small silver triangles back together in the skeleton and flicked it to Ethan. ¡°A quarter of the coin will get you a loaf of bread. An eighth will get you a fallfruit. It¡¯s common courtesy to give a whole one for a day''s labor, but some people may not have the manners to do such a generous thing.¡±


    ¡°These little triangles remind me of chips,¡± the orc chortled.


    An apt name, I thought to myself. Between the four mimics, I pilfered about 72 intact silver coins from the monster¡¯s stomachs. We split it evenly amongst the six of us and any loose chips that I found were given to our dungeoneering guide.


    While we rested, Ethan decided he saw something glistening in the body of a mimic that I didn¡¯t butcher fully. He stuck his entire head into the mimic¡¯s mouth, swimming in its throat and fishing for treasure in its belly. With a gasping breath and covered head to toe in black ichor, he raised his hand to reveal a simple gold banded ring.


    ¡°You¡¯re goddamn nasty,¡± Mell said.


    ¡°And you¡¯re ring-less!¡± he exclaimed.


    Besides the odd gem or powdered jewels, I didn¡¯t find much in the mimics that drew my eye until I noticed an amulet tangled deep in the recesses of the monster¡¯s mouth: an old chain centered with a cracked diamond and corroded copper shell. I checked the description with my [Inventory] and it told me nothing different than my personal observations¡­ except for the ominous line at the bottom.


    Swears fealty to protect the wearer until its obliteration.


    So you promise to be loyal and be my shield, little amulet, is that it? Can you talk? ¡°Hello,¡± I whispered. I couldn¡¯t tell if I wasn¡¯t loud enough and the artifact didn¡¯t hear me so I repeated my greetings again.


    Gadaan flicked his ears and turned to me with a squinted look, ¡°You talking to jewelry, boy?¡±


    I felt flushed with embarrassment. ¡°Oh,¡± I wryly laughed, ¡°It''s just hybrid sorcery.¡±


    He huffed and turned back to Briar who looked even more doubtful at my excuses than he.


    I turned away and put the amulet to my lips, ¡°Don¡¯t make me look like a fool, you hunk of  junk,¡± but no response from the jewelry was given. I clipped the stubborn chain around my neck and continued to rest for the day. The other hybrids took the respite to overlook their [System] menus and levels.


    I noticed Mell¡¯s and Ethan¡¯s [Health] and [Stamina] maximum rose to 40 points while Taro¡¯s rose to 20. Although neither of their injuries healed because of the level-up, it was valuable to know that they¡¯d be able to take more hits on the next adventure once they recovered. My stomach wouldn¡¯t be able to handle seeing anymore familiar faces pooling blood in the cracks of stone.


    Gadaan, wrapped in ragged bandages, whistled his light snores while Briar examined the silver coins given to them.


    ¡°You level any?¡± I asked.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Briar perked up, their tail brushed against the stone with every wag. ¡°My [Strength] increased!¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice! What¡¯s the level?¡±


    ¡°Two! What¡¯s yours at? Probably more than the other orcs, huh? They told me theirs is only at four, but yours is probably six or seven! You slain two monsters after all!¡±


    Thoughts of my initial spawn rang through my head again, it stung each time I thought about it. Oh, yeah, about that¡­ I was kinda cursed by the literal Creator of this planet because he just wanted to fuck with me, so actually my [Strength] and all my stats starts at fucking ZERO! But I let those thoughts evaporate with a small laugh and a smile to the small half-beast.


    I then went over to Taro. The battered hybrid took slow breaths underneath his pierced breastplate. His helmet was off and I could tell by the heavy bags under his eyes and his disheveled hair that he just wished to rest. His [MP] steadily rose but his [HP] stayed at a meager 4 points. I gave him back his longsword that fell to the stone earlier and left him with a respectful nod, but his reply was the cold distant glare of a man who wished not to be here. I can¡¯t blame you. But I¡¯m afraid this dungeon has more to give once Gadaan wakes up.


    * * *


    With a yawn and a stretch that made his claws extend outward, Gadaan winced when he stood upon his hind legs. ¡°Alright hybrids, rest is over. If we¡¯re forced to coexist, we might as well seek all the answers we can.¡±


    ¡°Answers to what?¡± I asked with a cotton-mouthed yawn.


    ¡°Why the hell the gods sent you here,¡± the beast smirked.


    We gathered what little we had and followed him. If it wasn¡¯t for the intrigue that all of us had, Taro and Ethan would¡¯ve led the charge to take Gadaan¡¯s wagon and ride straight to Hubloc. I would¡¯ve felt bad doing so, but I¡¯d rather not be left to rot underneath the red dunes that washed away all history that came before.


    In the dark passages, Mell held a flickering lantern. All torches were used and no wood was here to burn. Up ahead, I could see Gadaan nudge Briar¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Show me that one bit of sorcery when I first picked you up, pup.¡±


    Briar looked nervous or embarrassed but a small arcane orb grew from their paw and trailed in the air above them. A dim blue light enshrouded the party, casting great shadows on the ground beneath us.


    Ethan huffed, ¡°Well, it¡¯s no arcane bolt, but it¡¯s something.¡±


    In the top left of my vision I saw Briar¡¯s [Mana] decrease to 17/20 points and slowly tick down every few minutes. ¡°I appreciate it, Briar,¡± I said. ¡°Felt like I was walking in the pitch black without your light.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Briar asked.


    Gadaan let loose a small snicker, ¡°I always heard that plainskins have a hard time seeing in the dark¡­ s¡¯pose it¡¯s true for you hybrids too.¡±


    ¡°Are you making fun of us!?¡± Mell exclaimed.


    Stagnant air stirred from the stone we walked upon. Dirt, dust, and debris filled the rectangular chamber we entered. Pillars that once held the ceiling were collapsed. Doors torn from hinges. And sand piled within. It was hard to tell what the room was before its decay; whether it was living quarters or a storeroom, it was unrecognizable now.


    Gadaan tried a path to the east at first but debris rose to the tall ceilings. He puffed dirt from his snout and continued to the north. Bones and tarnished pieces of silver coins littered the ground. Is all this puked up from the mimics? I thought.


    Ethan was on his hands and knees scrambling for the loose chips while the rest of us watched Gadaan admire a filthy wall. He rubbed his paw over it and ordered Briar to stand next to him. The arcane orb graced the wall with a twinkling blue light as it uncovered a hallway full of murals.


    From floor to ceiling, chipped, cracked, and full of color; we stood breathless and bewildered. 10 symbols over 10 figures. An axe above an orc, an arrow over an elf, a shield over a beast, a staff above a cloaked figure, and a hammer above a dwarf.


    ¡°They¡¯re the gods,¡± I muttered aloud.


    ¡°Aye. I¡¯ve heard tell that you have all been graced by their presence.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± Mell shouted. ¡°They trapped us in that damn desert until they teleported us back!¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen these other five before,¡± I said.


    A symbol of fangs and claws loomed above a monstrous figure unrecognizable as any bloodline of this planet. The seventh god¡¯s portrait was too damaged to discern an appearance. But from what I could tell, he held a compass and caliper in their hands. A god of navigation or¡­ math?


    I pondered over the three other murals; one of them looked like a generic grim reaper with a symbol of a skull and a black billowing robe¡ªthe God of Death, I assumed. The ninth god drew my eye like none of the others could. It was a beautiful figure of a woman in a black and red dress wearing a white blindfold. She seemed like a standard human but I had a feeling that her blindfold had pinned back her pointed-ears. I would¡¯ve assumed she was some sort of off-brand Lady Justice if she were not holding out two dice in each hand.


    The final god, however, I was far too familiar with. One who has been haunting my mind ever since I came to Carrion. Their large silhouette stood behind all the other gods and loomed above the landscapes beneath them. No face was given to the deity, but with the gold gilding, it was obvious that it represented the Creator.


    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head and gaze at the rest of the murals with a smirking tusk. These godly figures looked down at me and my blood boiled. I was going to walk off and clear the rest of the dungeon myself before Briar tugged on my sleeve and pointed out the landscapes.


    Although strangers to this world, it felt eerily familiar: grand civilizations created from dense jungles, ancient cities built along the sea banks, a white mountain of ash and magma rising from an island nation, and a desert dotted with grand pyramids¡­ protected by a stone sphinx.

 14 - The Voice that Beckons

    I lost my breath and fell to the stone. What my eyes perceived couldn¡¯t have been real. It shouldn¡¯t have been real. Were we not the first one¡¯s here!? Earth¡¯s history never told of otherworldly gods taking us from our planet and sending us to this grim land of death!


    The other hybrids stood in a frozen panic as Gadaan knelt beside me. ¡°Do you recognize these lands?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Earth! It¡¯s our home! Peru! Greece! Japan! Egypt! Who painted these murals, Gadaan!?¡±


    The beast peered at the looming works of art and was unable to answer the question. He mentioned ancient hybrids in passing but I thought those were the ramblings of a drunken dog. However, his theory turned true; humans had come to Carrion eras before. But I feared I would never know the full story. Gadaan rose to the mural and wiped his paw against the dust. Briar¡¯s arcane light illuminated words that were carved into the wall beside the mural.


    ¡°Velkrash prahmi velkpra movel kragnar,¡± Gadaan read aloud.


    A faint translucent blue [System] box appeared above him and translated his dwarven words: The gods¡¯ gifts bless our homes.


    Does this mean that the gods came to Earth? Or maybe the ancient hybrids brought knowledge or technology back with them? My mind continued to race with ideas as it tried to not collapse in its already shattered state. I could tell everyone else had the same thoughts, but none of us could produce an answer that made any conceivable sense.


    ¡°I knew it was aliens that made the pyramids!¡± Ethan exclaimed. His sister promptly hit him upside the head, but anything was possible now. Any mysteries of our world could be easily explained as ¡®ancient gods did it¡¯, but it rubbed me the wrong way. The impression I had of these deities did not strike me as kind or forgiving, but cruel and punishing.


    Venturing forth through the hall, we stumbled upon a sizable room intact and in reasonable order. Shelves full of scrolls and metal candelabras standing taut. An archive from the ancient hybrids excited Gadaan and myself. He was looking for proof to show his kind that hybrids have come before while I was looking for answers that would show a way back home. Unfortunately for the both of us, we couldn¡¯t understand a damn word.


    Written in a language that seemed like a possible amalgamation of hieroglyphics, the Greek alphabet, and dwarven script, we looked at it with puzzling expressions. I figured my [System] would translate it if I kept staring at the words, but all I accomplished was turning my eyes bloodshot.


    ¡°Any of this look familiar to you?¡± I asked Gadaan.


    The beast shook his head. ¡°Probably first of its kind. I know some collectors that¡¯ll pay handsomely for this.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re worth money!?¡± Mell exclaimed. Her and Ethan sprinted toward the shelves and stuffed as much rolled parchment as they could under their arms, their shirts, and their waistbands. If the room wasn¡¯t in disrepair before, it was now. Scrolls rolled along the floor and long-extinguished candle holders fell to the ground. I was sure Gadaan had more respect than this, but even he stuffed the scrolls in his bag. Taro, Briar and I stood by the doorway and watched as they ruined the archives.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Taro?¡± I asked.


    A long pause came before he spoke in a grumbled voice, ¡°I¡¯m thinking this was a waste.¡±


    ¡°At least we have some money now,¡± Briar sighed. They picked up a scroll that rolled into their fuzzy tail and broke the wax seal. I gazed aimlessly at first until I saw an illustration of each of the gods¡¯ symbols above a landscape divided in half. The left had a mass of small figures with chains wrapped around their necks that linked to the symbols above them. The right had figures raising their arms with broken chains around their necks. While in the middle¡­ stood a door with a black and white zig-zag pattern.


    The way out, I thought. But how? The mural scripture thanked them for their gifts, but here they¡¯re prisoners. So which is it?


    ¡°So they¡¯ve chained us here,¡± Taro muttered.


    Briar pinned their ears back and swished their tail from side to side. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a metaphor?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Taro and I scoffed, ¡°A metaphor for what? How staying in this world of brutality is better than going back home?¡±


    The knight hummed in agreement, ¡°They¡¯re the reason why we¡¯re here. The gods are not present on the other side and the people are cheering.¡±


    If this isn¡¯t just some hopeful sketch of a man forgotten, then how do we free ourselves? I pondered.


    While the rest of the party weighed themselves down with ancient parchments, I looked over the illustration repeatedly, hoping for an answer or a key to escape from this plane of existence. In my contemplating state against a stone wall, I heard the soothing voice of a woman beside me. Although her words were unintelligible, she was cheery in tone and her cadence felt of love. Goosebumps covered my arms and redness painted my face. I looked to my side and no one was there besides the young fur-beast.


    ¡°You say something?¡± I asked.


    Briar shook their head and gave me a baffling look.


    ¡°I must¡¯ve fallen asleep by accident,¡± I nervously laughed.


    My eyes were open, my thoughts racing, my heart beating, and I heard her next sentence as if they were whispered in my ear. ¡°The keys to your shackles reside in the hearts of the gods. Destroy them and set yourself free,¡± she giggled.


    I rose instantaneously and looked all around me in a shaking panic. The rest of my party stared at me as if I was having a meltdown, but I knew what I heard. I felt the solid wall I sat against.


    I checked all of my menus and my own body. I looked down at my chest, the diamond amulet shimmering in the arcane light.


    ¡°It talked to me!¡± I shouted, throwing it off myself.


    The amulet skidded across the ground and rested at Gadaan¡¯s foot. He picked it up and put it next to his pointed ear.


    ¡°What¡¯d it say!?¡± Mell and Ethan both asked, giddy to take hold of it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Just listen to it!¡±


    The twins looked to the director of the dungeon but Gadaan shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°You going crazy, Karnyn?¡± Mell asked with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°Yeah! You better tell us before you stab us in the back or something!¡± Ethan added.


    I groaned and let loose a pent breath, ¡°Do you not have talking jewels in this world?¡±


    The beast shook his head and I was left as the maniac of the dungeon even though I swore I heard a woman¡¯s voice¡­ The more I thought about it, the more recognizable it felt. I heard that same warm cadence in my dreams before Taro and I reached Kamahlor. Then I must¡¯ve been sleeping, right? Am I goddamn narcoleptic?


    ¡°You want the amulet back or not,¡± Gadaan sneered.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± He tossed it back to me and it slipped through my fingers and fell to the ground. I gazed at it with a sigh while everyone else shook their heads and moved on to the next chamber. If what the voice said was true, how am I going to kill the gods with butter fingers like these?


    * * *


    Another narrow hall with murals depicting the gods. This depiction, however, was more graphic than the last one. A circular pit represented the Arena with two combatants on either end, one held a frown while the other was missing a head. The gods, of course, were above it all in a crimson sky. No text was found but it would be obvious that the ancient hybrids wouldn¡¯t have had anything nice to say this time.


    The chamber after the hall was ruined like the last, but it was obvious that a creature made their home here. Bounty, bones, and butchered creatures piled in the corners of the mimics¡¯ nests. Ethan swam through the rotten gore like a duck in an ocean of treasure and pulled out however many silver pieces he could find. However, I didn¡¯t notice until now that he also carried a longsword on his hip similar to Taro¡¯s.


    ¡°When¡¯d you get that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This? I¡¯ve had it on my hip since after we killed those mimics.¡±


    What? This whole time? But don¡¯t you prefer to use your hands to kill shit like some raging berserker? Hell, maybe I do have narcolepsy.


    We left the chamber with more stank than we came in with and proceeded on. I knew not what Gadaan was searching for, he already had the proof he needed, but I suppose he just wanted to follow the carved paths until the end. He stood at the edge of a doorway. What followed beyond was pitch blackness that not even Briar¡¯s light was able to illuminate, except a single wooden bridge. The rickety planks of wood held together by a swaying rope weren¡¯t tempting to walk across when the floor and ceiling were a black boundless abyss.


    ¡°Fuck. This,¡± Mell said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but agree. This was death incarnate¡­ besides the literal God of Death that resided in this world.


    ¡°Come on, plainskins. There¡¯s bound to be more riches and history left to uncover. Make a name for yourself and keep moving!¡± Gadaan¡¯s harsh tone settled only for Briar who was shaking relentlessly as they gripped the rope railing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be alright, pup. Just follow my lead and keep lookin¡¯ forward.¡±


    Gadaan, Briar, Mell, Ethan and myself took a step onto the bridge while Taro took one slow step after another behind us. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m too envious of that armor now, I thought. Heights never scared me all that much; I¡¯ve fallen out of enough trees to know that if my neck snaps and my spine shatters, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be my problem at the end of the day¡­ as long as I didn¡¯t survive.


    One footfall in front of the other. Gingerly paced with trembling legs. The bridge shook, rattled, and creaked with each wooden board passed. I was certain the mimics never ventured across this swaying bridge¡ªuntil charred flesh grew from inside Taro¡¯s scabbard.

 15- Black Chasms

    The bridge rocked to-and-fro. My knuckles turned white as they grasped the braided railing. What once was a sword at Taro¡¯s side, emerged with a clawed grasp like a demon from the pits of Hell. We saw him unclasp his scabbard and throw the forgotten mimic into the black abyss. We looked over the swaying edge¡ªwood splinters erupted from beneath the bridge. The monster had caught itself before falling into the deep black and shattered through the planks, destroying our path back to the light.


    The fierce cries of the mimic and the undulating of the ropes carried the rest of the party along the bridge in a ferocious panic. Taro fell onto his back and was unable to stand himself. With wide eyes, I watched the mighty spellcaster form a spike of sand from his gauntlets. Red sands and arcane blue particulates enshrouded his entire arm. A thunderous crack echoed from the abyss as his bolt flew from his being. And missed.


    The mimic stood proud on all fours along the ropes. Its flesh twisted. Its color shimmered. Its maw of pearl-like teeth in an ocean of black salivated as it loomed over the hybrid. I knew not why it didn¡¯t feast upon Taro then and there. Either the mimic knew his armor wouldn¡¯t digest or it saw easier prey ahead to gorge on. It left him be¡ªbut not the boards he laid upon. The wood shattered beneath Taro with a pounce from the mimic. He fell to his doom like a brick in water while the mimic caught itself on the ropes with its dangling limbs. We sprinted as fast as we could while the vile creature climbed the underside of the bridge. Each wooden plank it gripped was one that would crack and splinter.


    I saw no red notification from the [System] announcing Taro¡¯s demise, but his [Health] was so little that I couldn¡¯t see a single sliver of life left. What perplexed me was that even after his supposed death, his [Mana] points dropped from 60 to 6 in an instant. And while the creature clung to the bridge and used the wood as handholds, a flashing bolt of crimson red energy erupted from the depths. Like a flare, it illuminated the entirety of the cavern before seeking and striking through the mimic¡¯s chest. It howled in pain and tried to pull itself up, leaking a fowl black ooze. Regardless of its spirit to carry on, the pain was too much and its claws let loose the bridge, falling to the chasm beneath.


    Our [Stamina] depleted. Our hearts were as heavy as our breaths as we stood at the edge of the darkness for a sign of Taro or the mimic. All was silent except the creaking of the destroyed bridge.


    ¡°He must still be alive,¡± Briar muttered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any [HP] on him,¡± Ethan said.


    Mell slapped the upside of the orc¡¯s head, almost pushing him over the edge before pulling him back. ¡°It would¡¯ve said he [Disbanded] if he died, numbskull!¡±


    How does he still live? ¡°Is he still on the [Map]?¡± I asked.


    Briar huffed, ¡°It still says he¡¯s in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Try to [Message] him!¡± I ordered. Luckily, in our frantic state, no one bothered to question why I still had no [Mana] to send him one of my own. Every hybrid had [MP] to spend on messages, how much it cost to send one¡­


    [INSUFFICIENT MANA]


    I would never know.


    Ethan and Mell¡¯s [Mana] dipped to 0 points, but it wasn¡¯t like they ever used magic to begin with. Briar¡¯s points rested at 4 out of 20 after sending the [Message], still being drained by the dim light orb floating above us.


    ¡°Anything?¡± I asked.


    The hybrids shook their heads while Gadaan pressed onward. The path back west seemed to have been the other side of the room full of crumbled pillars. It was hard not to think that if the hallway hadn''t collapsed or if we had dug a way through it, then Taro would still be with us. For all we knew, he was bleeding out and wishing to be sent to the Arena or he was splattered across the stone, never to reanimate.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Gadaan took pity on us and allowed everyone to rest after our near-death encounter. The fire for fame and fortune still blazed in his heart but the rest of us wanted to get the fuck out of here ASAP. But with the bridge left broken, we had to march into the unknown to find our escape.


    * * *


    An hour passed in the chamber to the east. While we rested and watched our [Stamina] rise, Briar¡¯s light diminished. The beasts didn¡¯t complain of the dark, but we did. The twins made their grievances quite known while I had to crawl along the ground with only the light of flashing sparks from my sickle to find any flammable material to burn. I came across a rotten caved-in barrel that was suitable enough to shut up the siblings.


    We sat against the confines of stone walls while two halls of continual darkness tempted those eager for more adventure.


    ¡°You got enough [Mana] yet to cast one of those lights yet, beast?¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°I do¡­ but¡­ shouldn¡¯t I try and [Message] Taro more?¡±


    Ethan scoffed, ¡°Forget him! He was too high-mighty and stoic for his own good!¡±


    Briar looked at me and Gadaan. The leader of our short expedition grew too calloused after years of wandering the world. I wanted to help Taro as much as I could. I owed him my life and this direwolf pelt on my back, but we had no means of rescue. No rope, no magic, and no emergency services to call. I looked at the young fur-beast in their chestnut eyes and somberly nodded that it was okay for them to carry on.


    Soon enough, the blue magelight grew from their paws and floated above. Ethan smiled with joy while Gadaan smirked an eager grin. Mell could not have cared less of the dungeon, only that her brother remained safe. She stuck to him like glue while everyone followed Gadaan. I sat up from the stone and followed with aching muscles.


    Like the gods above wanted us to follow a certain path, glimmering silver pieces lined the hall to the chamber as far east as we could go. Ethan ran ahead of our dungeon leader to scoop up as many as he could in his shirt. However, the silver he failed to see was the sharp spike that protruded from the wall. We heard the quiet click of a pressure plate before Ethan bellowed in pain and tears.


    The spike jutted from the wall and sliced his arm. He cried not from pain, but for the coins that fell through his torn tunic. His health dropped by 2 points. A flesh wound. Mell tore off the ragged part of his shirt and tied it over his arm. I was afraid of more traps ahead, but what I should¡¯ve been worried about were those left behind.


    I could tell something was amiss when Gadaan and Briar both turned around with flickering ears. It was no tumbling boulder, but a small camouflaged crossbow hidden above the arch of the doorway that revealed itself. It loaded a bolt automatically and with a loud ka-thunk it flew down the hall.


    Briar pushed me aside while the rest of the party crouched low. Tufts of fluffy yellow fur floated in the air, but we were okay. We heard the bolt scrape against the ground in the next chamber, followed by silence.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. The adrenaline pumped through me but I felt exhausted.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Briar mumbled, feeling their patchy tail.


    I took two more cautious steps before the [System] jumpscared me. My mind read that Taro [Disbanded], however, the message wasn¡¯t red and didn¡¯t tell of his name at all. It was a calm electronic blue, showing me a notification I was relieved to see.


    Attribute Leveled-Up!


    [Dexterity] ¡ª LVL 1 -> LVL 2


    Now I really am thankful, I thought. Another level-up was another closer to catching up with everyone else. Maybe if I let Briar blindfold me and guide me through an obstacle course, then I can grind through faster. While I pondered ways to game the [System], the rest of the party kept on the lookout for any more traps and safely guided me to the end of the hall.


    The chamber we entered was the most beautiful I¡¯d seen. Ethan was already rushing ahead but I embraced the uncanny beauty of such a derelict dungeon. Eight pillars of marble rose to the glass ceiling, standing taut, standing firm. The floor was a similar marble with gold engraving while the walls were a deep navy blue. In the past, I could imagine this room being some type of observatory or a house of astronomy. Now, though, it was buried by the sands above, no light of the stars or sun was visible to study.


    Shelves of scrolls lined the walls like the archives before, but what stuck out to me was the rotten chest that sat in the middle of the pillars. We had no luck with chests thus far; one would have thought that we would have been more cautious this time around. But like Selara that had come prior, Ethan dived his hands into a devouring creature.

 16 - Red Sand Swallowed

    Ethan¡¯s immense hunger for loot was insatiable. Same as the mimic¡¯s hunger for adventurers despite swallowing the orc¡¯s hands. The bipedal chest stood upright, revealing its scarred form. It was the same mimic we escaped from not an hour before. How did it beat us here!?


    The orc fell limp, gazing at his arms. His severed hands lay in pools of blood inside the monster¡¯s mouth as it loomed over him. Ethan¡¯s chest pumped rapidly until he collapsed. His [Health] dropped to -23 before his sister could utter a single scream.


    Mell, equipped only with her fists, charged at the mimic in a deafening fury. The femur of the mimic resounded off the marble walls with a crack from the orc¡¯s brawny fist. She escaped the clutches of the vengeful beast and reached for Taro¡¯s sword that her brother had unknowingly donned. I saw the sliver of steel refract Briar¡¯s light before it fell to the marble in a clang, and the female orc with it.


    The three of us had no time to react to the speed of the monstrosity that lay before us. Mell was pinned to the ground by the mimic¡¯s claws that dug deep inside her. Blood bubbled from her lips as her [HP] dropped to nothing. It twisted, turned, and skewered its claws repeatedly. Her last vision of this life was of her brother bleeding beside her.


    Blue particles from their hybrid souls hovered in the air as the twins returned to the Arena.


    [PARTY MEMBER DISBANDED]


    [PARTY MEMBER DISBANDED]


    I wished that the beauty that rose from their deaths¡ªbeauty that reflected off the marble and glass¡ªwas not ruined by a creature born of such hatred. This mimic was none like the rest. It chose not to devour the bodies, knowing they would not satiate its hunger when they were transported away. In our frozen fear, I could tell Gadaan and I had the same thought: It had gained the taste for hybrids long ago.


    Gadaan held his sword in front while Briar mirrored the same with trembling paws. I held my sickle in a death-grip and circled the creature with one ginger step after another. The beasts followed suit and we flanked it on both sides. The mimic stood silent, releasing no noise except the dripping of its ichor onto the floor. And within a blink, it sliced at the young fur-beast.


    A metallic screech echoed through the room. Gadaan stood in front of his young fledgling, heaving heavily. His blade had a thick scratch from where the claws of the mimic had met. The monster stumbled back from the parry, landing amidst the eight pillars of marble as if we were in an arena of our own. The floors were clean of the sibling¡¯s blood and bodies, but the mimic lightly kicked the bolt that was shot from the previous hall.


    I knew I had to do something, to find a way to rid ourselves of this demon of rotten timber. My [Strength] was meager and running was not an option. Although intelligence nor wisdom were attributes of this realm, the [System] never said I couldn¡¯t use my wits to my advantage.


    ¡°Gadaan, parry it once more and I can end this! Briar, roll toward its legs and toss me the bolt!¡±


    ¡°Are you mad!?¡± Gadaan exclaimed.


    ¡°Do it!¡± I ordered.


    I had no reason to believe that they would follow my commands, but it was our only shot before it was our turn for a gruesome death. The mimic stood lingering and waiting before the old coyote taunted the creature. A low growling murmur resonated from its salivating mouth. And soon enough, another slash came.


    Gadaan¡¯s sword flew across the room but the mimic stunned itself once again. Briar froze in place and had to be shoved by the party leader to break out of it. They rolled along the marble and gripped the crossbow bolt beneath the monster¡¯s feet and tossed it into the air. The throw was off but I had to catch it. The mimic caught the pup by their tunic and opened their treasure-chest-maw wide. I had to catch it. Black strings of saliva and blood stretched and snapped to devour the adventurer before a thin bead of sand fell upon them. I had to catch it.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    With a straight hand, my fingers interlocked around the bolt and launched it to the sky. I wished for it to fly to the blue azure and pierce the heavens, but the glass ceiling displaying the crimson dunes of the desert was enough.


    ¡°I did it,¡± I muttered. With my meager [DEX], the crackling and shattering formed up high while the sands weighed down upon it.


    The mimic let go of Briar when a mountain of red sand broke through and poured into its mouth. It hacked and coughed up the dust from its gullet. And so did we. The sands breached the room and sent the entire dungeon in a red dust-ridden storm. The blinding darkness turned to dazzling lightness as I saw the sun for the first time in what seemed like ages. The grains burned my feet with each step I took leaving the drowning chamber.


    I left the observatory and headed down passages previously explored. The beasts were gone. The mimic bellowed a maddening howl. The roaring falls of the sand drowned even my own voice. I could not see in the red haze, nor could I breathe. My nose was clogged and my tongue tasted the crushed particles of the ancient earth. I cried out but heard no response except the scraping claws of the thrashing mimic before me.


    In the haze, my foe and I stood in front of one another. I could feel its evil through its eyeless gaze. Its slender body built for efficient destruction of mortals towered me. I knew I could not kill this creature. This monster would tear me in half and end my life, but at this moment, I realized it was all meaningless. The realm of Carrion differed from Earth. Much like its namesake, survival was not the goal, but whether we could rend the flesh from our enemies. For we hybrids had a multitude of chances to live and die, as long as we slay the enemy before us, whether in the Arena or the monsters before us.


    In the light of the red dust, the mimic snarled at me with its lashing tongue and crooked teeth. Black ooze painted the stone it stood on while it waited for me to make the first move. I obliged the beast and swung heavy with my sickle, aiming for its bowed legs. But in the red mist, it caught my arm.


    Tough was its grip like calloused leather forged from the sun. Its nails dug deep into my skin while it lifted me off my feet. I dangled in the air and grimaced at the beast, ready for my turn in Death¡¯s realm. My time was nigh, yet it never ended.


    I heard the shout of the young beast echo through the stone passages and call my name. And so did the mimic. It snarled at me and flashed its jagged teeth in a smirk fit for a menacing demon, dropping me on the ground. I saw it slink away into the shadows of sand, following Briar¡¯s voice.


    I cried with all my might and pleaded that the mimic return to me to finish what it started. However, a blinding blue notification from my [System] interrupted me.


    [MESSAGE RECEIVED: Briar Montrove]


    [¡°Karnyn, where are you?¡±]


    [¡°Are you okay?¡±]


    I tried responding but I knew my replies would never deliver.


    [INSUFFICIENT MANA]


    ¡°Dammit! Briar, please! Run!¡±


    [INSUFFICIENT MANA]


    [INSUFFICIENT MANA]


    My tears dried in an instant against the haze. Dust clung to my eyes and face while I lurched my way forward with stumbling steps, following the mimic¡¯s trail left behind in the sand. My feet gave way and stumbled in a forming dune inside the dungeon. My [Stamina] lowered and I was running on fumes. The dark was settling again while I heard the crushing of bones and the piercing of skin.


    I turned the corner and fell again, ahead of me were two bodies of fur and flesh. Gadaan laid still in a pool of blood while Briar gazed at me with their somber eyes in the devastating clutches of the mimic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± they said.


    I witnessed their transporting soul illuminate the falling sands around me like the sunset atop water. But the darkness of the demon that destroyed them enshrouded the rest of the light. It bore its teeth in a flashing grin, the leg of Gadaan still stuck in its maw. With a deep swallow I witnessed it fall down its gullet and rest in its stomach.


    [PARTY MEMBER DISBANDED]


    My heart sank. My belly burned. My eyes were blind to my surroundings but I could feel the lingering figure inch toward me. Its narrow limbs of muscle and bone scraped against the settled sands. Its hinges creaked. Its teeth clacked together. Its charred and rotten flesh oozed and dripped.


    I closed my eyes and breathed the stench that engulfed me. I repeated to myself that my life was meaningless. Doomed from the start by the Creator. The deity blessed me with a ¡®swift death¡¯ but I proved them wrong. I survived the first nights. I rose to my first levels. I promised the monster and all the gods that imprisoned me on this planet that even if the Arena awaits me, I will return and face them once again. Even if it took me 100 attempts!