《Realms of the Veiled Paths [An Isekai Progression Fantasy]》 1: Game Start Was he dead? The thought bounced off the edges of nothingness, rippling through the dark abyss, like a stone skimming across black water under the light of a new moon. Darkness pressed against him like an unseen blanket, thick and heavy. He tried to look around. He could feel his eyes moving, his head turning, but it was like he was underwater, in the depths of the oceans where light feared to tread. Where am I? he wondered to the void and his thoughts echoed back to him. Then another thought appeared, more concerning than the first. Who am I? More thoughts appeared in the endless vacuum. Images. Memories. Flashes of vivid colour against the black, like fireworks in a midnight sky. Visions flit through his mind faster than he could decipher them. ¡°Mr Smith,¡± a voice called out. A feminine, melodic voice. His heart leapt at the sound, eyes frantically searching for the source of that beacon in the darkness. ¡°Mr Smith,¡± she called again. He darted through the nothingness, searching, but found only black. An infinite expanse of nothing. Suddenly, he felt pain. Red-hot pain, spreading across his face like lightning branching through storm clouds. His eyes fluttered open. A young woman, tall and slender, leant over in front of him. Blonde hair spilled past her shoulders like golden rivers, settling into the valley between the twin mountains straining against her tight blouse. It was like an invitation to a climbing expedition. He put a hand to his cheek; his flesh raw and hot like his face had been pressed to a burning stove. ¡°Did you¡­¡± he rubbed the side of his cheek, felt the heat under his palm, ¡°¡­slap me?¡± ¡°Come now,¡± she purred, ¡°you should be so lucky.¡± He looked at her ¨C the cleavage, the blonde hair, the piercing blue eyes and he had to admit to himself. He should be so lucky. He peeled his eyes away and looked around the room. It was some sort of waiting area, the stench of cigarettes and cheap coffee masked unsuccessfully by the perfume that clung to the girl. He was sprawled across a sofa of purple velvet fabric that hugged the wall next to a massive wooden reception desk that he supposed served as the office for the young lady hovering in front of him. Around him, the walls were plastered in endless patterns of figure eights in oranges and reds that burned his eyes. A potted plant in a bright orange vase stood guard in a corner, its green leaves swaying with uncertainty, like an unwanted guest at a party. ¡°The Gamesmaster is ready for you,¡± the young girl said, putting a hand beneath his arm and helping him up. She pointed at a door beyond her desk. ¡°The Gamesmaster?¡± he asked, looking into her eyes. She said nothing but nodded and led him towards the door. ¡°He¡¯ll explain everything to you,¡± she said and pushed him through. *** Was he dead? The thought bounced off the edges of nothingness, rippling through the dark abyss, like a stone skimming across black water under the light of a new moon. Darkness pressed against him like an unseen blanket, thick and heavy. He tried to look around. He could feel his eyes moving, his head turning but it was like he was underwater, in the depths of the oceans where light feared to tread. Where am I? he wondered to the void and his thoughts echoed back to him. Then another thought appeared, more concerning than the first. Who am I? ¡°Mr Smith,¡± a voice called out. A male, deep voice. His heart leapt at the sound, eyes frantically searching for the source of that threat in the darkness. ¡°Mr Smith,¡± the voice called again. He darted through the nothingness, searching, but found only black. An infinite expanse of nothing. Suddenly, he felt pain. Red-hot pain, spreading across his face like lightning branching through storm clouds. His eyes fluttered open. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± an old man said, leaning over. He was short and fat. Grey hair fell past his shoulders like polluted rivers, settling into the valley between the sagging mountains straining against his tight t-shirt. It was like an unwanted invitation to a climbing expedition. ¡°Most people wake up quite quickly, especially after being called.¡± He put a hand to his cheek; his flesh raw and hot like his face had been pressed to a burning stove. ¡°Did you¡­¡± he rubbed the side of his cheek, felt the heat under his palm, ¡°¡­slap me?¡± ¡°Come now,¡± the old man purred, ¡°you should be so lucky.¡± He looked at him ¨C the fleshy mountains, the grey hair, the piercing red eyes and he very much hoped he wasn¡¯t lucky. He felt like he¡¯d had this same experience not too long ago. Or maybe it was very long ago. It didn¡¯t seem like the first time. Nor the second, nor the third. But things were different. Details were different. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on what. He looked around the room, filled with the calm scent of spring flowers and the juicy aroma of summer fruits. It wasn¡¯t much of a room at all. Something drifted across the edges of his mind. A wooden desk. The figure eight. A plant. No such things existed here. He was cradled in a fluffy white sofa, as if sitting amongst the clouds, it¡¯s fabric undiscernible against the limitless expanse of white that surrounded him. It was broken only by a single disc, hanging in the air a few feet beyond the old man. Inside the disc was the image of a young man he didn¡¯t recognise but he felt he should. Dressed in a hospital gown with faded blue dots, the man lay motionless in bed, white sheets covering half his body. It was a white man, no older than thirty, his face pale and thin with dark hair matted against his forehead. A neck brace held his head in place and tubes and wires reached out from the man¡¯s arms to machines that surrounded the bed. A middle-aged woman, slightly plump with fading blonde hair sat by the man¡¯s side, clutching his left hand between hers and looking lovingly at his face. A younger girl, in jeans and a sweater, slept in a chair by the window, her cheeks red and puffy. ¡°Who is that?¡± he asked. The old man turned to view the disc himself. ¡°That¡­is you.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He stared at the motionless man. ¡°Me?¡± Then he realised he didn¡¯t even know who he was. But if that was him in the bed, then where was he now? ¡°You¡¯re not dead,¡± the old man said, as if reading his mind. ¡°Tyler Smith, twenty-five, unemployed, college drop-out. Citizen of the United States of America, on the planet of Earth. Welcome to Purgatory. Well, without the torment. Yet.¡± The old man laughed. The name meant nothing to him but he understood Earth and the USA. Again, thoughts drifted across the edge of his consciousness as if his mind were trying to recall the memories but the connections were lost. ¡°What happened to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked,¡± the old man said, skipping away towards the disc. ¡°Stay seated. Let me explain,¡± he said, as if he were giving a tour. ¡°You, good sir, were on the way to shoot up a school, but, luckily for you-¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Wait! What?! Why the hell would I do that?¡± It was strange. He knew what a school was. Understood how to use a gun. But he couldn¡¯t recall either being in a school or holding a gun. The knowledge was there in his head but not the experiences. It was like knowing how to paint but having no visions to share. The old man waved at the disc. ¡°Recognise the girl sleeping there?¡± He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s your younger sister, Hannah. Eighteen. And she had a friend, Madison, also eighteen, that you¡¯ve known for about a year. Now, I hate to break it to you but you kinda¡­had a thing for Maddie. Asked her out. She said no. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the first to say no to you, but you were going to make sure she was the last. One of those ¡®if I can¡¯t have her, no-one can¡¯ situations. Luckily for you, you had a crash on the way to the school. Left you quadriplegic, brain-damaged and in a coma.¡± He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and stared at the disc. If he couldn¡¯t recognise the comatose man before, he sure didn¡¯t recognise him now. Didn¡¯t want to recognise him. Hitting on his little sister¡¯s friend? School shooting? He searched his memory for any hints of such darkness, but found nothing. He remembered nothing. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± the old man smirked at him. Looking into the old man¡¯s red eyes was unnerving, like he knew secrets that he wouldn¡¯t reveal. He turned back to the disc, looked at the younger girl ¨C his sister. If what the old man said was true, he had been on his way to kill her friend and there she was, face puffy from the tears she had cried. He looked at his mother holding his hand, as if she were praying for him to come back. Perhaps they didn¡¯t know what he had been planning. Perhaps they had as many questions for him as he did. His mind was completely blank. He¡¯d like to think he wasn¡¯t the kind of person this old man was insinuating but he had no memory to confirm it. ¡°If I really planned to do that, maybe the crash wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Maybe it was justice.¡± ¡°Maybe it was. Maybe it was the fate of the gods for you to end up like that.¡± The old man looked at him and smiled. ¡°But what if you could have another chance?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What would you do if you had the choice between returning to your body as it is right now,¡± the old man twisted his body and swept an arm out to motion towards the disc before turning back to him, ¡°or returning to your life before you asked Madison out?¡± The offer was intriguing but made no sense to him. He still wasn¡¯t sure he was the person in the disc, and even if he were, how exactly could this man return him to a time before now? When was now, for that matter? Where was here? He glanced at the endless expanse of white. ¡°What is this place?¡± The old man made pistol motions several times, like a cowboy in a shootout, before he stopped and pointed a single finger towards him with a wink. ¡°This is the world between worlds. Like I said, Purgatory, without the torment. Except, the worlds you can go to aren¡¯t heaven or hell. Well, not literally, anyway.¡± The old man gestured to the disc, and the image of the comatose man blurred, replaced with the image of a planet that looked like Earth at first glance, though on closer inspection, he saw that it wasn¡¯t Earth at all. It seemed to have less water, less clouds and greenery, but most noticeably, from north to south was a vast region of black desert that divided the planet in two. ¡°This is Cytheria, a planet in the outer reaches of the Andromeda galaxy. It¡¯s a game-world.¡± ¡°A game-world?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. Gain experience, progress through levels, acquire skills, increase your advantages, become as powerful as you can? Like a game. ¡°See, Cytheria¡¯s inhabitants have been in a centuries-long war with entities from other worlds that invaded their lands. What Cytheria, and many others like it need, are heroes. Heroes to help them fight. What I do, is offer the chance of redemption for those in positions like yourself. ¡°See, here, you have an opportunity. You¡¯re not the only one. Billions of souls, across billions of worlds, in circumstances similar to yours, given an opportunity for another chance. Granted, not all of them planned to do what you were planning but then there¡¯s plenty that did worse. ¡°Now, you could go back to that hospital bed. No memories. No guilt. Just a broken body and a lost mind. Or, you can go to Cytheria, live an amazing life, become a hero of the people and then, you get another choice. Stay in Cytheria and never return to your life or you get to go back to before it all went wrong.¡± ¡°What would happen to me on Earth, if I chose to remain in Cytheria?¡± ¡°Nothing. Right now, you¡¯re an empty shell there anyway. The heart¡¯s pumping but the engine¡¯s not there. Your soul, the essence of your being, is right here. You¡¯d get a new body on Cytheria. On Earth, you¡¯d remain comatose until your body withered away.¡± The offer was tempting. His eyes remained on the world inside the disc as he pondered on the options, but his thoughts turned to his mother and sister. Did he have a father too? How would they cope if he never came back? Did it even matter? ¡°Can I see me again?¡± he asked. The image in the disc blurred again and Tyler Smith returned, comatose, mother and sister at his side. As he looked upon the image, wondering what this new world might hold for him, he was fairly certain that he didn¡¯t want to go back as he was now. Quadriplegic. Brain-dead. A mother spending days and nights, holding his hand, praying beyond hope that he would return. A sister, spending days and nights crying, blaming herself for having introduced him to her friend. It might have been a deserved punishment for him but it wasn¡¯t fair to them. And he hadn¡¯t done the deed, had he? Intention and action were two very different things. The line between them might be thin but it was there. ¡°What would I have to do?¡± The old man smiled, mouth curling towards his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. It won¡¯t be easy. You¡¯ll arrive in the Kingdom of Aleria, on the borders with The Rift, the black region you see here. Over the course of your journey, you need to become a hero and join the armies or lead your own to take back the Rift. As long as it exists, its threatens the Cytherians. Fortunately, the Rift Lords don¡¯t seem interested in encroaching upon the rest of the world for now but it¡¯s only a matter of time. We need to break through first. If we don¡¯t who knows what might happen? ¡°Unfortunately, some heroes have settled in, carved out empires for themselves and skirmish with each other. Others have decided to master professions and live simple lives. Only a few are still searching for a way to take the Rift. With enough bodies, they think they¡¯ll have the power to move forwards and to convince the other heroes to join them.¡± He took a look at the image of himself again. If he helped to overcome these Rift Lords, he¡¯d get another chance. Get to go back to before he made that choice. A clean slate. A chance to do things properly. Or, the chance for a new life altogether. A new world. A new life. A new beginning. His mind was made up. ¡°So how would this work?¡± ¡°Is that a yes?¡± the old man said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely sure?¡± He had a final look at himself, asleep on the hospital bed, hooked up to the machines. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll go to Cytheria. I¡¯ll become a hero. ¡°And I¡¯ll win.¡± The old man looked at him and smiled, hands rubbing together in glee. ¡°That I would like to see. Perhaps you¡¯re just the right kind of crazy to make it work. ¡°Okay, first things first. Do you want the simple tutorial or the advanced tutorial?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°That I can¡¯t tell you but look at it as a leap of faith. You¡¯re going to a new world. You¡¯re going to be making a lot of leaps of faith.¡± ¡°Give me the advanced tutorial,¡± he said. He needed as much information as he could get if he was going to make this work. He just hoped the tutorial wasn¡¯t boring. ¡°As you wish,¡± the Gamesmaster said. ¡°You can¡¯t choose a different race or gender, so you¡¯ll spawn as a human male, looking as you do now. You can choose a different name, if you wish. Anything you want, fifty character limit.¡± Imtheawesomestherothatseverheroed came to mind. ¡°Can I change my name after?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Tyler Smith is fine.¡± ¡°Okay. Human. Male. Tyler Smith. Once you¡¯re there, if you say ¡®status¡¯, it will open up your UI and you¡¯ll be able to navigate from there. Are you ready?¡± He nodded. ¡°Before you go, I should warn you about one thing. If you die in Cytheria, that¡¯s it. There¡¯s no going back, not even to your current body.¡± He nodded again. ¡°Then I guess I better not die.¡± 2: The Advanced Tutorial Tyler found himself on his hands and knees, looking at a patch of red grass, flecked with touches of green. It felt slimy beneath his hands and carried the scent of rusted iron. Lifting his left hand, he stared at the thick, cherry liquid that coated his palm and dripped between his fingers. Before he could process what it might be, something hit the grass ahead with a wet thud, and rolled towards him, leaving a glistening trail in its wake. The ball gently bumped his right arm and came to a rest. Except, it wasn¡¯t a ball at all. It was someone¡¯s head. Without the body. The face was frozen in terror, teeth smashed in its open mouth, eyes bulging as if to escape their sockets. Tyler let out a scream, guttural and harsh from the very depths of his throat as he scrambled backwards. He looked up, searching for the body that was missing its head. He found it several feet ahead of him, slumped against a tree with blood spurting from the shredded remnant of its neck as it slowly slid down to take its final rest. Standing over the corpse was a tall figure. Too tall for a man. Skin that looked like the charred remains of a tree was stretched so thin across its body that it seemed impossible it hadn¡¯t torn. Gnarled ridges and rough edges covered every inch of the thing. It turned its head in his direction but where eyes and ears should have been, there was only grooved skin. The thing had massive nostrils though. Three of them, stretching across the centre of its face, flaring as it sniffed its surroundings. It¡¯s mouth was open, revealing sharp teeth, like black stalactites hanging inside a cavern. Tyler¡¯s heart beat against his ribcage, wanting to escape whether Tyler followed or not. His breaths were shallow, swift, like his beating heart. Every instinct, every fibre of his being was telling him to run but he forced himself to stay calm. Forced himself to stay still. The thing continued sniffing, twisting its head this way and that, eventually settling in his vague direction. Given the lack of eyes and ears, Tyler reckoned it was dependent on smell. Like a cat or dog. And if that was the case, it would likely be able to discern his scent. At least, it would know there was something here that was not like the other smells. As if to prove Tyler right, the thing began moving in his direction. If his heart had been beating fast before, now it was trying to set a world record for beats per minute. His breaths were struggling to keep up, his lungs failing to draw air fast enough. He glanced frantically around him, searching for a place to hide, a place to flee to but the forest offered little cover, like it had not to the headless corpse before him. The headless corpse? The headless corpse! He looked to where the head had fallen. The red grass. The glistening trail of blood it had left behind. He leapt forward and grabbed the head, holding it above himself so what blood remained would fall from its severed neck and drain over him. Then he put the head back, rolled in the puddle of blood that soaked the grass, and stood as the thing was almost upon him. Cautiously, carefully, he crept past the advancing creature. The thing turned towards him as he passed, but Tyler ran as quickly as he dared and positioned himself against the headless corpse that lay against the tree. He hoped it would work. That the creature would think he was the corpse and leave him alone. The thing looked in his direction, sniffed the air several times but then stilled. It turned back to the head, walked over to it and crouched down, where it opened its mouth impossibly wide and consumed the head whole. Tyler silently gasped. He had thought, or rather, he had hoped the corpse was nothing more than a hunter¡¯s kill. He watched from the corner of his eye as the thing returned, its massive nostrils flaring again as it sniffed around Tyler. It leaned in closer, its head hovering above Tyler¡¯s right shoulder, then against his face, then to his left. It sniffed across his torso and stopped over his heart. Did it know? Could it sense him some other way? Tyler thought back to his words to the old man and grimly smiled. He better not die? He hadn¡¯t even lasted five minutes. The thing began to open its mouth but then stopped. It turned its head, looked into the distance and stood abruptly. Tyler carefully shifted out of the way, and lay a few inches from the headless corpse. The creature began to walk in the direction it was looking, but as it did so, one of the gnarled ridges on its bark-like skin detached with ferocious speed, shooting into the corpse, where Tyler had been. His heart still pounding, Tyler watched as the creature walked away before letting out the breath that he had been holding. Above him, the black leaves of the forest trees shuffled, as if they too were glad to see the creature leave. Slivers of sunlight danced through gaps in the canopy. He looked down at the drying blood on his body, its stench thick in his nostrils. Only then did he realise he was naked. But he didn¡¯t care. The most beautiful girl in the world could walk upon him in this moment and he wouldn¡¯t care. He was alive. Suddenly, white text floated into his vision. [Quest Complete: Survive an Encounter with a Demon Tree Sprite] [+176,000 XP] He sprang upright, legs still resting on the forest floor, but the text followed him, fading out when it reached the top of his sight, before more text faded in at the bottom. [Level Gained!] For the briefest of seconds, a brilliant burst of golden light enveloped him like a miniature supernova, before dissipating in a flare of flickering sparks. +1[INT] +1[RES] +2[WIS] +1[CNV] That¡¯s right. What had the old man said? Cytheria was a game-world. He tried to think back to the last time he¡¯d played a game but nothing came to him. The memories of his old life remained missing. Perhaps he should have chosen the simple tutorial. He¡¯d thought an advanced tutorial would take him through every aspect of the game. Be more comprehensive than the simple one. He hadn¡¯t considered that it would force him to learn or die. Though now that he thought about it, it couldn¡¯t really get more advanced than that. What better way to learn than by doing, and what better motivation than having his life on the line? And he had to admit, it had been effective. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He looked at the headless corpse to his right. Perhaps not effective for everyone. He wondered briefly who the person had been, what dreams they might have had. Whoever the person was, it was over for them. There would be no going back to make a better choice. There would be no living a new life. Tyler burned the image of the headless corpse into his memory. It would be his first memory ¨C a reminder of what could happen if he wasn¡¯t careful. A reminder that dead men have no purpose. Speaking of purpose, he¡¯d been here too long. He needed to move. That creature ¨C the Tree Sprite, he guessed ¨C could come back at any moment. He recalled the old-man¡¯s words on accessing the user interface but he needed to get to somewhere safer first. He could figure out what it all meant then. He stood and looked around him, gathering his bearings. The forest floor was littered with dying leaves and fallen branches, the vibrant golden glow of a setting sun scattered across its surface. Dark tree trunks, looking thin and sickly, rose to the black canopy above in all directions, their long shadows cutting across the dark roots on the ground. Not a sound could be heard. He looked to the right, the direction the Tree Sprite had walked, and thought it best to head in the opposite way. He turned to do so but stopped himself. He had no idea if there were more of those things out there, or whatever else could be lurking in the shadows. But the Tree Sprite had been drawn to something. There would be others here. Others like him and the headless corpse who had chosen the advanced tutorial. Billions of souls across billions of worlds, the old man had said. That Tree Sprite had to be heading towards something. Perhaps it was heading towards someone. He looked back in the direction the Tree Sprite had gone. How far ahead was it? He looked down at his naked body, still covered in blood. He started grabbing leaves from the forest floor, slapping them onto the blood and sticking them to his body. Where the blood had dried, he wiped more from the corpse beside him, feeling revulsion every time for violating its dignity but what choice did he have? He was alive and he planned to stay that way. Before long, he looked like a budget version of the Tree Sprite, small twigs hanging off the leaves plastered to him. He felt a little relief that his important bits were covered. If he did run into someone else, he wouldn¡¯t be completely embarrassed. He crushed some more leaves between his hands, rubbed his face with it, doing his best to cover every inch of himself in the musky scent. He hoped at the very least, that the smell of the leaves was more powerful than the blood. It smelt that way to him. Text floated across his vision again. +1[WIS] +1[CNV] He chuckled quietly to himself. Seemed the game agreed with him. He turned to the direction the Tree Sprite had headed in, took a deep breath and started walking. Well, he tried walking. His legs seemed to be as useful to him as they were in the hospital bed he had left behind. During the rush of adrenaline, they had been eager to do his bidding but now, they were staging a quiet mutiny, as if they had more sense than to be heading towards the thing that almost killed him. ¡°You will do what I need you to,¡± he said, looking at his legs like a parent to their child. If he wanted to survive here, he¡¯d need to learn to do things he might not want to, like with the blood, and not always under the influence of adrenaline. His mind and body would have to get used to it. Moving one foot in front of the other was difficult but he forced himself forwards, one step, two, three. He got into a rhythm, the adrenaline reduced, his heartbeat slowed down, his breathing normalised. Before long, he began to jog lightly. He followed a parallel path to the one the Tree Sprite had taken. He didn¡¯t want to be right behind it when he caught up. The leaves that covered his body rustled with every step, a few occasionally falling away, the odd twig snapping under his feet. He wondered where in this forsaken forest, he¡¯d be able to find some proper clothes. It didn¡¯t take long to catch up to the thing. It hadn¡¯t gotten farther than a few hundred metres from where Tyler had first encountered it. It didn¡¯t seem to be in a particular hurry, moving languidly towards its target. As Tyler got closer, within thirty metres of it, it abruptly stopped and turned its head, nostrils flaring, sniffing the air around it. Tyler ducked behind a tree for what little cover it could offer and watched carefully. His heart beat faster but not like before and his breaths came naturally. After a few moments, the creature lowered its head and continued on. Tyler gave himself a pleased smile. It seemed his camouflage had worked. Maybe outfits made of leaves was the way to go. With a bounce in his step, he followed at a distance, off to the right, matching the creature¡¯s pace. As he followed, the unnatural silence in the forest was broken only by the rustling of his makeshift outfit and the crunch of twigs beneath his feet. No birds chirped in the branches above. No excited chitter of squirrels leaping between trees. Even on the forest floor, he saw no signs of life. No sign of ants building a colony, or the webs of spiders between branches. No slimy trails through the fallen leaves. The leaves themselves and the grass were merely touched with green, the rest tarnished in black. The bark of the trees surrounding him had blackened, with layers peeling away in places, revealing a soft pulp beneath, with an off-colour amber hue. Even the roots sprawled across the ground looked infected, their surfaces dotted with puffed-up boils leaking black pus. Before he had time to ponder further, he noticed the trees ahead began to thin, the space between the sickly trunks growing ever so further apart. He took a chance and sped up, staying on the parallel path but getting closer to the Tree Sprite. He could see the edge of the forest, dark orange sunlight bathing large grey pebbles where they met the last of the rotted grass and dead leaves. He got even more closer, ducking behind a tree, right at the edge of the treeline, so he was no farther than ten metres from where the Tree Sprite stood. It had emerged onto a bank that gently sloped down to the edge of a stream of clear water. Smooth river stones of various sizes spread from the forest¡¯s edge right to the turquoise-blue water, disappearing beneath its surface. On the far side, another bank rose to meet another swathe of forest, but even in the fading light, it looked healthier, more alive than the one Tyler was in. At the water¡¯s edge, no more than fifteen metres ahead of where the Tree Sprite stood, ripples of waves lapped against the river bank as something swam towards it. A moment later, a woman emerged from the water, fully naked. Long silver hair framed a face with high cheekbones, and large, alluring eyes. Her golden brown skin glowed in the light of the setting sun, while her silver hair, like a waterfall of liquid moonlight, flowed past her shoulders, over her body and to almost halfway down her thighs, protecting her honour from his gaze. He knew he shouldn¡¯t stare but he hadn¡¯t seen someone so beautiful. Not that he would remember if he had, but he was sure he hadn¡¯t. She moved with delicate grace, stepping lightly across the stones beneath her feet, her eyes firmly on the Tree Sprite. Her lips curled ever so slightly. The creature didn¡¯t hesitate. Projectiles flew from its body with incredible speed, aimed at the silver-haired woman, but they never reached their target. Tyler¡¯s eyes widened as the sharp pieces of bark bounced off an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. Almost in the same instant, flames erupted from the Tree Sprite¡¯s body, engulfing it from head to toe. Reflections danced across the wet stones as the Tree Sprite writhed in agony yet it didn¡¯t move. It didn¡¯t try to run to the water that could save its life. Tyler realised then that it was trying to, but just as there was an invisible barrier protecting the woman, there was something trapping the creature in place. In mere seconds, the Tree Sprite crumbled to the ground in ashes, its screams unheard, like the person it had killed earlier. The ashes settled on the wet stones, absorbed into the water as Tyler turned his attention back to the woman. She gave the creature less thought than he did, having already turned away towards her equipment, gleaming by the water¡¯s edge. Tyler knew he shouldn¡¯t look but he was mesmerised by the curves of her body, the flawlessness of her skin, the confidence with which she moved. The power she had displayed was both terrifying and stunning. He needed to speak to her. If she was another one on the tutorial, she was clearly ahead of the curve. He just hoped she¡¯d be willing to help him. As he made to leave the cover of the forest, he felt something sharp press against the nape of his neck. A female voice whispered into his ear. ¡°Move, and you die.¡± 3: Fourth Defender of the Realm -1[RES] floated across his vision as he was marched from the tree line and forced to kneel down in front of the silver-haired woman. She had her back to him as she donned her armour, helped by another girl, the clang of metal on metal drowning out the gentle lapping of the stream. The other girl looked to be a little younger than himself, dressed in what seemed to be a blue silk gown that hugged her figure from neck to waist and flared out towards her ankles. The gown was adorned with gems of a variety of colours. Startlingly, she had a shaved head, highlighting her round face, and brown eyes that seemed lost in distant thought. He squirmed in discomfort, his leafy outfit providing absolutely no protection against the rocks biting into his knees, but he remained silent with the unseen woman behind him still holding whatever was pressed against his neck. He knew nothing of armour ¨C wasn¡¯t even sure he¡¯d seen any before, but what the silver-haired woman wore looked expensive. Violet plates caught the last of the setting sun like the gleaming petals of an exotic metal flower as the young girl worked to secure the shoulders that flared like the wings of a mythical beast. Once done, the woman sat down on a rocky outcrop to face him, the ends of her silver hair resting on her thighs. The other girl placed a helm and gauntlets at the silver-haired woman¡¯s feet, and took a place by her side, setting a sheathed sword against the rocks. The ornate scabbard hinted at the beautiful weapon hidden inside, with its foot-long grip, and a blade three times as long. Gold inscription was carved along the length of the sheathe that was twice as wide at the hilt than at its point. The golden hilt was curved at its ends, and inscribed with silver cursive lettering. Just as beautiful were the gems, in yellow, red or blue, each marked with a silver line or cross that were set into her violet armour. He glanced at the gems on the young girls simple dress and noticed they too had markings. Every piece of the silver-haired woman¡¯s armour seemed to be adorned with at least one gem and some pieces had more, like her gloves and belt. Only her chest and helm didn¡¯t seem to contain any. Seeing her up-close made him feel stupid for staring at her by the river, but he found it difficult to keep his eyes away now. She wasn¡¯t as old as he¡¯d first thought, and was shorter than she had looked from afar. An inch or so shorter than himself, yet tall for a woman, and imposing nonetheless. She was beautiful for sure, with captivating light-green pupils within impossibly large, rounded eyes, and a delicate, upturned nose that complemented her high cheekbones. She had berry-coloured lips that he could almost taste and flawless bronze skin, but he could feel the confidence in the way she sat with the quiet certainty of judge, jury and executioner. She was beautiful in the way her sword was beautiful. With an edge that could kill. And would. She looked into the air above his head and nodded, and he felt the pressure released on his neck. He wanted to turn his head but dared not. The young girl at her side stood still, eyes on him, a green pendant he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier around her neck. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the silver-haired woman asked, her soft voice at odds with the crushing pressure he felt. ¡°Tyler.¡± ¡°Where have you come from?¡± ¡°You mean like what planet?¡± ¡°I mean, where in the Kingdom are you from?¡± ¡°Kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes, Kingdom.¡± The old man had said he would be in the Kingdom of Aleria but he had no clue where. He could tell from the woman¡¯s eyes that she was waiting for him to give her the wrong answer. ¡°Honestly?¡± he said after a moment of silence, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± she said, leaning forward, looking at him as if she could see the answer in the very depths of his being. He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m from a planet called Earth but I can¡¯t remember anything from my life. I woke up in some kind of weird waiting room, with this beautiful woman with big t-¡° he stopped himself, looking at the beauty in front of him, recalling how he had looked at her when he first saw her emerge from the water. Probably best not to bring attention to that. Not to mention the other two women there. That knowledge he had from Earth tickled his mind that mentioning such things in front of women was not the same as if you mentioned it in a room of men. Especially when those women had shown themselves quite proficient at killing. ¡°Anyway, I then found myself in another room, and some guy called the Gamesmaster gave me the option to come here to Cytheria and I said yes. I thought it¡¯d be better than the alternative but so far, I¡¯m being proved wrong.¡± She glanced to the darkening sky and he tilted his head to look up too before turning his eyes back to her. She gestured to the sky with her finger. ¡°You¡¯re from another world?¡± At first, it concerned him that she didn¡¯t know that but then he realised that he was assuming everyone on this planet was from another world but it was just that ¨C an assumption. He had no evidence to say that was the case and from the way she was talking, it was evident it wasn¡¯t. Nevertheless, he had a feeling that his survival counted on convincing her that he was telling the truth. It would be an irony to avoid being killed by a monster, only to be killed by a human instead. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from another world.¡± ¡°How many is that now?¡± he heard the woman behind him say, her voice deep and slightly hoarse. ¡°Three?¡± Alina looked to the woman he couldn¡¯t see and affirmed what she had said with a brief tilt of her head. He assumed that meant there were at least two others like himself, but he found it hard to read Alina¡¯s expression. He continued on. ¡°When I got here, I found myself in the forest on my hands and knees, looking at that creature you killed, and it had just decapitated someone. ¡°Do you know what that looks like? A body without its head?¡± She nodded. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Right. Of course you do.¡± ¡°How did you survive?¡± ¡°You saved me,¡± he said, not wishing to recall how it was that he had survived. The silver-haired woman looked to the young lady to her left, who gently nodded to her. ¡°It¡¯s the truth but he¡¯s hiding something.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± she said, turning back to him. He flashed his eyes at the young girl and noticed the pendant had a soft glow. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re hiding, I wonder?¡± ¡°Nothing important.¡± ¡°Let me be the judge of that,¡± she whispered softly. He almost had to check whether she was unsheathing her blade. ¡°I covered myself in the blood of the decapitated person. It was enough to hide myself and then you did save me. The demon walked this way before it noticed me and I decided to follow it, hoping it would lead me to others who could help me understand what¡¯s going on.¡± She looked at the young lady again, who nodded. ¡°Very interesting. And the leaves?¡± ¡°I used the blood to stick the leaves to myself. The creature seemed to sense with smell, so I hoped the leaves would camouflage the blood and my own scent.¡± She gave him a look as if impressed but he could tell she wasn¡¯t entirely convinced his story was true. ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± he protested, as if his words could sway her. ¡°I know,¡± she said, ¡°unbelievable though it is.¡± +1[WIS] Another stat point, and he was sure now it meant wisdom. Four wisdom points he had, and he could guess why. It seemed to be linked to making the right decisions or trusting his gut when the stakes were high. One when he had decided to use the blood to camouflage his scent. One when he had moved away from the headless corpse. One when he had decided to camouflage with leaves. And another now for telling the truth. His life had been at stake in all four instances. ¡°You¡¯re not the first we¡¯ve met claiming to be from another world and it¡¯s a claim that you would do well to keep to yourself. Most people will think you¡¯re mad but others? Others might believe there¡¯s something you can offer them. Something important enough that they¡¯d be willing to use excruciatingly painful means to extract it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean there are people here who would be very interested in you for information that they think you might be hiding but that you most probably don¡¯t have. They¡¯ll skin you alive like they would skin an animal for its hide. Except it won¡¯t be quick and they won¡¯t care when they realise you had nothing to offer them. All because you were careless with your words.¡± ¡°Should I have lied to you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I have Mira here with me. She can tell when someone is lying and had you lied to me, I might have had to see another body without its head.¡± She raised an eyebrow at him with a wicked smile on her lips and a wink. Had he thought those lips reminded him of summer berries? Blood of innocents, more like. ¡°So then,¡± he said, as he shifted his knees, ¡°if I were to meet someone like that, and they also have a way to tell if I¡¯m lying, what am I meant to do?¡± He shifted uncomfortably again. ¡°And please could I get up before I need my knees replaced?¡± The woman¡¯s laugh was rich, like honey mixed with sugar, and would as easily trap him as any ant. ¡°You can get up now.¡± With a sigh of relief, he pushed himself off the ground and rubbed at his sore knees, a leaf or two falling away from his outfit. ¡°Lucky for you, you¡¯ve met us. I¡¯ll arrange to have you taken care of but I was being serious. Do not mention it again until we¡¯ve figured out what¡¯s going on.¡± She turned to Mira, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means but I imagine it has something to do with whatever¡¯s going on in this forest.¡± ¡°Can I ask who you are?¡± ¡°My name is Alina,¡± she said, turning back to him. ¡°Mira, you¡¯ve already met and over there is Kiri¡± He turned to look, finally getting to glimpse his captor. His eyes narrowed and his mouth almost hit the floor. His ego fell through it. She can¡¯t have been more than sixteen or seventeen, and barely five feet tall. She was dressed in faded brown leathers and similar to the other two, she had gems all over her clothes in various colours, and several knives slotted into her belt. It reminded him of a time when his younger sister, who had been no older than Kiri was now, had managed to sneak up on him during a round of paintball. She¡¯d absolutely blasted him, as younger sisters would. He smiled as he recalled the memory. A memory? From his old life. Frantically, he searched for anything else that came to mind, tried to think deeper but there was nothing. Still, one memory meant there would be more. Maybe he just needed to find the right triggers. Looking at Kiri, he could see why she might have triggered him ¨C she looked similar to his sister. Slim, with a narrow face and thin lips. She had small green eyes with short blonde hair, and the softest of dimples in her cheeks. From an angle, she could almost look the same. ¡°She¡¯s being modest,¡± Kiri said. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Kiri,¡± Alina responded. Kiri stuck out a tongue at her. ¡°Sitting before you is the magnificent, the beautiful, Princess Alina. Fourth Defender of the Realm. Commander of the Academy of Champions. Glorious Leader of the Seven Sisters of Retribution.¡± Alina looked down at the wet rocks scattered across the bank, shaking her head. ¡°Ignore her,¡± she said, looking at him. ¡°She¡¯s lacking in charisma. We¡¯re trying to teach her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lacking in charisma,¡± Kiri protested. ¡°What is the point of having your titles if you don¡¯t use them? Look at him. He doesn¡¯t have a clue what¡¯s going on but-, OW!¡± She started rubbing her head, frowning at Alina or maybe it was Mira. Mira hid her smile, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly but Alina made no attempt to hide her amusement, her mouth open wide with laughter. Tyler¡¯s wariness and trepidation began to subside as he watched the playful interplay between the three. Alina, imposing as she was, seemed at ease with her status, not at all egotistical with the impressive titles, though he wondered what they meant. Fourth Defender of the Realm sounded important. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he interjected into their levity and three sets of eyes immediately snapped to him. Wariness and trepidation were going to be his friends for a while, it seemed. ¡°I just have a few questions, if I may?¡± Night had begun to fall, darkness settling on the land as thousands of stars twinkled across the sky. A floating sphere of light materialised between them. He couldn¡¯t tell which of the three had made it appear, though Mira seemed the most likely. Alina nodded to him, still sat on the rocks, Mira at her side. Kiri squatted by the water¡¯s edge, throwing small pebbles into the stream, breaking the reflection of the floating orb. Like Alina, he felt there was a practiced ease to her nonchalance. Nonetheless, for however dangerous they seemed, he was glad to have found them. ¡°Is this Cytheria?¡± Alina nodded. ¡°And is this the Kingdom of Aleria?¡± She nodded again. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°The Forest of Learning. We¡¯re about a third of the way from the exit.¡± She pointed across the stream. ¡°The Forest of Learning?¡± She looked at him the way a teacher would look at a teenage maths student, horrified they hadn¡¯t learned their times tables, before her face softened as if she had recalled a particularly slow student, where the only option was to smile and nod and feed them morsels of encouragement. ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t know anything, would you?¡± He shook his head. She looked towards the forest that he had come from. ¡°Kiri. Find the others. We may as well make camp here tonight.¡± ¡°Oooooo,¡± Kiri said as she stood. ¡°It looks like Alina¡¯s made another friend. Alina and Tyler, sitting by a stream¡­¡± A rock went flying through the air, but Kira had already darted towards the forest, moving faster than seemed humanly possible. The rock whistled through the place she had been, crashing into the water a moment later with a large splash. That could have done some serious damage if it had hit its mark. Still, Tyler couldn¡¯t stop himself from smiling at Kiri¡¯s teasing, and neither could Mira. Alina wasn¡¯t smiling. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed. He had a distinct feeling that he might need to sleep with one eye open tonight. Or find somewhere else to camp. Maybe the demon sprites would have a place for him. ¡°My sisters are my companions. You, however, are not.¡± ¡°Not yet?¡± he raised his eyebrows at her and put on his best hopeful face. Nope. She wasn¡¯t amused. He stopped smiling. +1[CHR] ¡°Now, I suggest you sit down.¡± 4: Status It didn¡¯t sound like much of a suggestion at all. He did as he was told and sat cross-legged on the jagged stones beneath him, which was only slightly more comfortable than kneeling on them. ¡°If you don¡¯t need me, I¡¯ll set up camp,¡± Mira said. ¡°I¡¯ll help you once I¡¯m done,¡± Alina replied. ¡°Here!¡± Mira threw a cushion at him as she walked away from the rocky outcrop, a second ball of light appearing in front of her. ¡°Thanks,¡± he shouted after her, placing the cushion beneath him. His backside was grateful for it. He turned back to Alina. The floating orb of light hovered to his right and though he could see her face, Alina¡¯s violet armour had almost disappeared, its presence only visible from the faintest of a bluish outline. Around them, it was otherwise dark with just the gentle lapping of waves from the stream breaking the silence. One thing that he noticed now was that there seemed to be no wind in this place, but he didn¡¯t know if that was another oddness from the dead forest. The gravity of his situation was beginning to sink in as he sat there on the cushion in his makeshift leafy outfit, covered in someone else¡¯s blood. He¡¯d tried to joke with her a moment before, his false confidence masking his fear and unease but he knew he was out of his depth. He¡¯d escaped death narrowly through luck more than foresight and no amount of bravado was going to get him through this. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an overview of our world,¡± Alina said. ¡°Then you¡¯ll camp with us tonight. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have someone take you to the Academy, where you¡¯ll be able to choose what you want to do next.¡± ¡°Before you start, can I ask? Are you really a princess?¡± He was grateful to have stumbled upon Alina and Mira and Kiri, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she would take the time to help a nobody like him. If she truly was a princess, why was she here, in full battle armour, with companions who seemed to be every bit as dangerous as her? ¡°I am,¡± she smiled reassuringly. ¡°My grandfather is the King of Aleria.¡± ¡°But why aren¡¯t you in a castle or something?¡± ¡°I could be, if I wanted to be,¡± she replied with a faint chuckle, ¡°but I wanted to do something for the people. I wanted a responsibility to fulfil, and was made the Commander of the Academy of Champions. Truth be told, the King probably sent me here thinking it would keep me away from the fighting on our borders. We¡¯re about as far from the Riftlands as we can be and still be in Aleria. I don¡¯t think he was expecting the fight to come to me.¡± She laughed that rich laugh again. ¡°But even then, why would you be out here and not at the academy? Surely, you could have others investigate on your behalf?¡± ¡°What kind of leader would I be if I was happy to send others into areas that I myself feared to go?¡± ¡°What kind of leader would you be if you¡¯re not around to lead?¡± She understood the insinuation, though she didn¡¯t seem phased by it. ¡°Do you doubt my ability or are you questioning my judgment? You think that perhaps I¡¯m reckless?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know which,¡± he replied honestly. He got too curious, too comfortable. His question was flippant at best but rude nevertheless. The last thing he wanted to do was get on her wrong side. Not just because he felt she did have all the power she hinted at and more but because, for whatever reason, fate had thrown him a lifeline. He needed to understand his place in this world, but he knew that it was always good to have friends in high places. ¡°I just think I¡¯d rather be safe and have others check things, even if I have to get involved later.¡± ¡°Would you be comfortable knowing you had sent others to their possible deaths in your place?¡± He remained silent as she looked at him with a playfully curious smile on her lips. A smile that suggested she understood his point of view but was going to prove it wrong anyway. His words weren¡¯t something she hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± The question threw him. He wasn¡¯t expecting her to flip the switch. He was the newcomer here. The one with all the questions on this new world. He hadn¡¯t expected someone to ask about his motivations. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t given much thought to anything when he had made his decision, except not wanting to live in the horrific reality that he had been presented in that weird, white waiting room. ¡°I was in a bad place and was given another chance,¡± he replied. ¡°And what was that chance you were given?¡± ¡°To come here and help in the fight against the Rift Lords.¡± ¡°And what were you offered that made you choose to come here?¡± Tyler thought back to what the Gamesmaster had told him. The shooting he had been planning. The accident on his way there. ¡°A chance to undo a choice I made.¡± ¡°A choice that would have resulted in people¡¯s deaths?¡± It hadn¡¯t but if what the Gamesmaster had told him was true ¨C and he still wasn¡¯t sure that it was ¨C it would have. How could she have known though? ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Her expression changed to the hint of a knowing smile. ¡°The others who came here made a choice. A choice that resulted in death. They told me they were offered the chance to go back to before they made the choice. I¡¯m curious to know if you were offered something similar?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, nodding to her as he recalled the sight of his broken body on the hospital bed, his mother by his side and his tearful sister asleep. ¡°I planned on killing people and had an accident on the way. My body was broken; my mind lost. The Gamesmaster said if I came here and helped to take back the Riftlands, as you called it, I would be able to go back to before I made the choice.¡± ¡°Then you understand why I would choose to come here myself, rather than send others to do it for me? We¡¯re all responsible for our own choices but I can¡¯t take back death.¡± She smiled again, gently, as if to soften the blow of what she was telling him. It would have been easy for her to send others. Others who might die in her place. But those were not deaths she wanted on her conscience. Tyler had come here not wanting to remain in a broken body and to relieve his family of the shame of his choice. ¡°Now, I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t enjoyed your questioning. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had someone question my decisions, but I think we should continue this another time.¡± She continued smiling at him. He felt no malice or offense in her expression. Just the look of a princess who welcomed honest words over flattery. She looked towards the forest where Kiri had disappeared, whilst he quickly glanced behind him. Mira had already put up several tents with little lanterns inside. ¡°My sisters will be back soon and I¡¯d like to give you that overview before they return. I¡¯m sure you would also like to get out of that delightful dress you¡¯re wearing, have a shower in the stream and then get a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, smiling himself and settling into the cushion beneath him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for wasting your time.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t. I look forward to continuing the conversation another day. Maybe when you have the choice to make instead of me.¡± There were no sinister undertones to her words but they were enough to make him understand that it was easy to make judgments when you weren¡¯t responsible for the choice. Easy to speak about putting others in danger, when you weren¡¯t the one who had to live with that on your conscience. ¡°Now, you asked me what this forest is. It¡¯s a special place where people come to take the next step on their way to reaching the very best they can be. ¡°I don¡¯t know how things work on your world but here, we grow stronger through our deeds, our experiences, our decisions. Every difficult task we accomplish, every challenge we overcome; even every friend we make or enemy we defeat makes us stronger. Our minds, our bodies, our talents, our skills all adapt, evolve. Become more than they were before. ¡°We measure our growth through ¡®Status¡¯. It¡¯s a way for us to navigate our progress. If you were of this world, you would be taught this at a young age. When you say ¡®Status¡¯, it will show you who you are and how far you¡¯ve come. Say it.¡± ¡°Status.¡± A floating blue screen appeared not too dissimilar to a tablet from home but without the casing. It hovered in the air, roughly a foot in front of his face, within arm¡¯s reach. He could see Alina¡¯s face through it but it was solid enough that the white text at the centre of the screen was clearly visible. {Name} [ Tyler Smith ] {Age} [ 25 ] {Level} [ 39 ] {Experience} [ 5091/20550 ] {Health} [ 9959 | 9959 | +0 ] {Energy} [ 2162 | 2162 | +0 ] {Power} [ 319 | 319 | +0 ] {Class} [ UNAVAILABLE ] [? Press for more] ¡°Status shows us what level we¡¯ve attained. What skills we have. Which stats we¡¯ve favoured.¡± As she spoke, Tyler listened but instinctively reached out to see if the screen truly worked by touch. It did and what looked like a menu screen showed. [ VITALS | vitals ][Off] [ CLASS | class ] [ TITLES | titles ] [ ATTRIBUTES | stats ] [ SKILLS | skills ] [ EQUIPMENT | equip ] [ INVENTORY | bags ] [ QUESTS | quests ] [ ACHIEVEMENTS | achi ] [ JOURNAL | notes ] [ MAP | map ] ¡°Everything you need is just a word away,¡± Alina continued. ¡°Your progress. Your skills. What¡¯s in your bags. You can even keep a diary. As you become stronger, you won¡¯t even need to say anything. You can just think it and imagine it and the right pane will come up. But while you¡¯re learning, you can use your hand to navigate.¡± He reached out again and pressed [ VITALS | vitals ]. At first he thought nothing had happened. The screen in front was still there and the page hadn¡¯t changed. He tapped [ VITALS | vitals ] again. Still nothing. And again. Still¡­no, it had changed. He just hadn¡¯t noticed it. [ VITALS | vitals ][On] ¡°Status,¡± he said, and the screen disappeared. Then it became apparent. Just on the edge of his vision, in the top left, a green and orange bar faded into view, the orange beneath the green, both overlapped to the left by a large circle. When he turned his head to see the bars better, they moved with him. He flicked his eyes towards the bars instead and they became crystal clear, the numbers from the status screen that indicated his health and energy now overlaid on those bars and his level ¨C 39 ¨C inside the circle. At the bottom of his vision, again on the edge, was a thin progress bar, showing the experience he¡¯d gained for this level and the total he could gain, a quarter filled with a darker shade of green than the health bar. He looked at Alina. ¡°Should I be able to see your information?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. You only see your vital information and information for your party, if you have one¡± Alina explained. ¡°You can only see someone else¡¯s vitals if they have hostility towards you or you to them. Then you¡¯ll be able to see their level and their health and mana or energy bars. They¡¯ll be more prominent than your own bars, but it won¡¯t show you in numbers how much of either they have. ¡°In truth, once you reach the higher levels, you¡¯ll turn your display off. You rarely, if ever need it. You develop an intuition for these things.¡± ¡°How many levels are there?¡± Tyler asked, glancing at the 39 in the top left corner of his vision. ¡°One hundred. Most people in this world don¡¯t go past level twenty-five, sometimes thirty at a stretch. You can reach those levels without doing much, if anything, extra. Most people are content with that. You ply a reasonable trade, earn a decent living, and live out your life quite comfortably at such levels.¡± Most people reach level twenty-five but he was already well beyond that. It didn¡¯t seem right but he didn¡¯t have the opportunity to question it. ¡°But some want to reach further. Others don¡¯t have a choice but to,¡± Alina continued. ¡°This forest is one of the places those people go to reach higher levels. Here, your experience is doubled; you have more quests, more beasts to kill, higher gear to obtain. The Forest of Learning enhances your skills, whether that¡¯s with hammers or axes, fishing poles or hunting bows. ¡°You can enter the forest at level twenty-five at the entrance to the north. It¡¯s about fifty leagues from north to south, and when-¡° she gave him a curious look and he realised his expression probably reflected the confusion he felt, but then she smiled in understanding. ¡°A league is three miles or about how far you can walk in an hour. At the quickest, someone could complete the forest in about ten days, to get all the experience they need. That should take them to level fifty by the time they make it to the exit to the south. ¡°After that, it¡¯s really how far you want to take it. At level fifty, you get to choose a class. Think of classes as professions. Jewelcrafting. Tailoring. Blacksmithing. Cooking. Soldiering and many more. If you have aspirations of becoming proficient in your craft, you need to reach level fifty, which isn¡¯t difficult but it requires effort on your part. You won¡¯t be able to stumble to it. If you have aspirations of becoming a master of your craft, that¡¯s when you need to dedicate your life to it.¡± He thought back to the quest he had completed and the enormous xp he had gained. If that wasn¡¯t the definition of stumbling to it, he didn¡¯t know what was. ¡°And princess wasn¡¯t something you wanted to dedicate your life to?¡± he joked, and then immediately felt stupid. There he went again, covering the uncomfortable weight of the situation he found himself in with false bravado. He wondered if he¡¯d always been like that. Back on Earth. Or was it something he was developing in the moment. He wished he wasn¡¯t missing those damn memories. Then a thought occurred to him. One he hadn¡¯t considered before. If the Gamesmaster had the power to send him back in time, then surely he might¡¯ve had the power to give him back his memories. He frowned and looked down at the pebbles at his feet, annoyed with himself for not having this thought back then. Perhaps stupidity was a trait of his from his old life. How had he had the ability to stay calm in that life-or-death moment with the Demon Sprite but he hadn¡¯t had the wherewithal to ask for his memories back. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Alina said, drawing his attention back to her. The light from the orb danced across her silver hair. ¡°I wasn¡¯t annoyed by your joke.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I was thinking about something else,¡± he replied. She raised her eyebrows. A slight panic took him, remembering he was talking to a princess. She seemed totally normal and accessible to him but he still needed to be respectful. Quickly, he added, ¡°Not that I wasn¡¯t thinking about you. I was thinking about you but not exclusively about you.¡± Her eyebrows raised further and she tilted her head slightly. His words sounded back to him in his ears. ¡°Not that you¡¯re not worth thinking about exclusively,¡± he said in a rush. ¡°I mean, of course you¡¯re absolutely worth thinking about exclusively.¡± His mind thought back to that moment when she emerged from the water. That silky silver hair flowing over her body. Her golden-bronze skin. The curv¨C. What the hell is wrong with you, Tyler? Where the hell is your mind going? Focus. Focus. Don¡¯t lose your head. Literally. He breathed in deeply and held it for a moment, before letting it out slowly. He looked into her light-green eyes, thought of his mother at his hospital bed and remembering he was talking to a princess, said as politely as he could, ¡°Can we continue with the lesson?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, her lips twitching slightly, as if she was suppressing a smile. 5: A War is Coming ¡°Where were we before you interrupted?¡± Alina asked, with a hint of a smirk that had been there for far too long now. Throughout their conversation, she had barely budged on the rocky outcrop that she sat on, and he imagined the armour couldn¡¯t be that comfortable and yet, she gave no indication otherwise. ¡°Ah, yes. Picking a class. Once you¡¯re level fifty, you can pick a class and reallocate your stat points.¡± ¡°Like wisdom?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Wisdom is one of the stats you can¡¯t allocate points to. Why don¡¯t you call up your stats?¡± He hesitated as he couldn¡¯t exactly remember the command, so he settled on the command he did know. ¡°Status.¡± The floating blue screen appeared with his baseline information. He reached out and tapped the screen, bringing him back to the earlier menu. He made a mental note that the command was ¡®Stats¡¯ and pressed the button on the screen for attributes. Only two items came up. [ STAT POINTS AVAILABLE ] [ 78 ] [ ALLOCATED ] [ 0 ] He noticed on the right hand side of the screen, there was a white triangle pointing right. Instinctively, he swiped his hand left as if he really was using a tablet and it had the desired effect. The interface responded almost instantly, the experience smoother than he would have expected. No lag, no stuttering, no spinning coloured circle. Another vague memory of his time on Earth. Another page came up, with triangles on either edge pointing left and right. [ PHYSICAL | phys ] { STRENGTH | STR } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { ENDURANCE | END } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { VITALITY | VIT } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { AGILITY | AGI } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { DURABILITY | DUR } - [ 0 / 200 ] + [ CONFIRM ] ¡°It says I have no stat points allocated,¡± Tyler said, looking through the screen at Alina. ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Alina replied. ¡°Before you¡¯ve chosen a class, you can¡¯t use magic so you can allocate to physical attributes only. You can get to level fifty without allocating, but if you wanted to speed things up a little more, you could allocate to strength for raw power or agility for speed and control. The other three aren¡¯t really relevant at your level or even later, depending on the class you¡¯ve chosen.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you use magic before choosing a class?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the way it is. I¡¯m sure someone¡¯s done the research into it but it¡¯s not something I ever looked into. When you¡¯re at the Academy, you¡¯ll be able to study these things further, if that¡¯s what you want to do. ¡°Though, I imagine it¡¯s to ensure that mages and clerics have some physical skills. At higher levels, the opponents you¡¯re likely to face will be highly skilled and you¡¯ll need to think fast, move when necessary and sometimes be in close quarters combat where your magic can be just as dangerous to yourself as to them.¡± She made a gesture with her hand, clenching her fist near her face, then splaying her fingers outwards. At the same time, she puffed out her cheeks and rounded her lips into a small circle, softly blowing out air as if to mimic an explosion. ¡°A base level of physicality ¨C being able to fight or use a sword ¨C can buy you distance and time to cast stronger spells. Mira is a mage. She doesn¡¯t have the same damage resistance or health as knights such as myself, nor the speed or movement of an assassin like Kiri. But she¡¯s the most powerful of all seven of us, as long as she has the time to cast.¡± Knights, assassins, mages, clerics. He felt a hazy familiarity with those concepts from games from Earth or one of those fantasy novels written by one of the greats, occupying that strange place in his mind between memories and knowledge. Well, he needed neither memory nor knowledge now that he was living it. He swiped left again. [ MAGICAL | magic ] { CHI | CHI } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { SUSTENANCE | SUS } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { SPIRIT | SPT } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { FOCUS | FCS } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { FORTITUDE | FRT } - [ 0 / 200 ] + [ CONFIRM ] ¡°If mages are so powerful, why wouldn¡¯t everyone just be a mage?¡± Tyler asked. This screen also had triangles left and right. ¡°Because not everything can be solved with magic and not every enemy can be defeated with it either. Some beasts are resistant to it and many are immune. Not to mention the biggest enemies need multiple people with multiple classes to even have a chance.¡± He swiped left again, and this time, there was only a triangle to the left, but unlike the previous two screens, there were no plus or minus signs next to the stats. [ MENTAL | ment ] { INTELLIGENCE | INT } [ 126 / 250 ] { WISDOM | WIS } [ 104 / 250 ] { RESONANCE | RES } [ 75 / 250 ] { CHARISMA | CHR } [ 76 / 250 ] { CONVICTION | CNV } [ 52 / 250 ] The scores were confusing to say the least. High in intelligence and wisdom but low in the others. It looked really bad on the conviction. Not even halfway to the midpoint. And even being high in intelligence, he just noticed it wasn¡¯t high at all. Just above average, if even that. He wondered how that compared to others. Was it usual for someone of his level or was he lacking in ways he couldn¡¯t yet understand? The only saving grace was that he¡¯d have opportunities to increase them all. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°So if I have this right,¡± Tyler said, his mind still processing the manner in which his identity had been stripped down to nothing more than raw numbers. ¡°We earn stat points per level that we gain and we can allocate to magic or physical attributes but for mental attributes, we can only gain those through our actions?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Alina replied, shifting in her seat for what seemed to be the first time since Tyler was first made to kneel in front of her. ¡°You get stronger as you grow. Your health, your energy, your attack power all rise and then you can allocate to physical or magical stats to increase those characteristics. But then yes, the mental attributes can only be earnt via your actions. Like I said earlier ¨C we grow stronger through our deeds but also through our experiences and decisions. ¡°Mental attributes are harder to earn, though in a zone like this, you¡¯ll earn them a bit faster. Once you get to the Academy, you¡¯ll get a better understanding of it all. I¡¯ve given you a brief overview so you¡¯re not completely out of your depth, but in any case, one of my sisters will be going with you, so they¡¯ll help you on the way, and once you get to the Academy, you¡¯ll be taught alongside the other two we picked up.¡± He had so many questions to ask but he also knew she was a princess and had given up much of her time already helping a newbie like him. He felt it unwise to push her further. He could ask those questions to someone else, but there was one burning question that he did need to ask her. Before voicing it, he decided to test the commands he had been memorising as each screen had displayed. ¡°Status.¡± That brought him back to the original screen. {Name} [ Tyler Smith ] {Age} [ 25 ] {Level} [ 39 ] {Experience} [ 5091/20550 ] {Health} [ 9959 | 9959 | +0 ] {Energy} [ 2162 | 2162 | +0 ] {Power} [ 319 | 319 | +0 ] {Class} [ UNAVAILABLE ] [? Press for more] ¡°Stats.¡± [ STAT POINTS AVAILABLE ] [ 78 ] [ ALLOCATED ] [ 0 ] ¡°Phys.¡± [ PHYSICAL | phys ] { STRENGTH | STR } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { ENDURANCE | END } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { VITALITY | VIT } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { AGILITY | AGI } - [ 0 / 200 ] + { DURABILITY | DUR } - [ 0 / 200 ] + [ CONFIRM ] ¡°Phys.¡± The screen disappeared. ¡°Vitals.¡± The bars for health, energy and xp faded away, with only the lingering afterimage of the thirty-nine haunting his vision, before it too disappeared. He found Alina beaming at him, a hint of pride in her smile. ¡°You catch on fast.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to figure out the rest on my own.¡± She tilted her head to him in acknowledgement and then looked over to Mira. He glanced back too and saw that Mira had created a snug little haven by the stream¡¯s edge. Eight colourful tents formed a loose circle around a crackling fire, its oranges flames casting shadows across the pebbles nearby and reflecting on the water, shimmering with each ripple of waves. Each tent had a lantern hanging inside, with one tent that was twice the size of the others. Even from a distance, he could tell it seemed to be made with a heavier fabric, intricate embroidery and patterns lining its edges and the entrance. Across from that tent, was one that was conspicuously small, barely large enough for a person. Perhaps that was Kiri¡¯s tent, too pint-sized to be for anyone else. Mira sat on a large log between the tents and the fire, one of several that seemed to have just appeared from nowhere. Given what he¡¯d learnt about her power, perhaps they had been conjured out of thin air. She seemed to be concentrating intensely on the slightly charring animal that hung in the air above the fire. Whatever beast it was, it slowly rotated on an invisible spit, juices and fat slowly dripping onto the flames below, causing them to occasionally crackle and roar. ¡°Seems Mira got done without me,¡± Alina said, head downcast, though Tyler couldn¡¯t hear any actual disappointment in the statement. Was there the slightest hint of a pleased smile on her face? Her lips seemed to twitch with what he thought was satisfaction, but it was hard to tell, though he had the feeling Alina was quite content to not have helped. She couldn¡¯t entirely keep that princess persona under wraps. ¡°I think it¡¯s best you clean up now. I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can deal with your stench.¡± She winked at him. ¡°You can use the stream ¨C I¡¯ll ask Mira to heat up a spot here so you won¡¯t freeze to death. When you¡¯re done, I think you might want to check your bags.¡± She stood up, her silver hair prominent against the dark armour she wore. He stood up too, picking up the cushion he had been sat on. Alina was hunched over her gauntlets and helm, which disappeared before his eyes. Her sword soon followed. He wondered what magic she must be using, but he had more pressing concerns. Before she could leave, Tyler spoke up with the question that had been bugging him. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± She turned back to him, a questioning look on her face. ¡°I get it,¡± Tyler said. ¡°You¡¯re a princess and you have responsibilities towards your people. I get that. But I¡¯m not one of your people. I¡¯m not even of this world.¡± It had been playing on his mind since she¡¯d mentioned it earlier, though it had taken a while to process. There were people here who would want to extract information from him. At the time, he hadn¡¯t given it much thought but during her explanation of how the world works, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what¡¯s in it for her. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your help, but I¡¯m not na?ve. You could have had someone take me back to the Academy already, or just sent me on my way, with nothing more than what I have on. Or you could have had me killed. No-one would know. But you¡¯re taking the time to explain things to me. Build a rapport with me. You, the Princess. The Commander of the Academy. Why?¡± She smiled that knowing smile again. ¡°I think your question answers your question.¡± It was his turn to give her a questioning look. ¡°You¡¯re perceptive, resourceful, quick. As you said, you¡¯re not na?ve. You¡¯re new to this world. A little fearful perhaps. Confused. But not na?ve. ¡°Something is happening on Cytheria. We¡¯re seeing phenomenon that have never occurred before. Take this forest. I¡¯m sure you noticed the disease invading it. And you¡¯ve already encountered a creature that isn¡¯t a part of it. That Demon Sprite. We¡¯ve only ever seen these things in the Riftlands. ¡°Over the past several months, similar events have occurred elsewhere. Creatures like that Demon Sprite appearing in the middle of our nations. Forests being diseased. Rivers drying up or turning black. We¡¯ve heard rumours from Saphildor to Telkand of such happenings. Some of those rumours even spoke of several Demon Lords themselves appearing. Beings of immense power, far beyond what any hero on Cytheria or any size of raid could handle. ¡°There¡¯s always been an uneasy truce between our nations and the Riftlands. There¡¯s always skirmishes on the borders. The lower demons try to cross and we force them back. And sometimes a party or raid from our side makes it into the Riftlands but not far. It¡¯s not too far in before you encounter the Demon Lords and no party is stupid enough to attack them. But one thing has always held. On the border, there is an invisible barrier that the Demon Lords themselves cannot cross. ¡°But now they¡¯re appearing in the middle of our lands. And wherever they¡¯ve appeared, massive dungeons have appeared soon after, as if the world itself is trying to keep them contained. Some of those dungeons have vanished since, even though no raid party had managed to clear even a single floor. Many died trying. ¡°What we don¡¯t know is how these demon spawn and their lords are managing to appear in places they should not be able to.¡± He was trying to take all the information in but nothing of what she¡¯d said answered his question. There was something that stood out though. Something that concerned him. If the Demon Lords were so powerful, why would the Gamesmaster send him here? The more he thought about it, the more it just didn¡¯t make sense. Alina thought he was perceptive but he knew there was something he was missing here. It bothered him no end that he had no idea what. ¡°What does all that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Well, with all these strange happenings ¨C now, I¡¯ve found three people who are from a different world to ours. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s others like you out there. Most have likely perished but there will be a few like you and the other two. Resourceful. Survivors. Perhaps they¡¯ve also found allies. ¡°I have some ideas as to how the demon spawn are getting through, but I haven¡¯t confirmed anything yet. But if it¡¯s as I fear, then I¡¯m going to need people I can trust. What better than people who have no allegiances already?¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t have a problem with sending others where you fear to go?¡± Tyler responded. ¡°Not where I fear to go,¡± Alina said. ¡°Where I am unable to. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not helping you from pure altruism. I¡¯m helping you because one day soon, after we¡¯ve trained you, I¡¯m going to need you.¡± ¡°Need me for what?¡± Tyler asked. Alina looked him right in the eye. Those alluring light-green eyes were anything but right now. They looked cold and determined. ¡°For the war that is coming.¡± 6: Survival or Death Tyler floated in the stream, lying on his back, gently moving his limbs every now and then to maintain balance as the waves embraced his body. The water traced the grooves of his joints and flowed over the chiselled muscles of his legs. It caressed his lithe torso, pooled in the valley where his neck met his chest, and rounded his shoulders to continue on its path past his ears. Nearby, another orb of light hovered ¨C gifted to him by Mira ¨C its soft glow shimmering on the surface of the water. Earlier, he had watched as she¡¯d performed an elaborate dance with her hands and a moment later, without a sound nor a splash, a blinding flash of light had exploded beneath the water. She had headed back to the logs then, leaving him to it. He had cautiously dipped a toe in and found the water to be at that sweet spot between hot enough to be pleasurable but not enough to be painful. It had been like that since and he had a feeling it would remain so until he left the stream. She must still be maintaining the magic, even though she was more than thirty or forty metres from him. Above him, the constellations that spread across the night sky looked nothing like those on Earth. Not that Tyler knew that from looking at them. Even on Earth, he didn¡¯t think he was an avid stargazer, but the Gamesmaster had told him this was the Andromeda galaxy, so naturally, the stars couldn¡¯t be the same. That¡¯s if the Gamesmaster had been telling the truth. He fluttered his arms a little towards the shore as he began drifting with the waves. It was troubling to think that the picture the Gamesmaster had painted for him wasn¡¯t as he thought. There was little thinking done at the time, if he was honest with himself. The shock of seeing himself in that hospital bed had been enough to make his decision but now he was ruing not taking the chance to think longer. Survival was a powerful drug. It was what coloured his decision. What kept him rational enough to survive the Demon Sprite. But like any drug, there were downsides. Sometimes, trying to survive was to seek death. The more he thought about it, the less everything made sense but his mind lingered on those missing memories. The connections that had been lost. Or were they merely severed; the remedy yet to be found? If he had had his memories from Earth, would he have made a different decision? Probably not. That image of his broken body would have been enough, he had to admit. More concerning was that from what he had gathered from Alina, they had never before encountered people from other worlds on Cytheria. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what that meant. Did people sent here forget the Gamesmaster entirely, or had the Gamesmaster sent them somewhere else? If no-one remembered how they had got here, then how had they lived their lives. Were there multiple people walking around without any memories at all, except from the moment they arrived on Cytheria? Perhaps nobody had been sent here before at all. Perhaps he was the first. But then there were the other two that Alina had mentioned. Where were they from and how had they got here? Most puzzling was why any of them had retained the memories of their time with the Gamesmaster and why had no-one before? Gosh, there were so many things to think about. And as if he didn¡¯t have enough on his plate, he also had to deal with Alina. That was the problem with beautiful women. By the time he¡¯d managed to peel his eyes away from her, he¡¯d already signed his life away and he hadn¡¯t even realised. And not just to any woman. A Princess. One that could have his head chopped off and wrapped as a gift with just a command. And sheesh. Not just any princess either. One that wouldn¡¯t even command someone else but would gleefully remove his head herself. Why couldn¡¯t he have bumped into a village girl? Someone simple in their aspirations. Someone who likely wouldn¡¯t be able to command armies. Someone who would faint at the sight of blood, rather than revel in it. And still, a part of him was grateful to have found Alina, though her words had been ominous. She would call upon him when she needed him for a war that she was sure was coming. A war that wasn¡¯t his. Isn¡¯t that what you signed up for though? He chuckled softly. That¡¯s right. That was what he signed up for. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Cytheria. And I¡¯ll win,¡± he mocked himself. The hot water lapped over his body and he massaged the pains from his muscles, kneaded the weariness from his bones. He hadn¡¯t quite realised just how much he had needed this but the day¡¯s events had taken their toll, his body as drained as his mind. He closed his eyes, heard the gentle lapping of the stream pass him by as he submerged himself a little deeper until only his nose remained above the water. He felt the heat pressing on his body, soothing knots of tension that he hadn¡¯t even known were there. For a few precious moments, he allowed his mind to drift. To forget about princesses and demons and a wiry, fat old man. To forget about missing memories and impending wars. For a few precious moments, he just wanted to be cuddled by the hot water, like the calming embrace of a mother¡¯s love. But peace couldn¡¯t last. Not for him. Not anymore. He opened his eyes and stood upright, tilting his head to either side to clear his ears of the water. The stream wasn¡¯t deep but it was deep enough that his feet didn¡¯t touch the bottom in the middle where he was. He swam towards the shore, which wasn¡¯t far at all. He seemed a tad faster than before, a tad stronger. His allocated points seemed to be making a slight difference. Of the seventy-eight, he had allocated most to [STR] ¨C fifty points there, with ten in [VIT] and the rest in [AGI]. It couldn¡¯t hurt. He¡¯d also checked his bags before he bathed and was pleasantly surprised to find [Uncommon Pants], [Uncommon Shirt], [Uncommon Tunic] and a [Club]. He¡¯d left them by the rocky outcrop where he had conversed with Alina. He emerged onto the pebbled bank, like Alina had earlier, stark naked and he was more than a little aware of it. The orb of light had followed him, but it was off to the side a little, the light too dim for Alina or Mira to see him. He glanced beyond the orb to the campfire, and could just about make out the silhouettes of both women, where they had been seated since he began bathing. He noticed a third person, smaller than them. Kiri, presumably. The figure looked small enough. He saw no-one else. Perhaps the rest were making their own way back. Or perhaps she hadn¡¯t found them, which would be more troubling. Water droplets fell off his body, wetting the stones beneath as he made his way to his clothes at the base of the rocky outcrop. Just as he was about to bend down, shadows emerged from behind the outcrop. Four faceless heads rose, growing taller by the second. His heart hammered away, but he was more prepared this time. An invisible chill blew away the lingering steam that clung to his body, as one of the figures began reaching out. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Tyler turned and ran, the orb whizzing along with him. He tried to shout out but his words caught in his throat. He focused on the campfire ¨C he couldn¡¯t be more than twenty metres away. He sprinted as fast as he could, his lungs burning, but as he approached, finally they were able to expel the words he wanted to say. ¡°Help,¡± he shouted over to the other three. ¡°Monsters. Demons. Behind me.¡± The campfire crackled and spat, flames flaring. The beast from earlier had been carved and placed in bowls to the side, along with some greens and gravy. Alina and Mira were both wearing nightgowns, whilst Kiri remained in her leathers. All three turned to him, but not a single one rose to help or seemed particularly concerned, though all three had growing smiles on their faces amid clear amusement. Smiles that grew into little giggles. Kiri didn¡¯t stop at giggling. She right out started cackling, arms over her ribs as she rolled around on the floor like a cat with a ball. ¡°What¡¯s so damn funny?¡± Tyler demanded. He put out a finger to point at the monsters coming, ¡°There are-¡° His words caught in his throat as he saw what was actually coming. Four silhouettes approached from the direction of the outcrop, but as they entered the light of the campfire, he could see they were four women. One was holding his gear. The leftmost was slim and tall, dressed in what looked to be simple cloth, not too dissimilar to the dress that Mira had on earlier, the small gems catching the light of the fire. She held a long, white staff in her hand, inlaid with intricate etchings. She looked a little like Mira too, with the same distant brown eyes, but she looked older and had shoulder-length hair the colour of late autumn leaves. She carried herself with a quiet dignity, the sympathetic smile on her face saying she¡¯d seen this kind of thing before, and offering comfort in the presence of her sisters had become second nature. Second from the left was a taller woman, almost as tall as Alina and wearing leather armour like Kiri, but more rugged and weathered as if she¡¯d spent years in the wilderness. She carried a dark bow in her hands, a quiver of arrows at her hip next to a short sword, and all gemmed like the others. Her black hair, flecked with silver, hung halfway to her waist, framing a round motherly face, as weathered as her clothes. There was a slight hint of concern in her blue eyes. The third, holding his gear with an amused smile, was also dressed in leathers but here and there, hints of gleaming silver mail peeked through amongst the gleaming gems. She was broad-shouldered and stocky, like she was born to be in a boxing ring and preferred to solve problems directly. At her waist, on either side hung footlong axes, with an even larger axe strapped to her back. She was older than him by a few years and she stood with the confidence of someone approaching their third decade. Her red hair was cut short and bunched out wildly, and she wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place among the crackling flames of the campfire. The last was an imposing figure that stood taller than anyone else. She was dressed in gleaming silver plate, the reflections of the campfire dancing across it. The armour looked similar to Alina¡¯s but less ornate, less expensive. Just as many gems. She was even more broad-shouldered than number three. She had a scrunched-up face that perhaps even a mother couldn¡¯t love dominated by a scar down the left side of her face, cutting through not only skin but an empty eye socket too. She seemed to be smiling. At least that¡¯s what he thought. Was it her lip curling upwards or was that the scar? The black hair on her head had been shaved as close as possible without being bald, and protruding above her head were the hilts of two massive swords. ¡°The rest of the sister¡¯s, I presume?¡± They nodded as one. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t aware that he was standing there naked in front of them, his backside to Alina and the other two. It¡¯s just he wasn¡¯t sure what he should do. Grab his clothes and run? Flee back to the comfort of the water? His skin was neither pale nor tan but he could feel it burning with embarrassment like the flames behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± older Mira said in a soft tone as if she thought it would console him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t seen before.¡± ¡°Is there anything to see?¡± one-eye on the right said, looking directly beneath his navel. ¡°I think we might have an eighth sister of retribution here.¡± Axes snorted before throwing him his clothes. ¡°Here, you forgot these. I hope that¡¯s only water pooling by your feet.¡± Kiri cackled louder behind him. One-eye, axes and older Mira moved to walk past him, older Mira giving him an apologetic nod. The eldest of the group stayed ahead of him. ¡°I apologise for my sisters. Kiri told us about you on our way back and that she caught you gawking at Alina this evening. My sisters felt you needed to learn a lesson. ¡°Out here in the wilderness, or on the battlefield, you¡¯ll find yourself surrounded by men and women needing to take a piss or shit, needing to bathe, needing to fuck. There¡¯s no need for modesty, even for princesses. You just get about your business, no matter who¡¯s watching. But it¡¯s your choice to do so. I¡¯ve known people to trek a mile, risk attack by man or beast, just because they¡¯re worried about being seen as if nobody but them relieves themselves. ¡°What nobody should be doing however, is watching from the shadows. We have ways of dealing with those types. It¡¯s a lot worse than what we¡¯ve done here. ¡°Now, get dressed and join us for a meal.¡± She gave him a motherly smile and walked past him also. Tyler heard her words and stood there. He hadn¡¯t really thought that he was gawking at Alina. He couldn¡¯t deny he had seen her naked, though he hadn¡¯t seen much at all but it hadn¡¯t been a deliberate choice. Nothing that had happened to him so far had been a deliberate choice. It was all just happening to him. And he was reacting. Reacting to the Gamesmaster. Reacting to the Demon Sprite. Reacting to Alina. He¡¯d been constantly on the back foot. Scrambling to live, scrambling to survive, scrambling to understand. When was he going to start acting? If he hoped to get by in this world; perhaps even to thrive in it, he couldn¡¯t keep being blown here and there like a leaf in a storm. Alina had already trapped him into her service but if he wanted her to take him seriously and if he wanted any hope of taking control of his destiny, he needed to stop reacting and start acting. It might just be the difference between survival or death. He turned. Slowly. Deliberately. It was almost as hard as when he wanted to follow the demon earlier. He turned, until he was facing all seven sisters, including the beautiful princess. They had all forgotten him already, as they sat around the fire, weapons by their side, plates in hand. That pissed him off even more. Treat him like a child, make him stand in a corner to learn his lesson and then forget he¡¯s there. Unacceptable. ¡°You know what?¡± he shouted and the camp fell silent, seven pairs of eyes turning to him. He looked at Alina, right into her light-green eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right, Princess. I did see you naked. But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was fighting for my life and you happened to step out of the water at that time. Frankly, if you didn¡¯t want to be seen, perhaps you should have put a screen up or something. I¡¯m sure Mira could have prepared something for you. ¡°Am I the one in the wrong for stumbling upon you? But it doesn¡¯t matter, because you¡¯re right. It wasn¡¯t fair to stare at you. So here I am. Take a good look.¡± The others turned away but Alina did look. But she was looking at his face, a glint in her eyes. Her lips curved into a smile, but not of amusement. It almost looked like respect. She held his gaze a moment before she turned back to her sisters. He felt a rush of exhilaration. Almost as if letting them see him naked out of his own choice had somehow freed him from some unseen shackles. He turned around and began to get dressed. Behind him, he heard one of the sisters speak. He thought it sounded like one-eye. ¡°I like him. Got a spine to him, that one.¡± 7. The Gathering Storm Tyler¡¯s wooden plate held a thick cut of steak, its edges slightly charred. He had no idea what kind of meat it was, the roast on the spit long since stripped and discarded. The steak nestled against a fluffy cloud of steaming mashed potato, surrounded by glistening green beans and chunky carrots, all settled in a rich gravy. The fragrant aroma rose to his nostrils, whilst the warmth of the plate spread through his fingers. He sat on a log opposite Alina, the campfire between them keeping the slightly chill air at bay. Alongside him sat Kiri and Sadie, the stocky boxer. He¡¯d found out she was of noble birth, and grew up in court alongside Alina. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t sisters at all then?¡± Tyler asked. ¡°No,¡± Sadie stated, ¡°not in the traditional sense, except those two.¡± She tilted her head towards Mira and Celeste, who sat off to one side, deep in conversation out of the earshot of the others. Any words that may have found their way to Tyler were drowned out by the occasional sputter of the campfire. Tyler grabbed the steak on his plate. He¡¯d looked around for utensils but not seeing any and not wanting to ask, he had to go primal. He held the steak and tore the meat with his teeth. It offered a little resistance but was tender enough to come apart, the inside an exquisite shade of pink. He rolled the piece around in his mouth as if to let every corner and crevice feel its firm but silky texture before letting it melt on his tongue as he scooped in some of the mash. Both succulent meat and creamy potatoes slid down his throat, wrapped in the rich gravy, a small part of which traced a warm dribble down his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t get¡­¡± Tyler began as he shoved a handful of beans and carrots into his mouth, ¡°¡­why¡­¡± he brought his teeth down on them, felt the satisfying snap, heard the crisp crunch, ¡°¡­the Princess and a Lady such as you¡­¡± he had another chew, ¡°¡­would want this kind of life.¡± Kiri punched him in the arm. Hard. He felt a blossoming pain in his left shoulder. Much as she seemed to be the life of the party ¨C in fact, both of them sat with him seemed to be the least serious ¨C her dimples had regressed and there was a slight sheen to her green eyes, as if she was holding back tears. ¡°Not everyone wanted this life.¡± ¡°We all have our stories,¡± Sadie said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it Kiri,¡± Tyler said reassuringly, ¡°I just meant that I always imagined royalty to have it easy.¡± ¡°In some things,¡± Sadie said. She took a bite of the meat on her plate. ¡°But in some things, they have it harder.¡± ¡°Like in what?¡± Tyler said, a slight hint of a disbelief in his voice. Sadie stared ahead into the flames and in a whisper almost too low for him to hear, mumbled ¡°Relationships.¡± He saw the melancholic look on her face and decided not to press her. He continued biting into his steak, carefully scooping up mash and gravy and greens into his mouth. The two women next to him ate quietly by his side. He looked over at Alina, deep in conversation with Imanie and Emelyn. Emelyn, the one-eyed warrior, had been Alina¡¯s bodyguard since birth and Imanie had been someone who had lived in the wilds by themselves, away from civilisation. He wanted to know how these seven had come together but no-one had offered the information yet and he thought it would be crude to ask. From both Kiri and Sadie¡¯s reactions, some of those stories didn¡¯t seem to be pleasant to relive. It didn¡¯t take him long before he was staring at an empty plate. He carefully looked over, as nonchalantly as possible, to where the rest of the meat was. There didn¡¯t seem to be much left, but he remembered the size of the beast and felt there should have been much more. He couldn¡¯t remember when had last eaten, nor what the meal had been but it seemed like it had been a long time ago. ¡°Just go get some more,¡± Kiri said and he glanced to his left. Her smile was back, like a younger sister looking at her idiotic but exceptionally charming older brother. The charming might have been wishful thinking on his part. It dawned on him that Kiri had seen him naked and it made him feel a little uncomfortable, not least because she seemed to be no older than his younger sister, but he supposed it wasn¡¯t much different from siblings accidently crossing paths in their bathroom at home. He glanced at Alina again. It had given him a weird sense of freedom to do what he had. Sort of like taking the power away from them to make him feel embarrassed, even though he could still feel the lingering effects of his skin flushing. Regardless, he wasn¡¯t intending on making it a habit. ¡°Are you sure lil¡¯ sis?¡± Tyler asked. Kiri¡¯s expression was part confusion, part incomprehension. ¡°It¡¯s a shortened version of ¡®little sister¡¯,¡± Tyler explained, which drew a smile from the young girl. ¡°And what do you call an older brother?¡± Kiri asked. ¡°Just bro,¡± he replied, though he had a little think about it and added, ¡°but you can use that for friends as well.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll call you bro.¡± It was his turn to smile. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± ¡°Now, Bro, go get some more food. There¡¯s no shortage of it,¡± Kiri said with a smile. ¡°That truly is one of the perks of being around a princess.¡± He didn¡¯t need to be asked twice. He scrambled over to the bowls, where little remained of the steak and veg. His stomach softly growled and he hoped he wasn¡¯t drooling, but, despite what Kiri had said, there just didn¡¯t seem to be enough. He knew it might be wrong to take it all, but he doubted it was enough to feed a child, let alone all eight of them. And he was so damn hungry. He quickly looked around, checking if anyone else had any interest but no-one was looking in his direction. As quick as he could, he dumped all the remaining food onto his plate and rushed back to his spot before someone could object. As he bit into his seconds, from the corner of his eye, he could see the bowls slowly filling up again. He paused, holding a handful of meat and mash in mid-air, and watched as some invisible caterer had returned to make sure the food was flowing. His face began to flush. Every time he was getting comfortable with his surroundings, he was reminded just how much a fish out of water he was. Of course, the bloody mage with the bloody magic would have a way to refill the food. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Then he heard Kiri whisper into his ear with a soft chuckle. ¡°I really did mean there is no shortage of food. Take as much as you want. Try not to overeat though. We need to move quickly sometimes.¡± ¡°Alright, gather round,¡± Emelyn suddenly bellowed from across the fire and all heads turned to her. Mira and Celeste continued to whisper before getting up from where they sat. Tyler had his eyes on Alina, and was surprised to find her looking right back at him. She gave him a gentle smile as Mira and Celeste came to join them all, standing just beyond the fire. Alina rose, the firelight casting shadows across her nightgown. ¡°For those of you who don¡¯t know,¡± Alina said, ¡°there¡¯s a dungeon about half a day¡¯s walk north of here. It¡¯s like the ones we¡¯ve heard about, and we can only assume it¡¯s just as dangerous. ¡°Sadie, tomorrow, I want you to go back and find Guyet. Bring him, his company and every mage that can be spared to the dungeon. Tyler,¡± she looked at him. ¡°You¡¯ll be coming with us to the dungeon but as soon as Sadie arrives, we¡¯ll be sending you to the Academy. Bold though you are, this isn¡¯t the place for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± Kiri offered without being asked. Alina nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll use the mages to bring reinforcements to secure the area and make sure no adventurers enter until we know what we¡¯re dealing with. Us six are going inside. If the dungeon contains foes that are too powerful for us like the rumours say, we¡¯ll retreat and we¡¯ll put up a permanent cordon. ¡°Any questions?¡± Nobody said a word. ¡°Finish up and get to sleep. We set out at first light.¡± She was an impressive woman, princess or not. Commanding. Her beauty and the soft silkiness of her voice belied the true nature of her personality. Looking at the expressions on the women around him, each of them trusted Alina explicitly and dared not question her publicly. He imagined that¡¯s why she had been speaking to the older two women. One, her bodyguard, the other old and experienced. She was a princess that seemed to welcome counsel, had a sense of duty to those in her care and was not afraid to lead from the front. She must be hiding something, he thought. Nobody could have it all. Beauty, empathy, morality. These things were not bedfellows. Perhaps she had seven toes or something. Or she turns into a monster at midnight. He was determined to find out. He turned to Kiri as he continued his meal. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to the dungeon?¡± She¡¯d finished her meal, her plate by her feet. ¡°I do, but somebody needs to make sure you get to the Academy. The mages can only open portals to the edge of the city. It¡¯s forbidden, even for Alina, to allow portals inside the city walls, so someone needs to take you the rest of the way, and it would have to be one of us. The princess trusts few people.¡± He finished his meal, as Mira and Celeste began to gather the plates of their companions. After licking his fingers of the lingering juices, he placed his plate next to Kiri¡¯s and signalled that he was going to the stream. His hand felt sticky, the juicy fats from the meat and gravy drying into a thin crust of slime that enveloped his fingers. Once there, he squatted at the edge of the stream and dipped his fingers into the chill water. He wiped his hands down, kneading each hand with the other. The cold water had the strange sensation of numbing his fingers even as he felt relief from scrubbing the grime away. He concentrated on removing every last semblance of fatty glaze, pressing fingers in between each other, rubbing at the skin between his knuckles. ¡°Did you enjoy your meal?¡± He almost lost his footing. To his left, Alina had squatted down, barely visible in the darkness, the campfire feet away at their backs. ¡°Are you making it a personal mission to terrify me?¡± Tyler said, having composed himself and continuing with his washing ritual. Alina laughed softly. ¡°I should apologise to you personally for my sisters¡¯ behaviour earlier. I didn¡¯t put them up to it, I assure you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe it was a lesson I needed.¡± ¡°Your reaction was remarkable. You certainly impressed us all,¡± Alina said. ¡°Did I now?¡± Tyler said like a rascal, looking into her face. Though there was little light, he saw her smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t impress us that much,¡± she gave another soft chuckle and he chuckled alongside her. He finished his washing and stood, shaking his hands in the direction of the stream to shed the excess water. Alina stood also, facing him. He was aware of how close she was, the nightgown she wore, the gentle hints of flowery perfume that he could smell from her. He took the smallest of steps back and hoped she didn¡¯t notice. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to distance himself from her. It was because he was starting to have the slightest of feelings that he didn¡¯t want to. He looked towards the campfire, watched the others clean up and get ready for bed. ¡°So, Princess,¡± he said, almost to remind himself, ¡°how long will it take to train me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to call me Princess,¡± she replied. Was she still looking at him? ¡°I should. Someone of your status should be respected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really okay. None of them call me that.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re your companions. I¡¯m not.¡± He continued to look at the campfire but flicked his eyes in her direction. She was still looking at him. She looked like she hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off him and she began laughing to boot. He turned back to her slowly, carefully. Remember she¡¯s a princess, you damned idiot. And you¡¯ve only just met her. ¡°It will take a few months to train you,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe more. We¡¯ll need to get you some new gear as well, but better to do that once you¡¯re closer to the top.¡± ¡°What are you planning for me after?¡± She did look away from him this time, briefly glancing at the camp before turning back to him. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in telling you. It would be more dangerous to you if anyone found out than me.¡± Her words sounded ominous and he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know now. ¡°The only way,¡± she continued, ¡°demons could be coming here from the Riftlands is with help. Human help with magic. The only way they could be getting within our Kingdoms is someone creating a gateway and the only way to create gateways is to know the destination. The magic user would have had to visit the Riftlands and not only that. They most likely struck a bargain with the Rift Lords. ¡°I¡¯m sure the other nations are running their own investigations but there¡¯s been so many incidents, this isn¡¯t isolated to one or two people. You, and the other two back at the academy will form the basis of a new squad I¡¯m putting together. What¡¯s happening in this forest will not be the end of it and we¡¯re going to find out who¡¯s behind this and why. That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to be trained for.¡± ¡°Do those two know they¡¯ve signed up for a suicide mission?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the luxury in this matter of considering the danger to you or to them. Frankly, if these incursions continue, the whole of Cytheria is in danger. I need people I can trust to go where I can¡¯t. And I think you¡¯re exactly the kind of man needed for something like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that I am.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± She turned and walked away from him but paused. ¡°Try to get some sleep tonight. We¡¯re leaving early. Tomorrow, on our way to the dungeon, I want you to stay close to me.¡± He watched her walk away as he wondered why she would ask that of him. It couldn¡¯t be, right? Surely not? Of course not, you halfwit. She probably doesn¡¯t trust you to not get lost or run away. ¡°Princess,¡± he shouted as she almost got back to the campfire. ¡°Which tent is mine?¡± ¡°Which one do you think?¡± she shouted back. He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That one,¡± she said, pointing at the smallest tent, the one that was half the size of the others. Of course that would be his one. Why wouldn¡¯t it? He sighed as he followed her path to the campfire, wondering why he had ever agreed to come to this place anyway. The alternative looked more appealing by the minute. If he ever got to see the Gamesmaster again, he would make him pay for his false advertising but that was for another day. For now, he needed to get to bed. If the day¡¯s events were anything to go by, tomorrow might prove to be even more chaotic. He hoped not, but something told him that this world didn¡¯t care for his hopes. 8. Demons in Their Midst Tyler¡¯s eyes snapped open, his consciousness stumbling through layers of sleep to catch up. He could feel something smooth pressing against his mouth, rough stitching digging into his cheeks amidst faint smells of earth and wax. In the darkness of the tent, his bleary eyes barely made out a silhouette but nothing further, no matter how much he blinked. He didn¡¯t need to see further to know someone had pinned him down. He grasped at the person¡¯s wrist with both hands, and thrashed and kicked out as wildly and violently as he could. He twisted his body, shuffled upon the thin mattress, tried to throw his assailant off. ¡°Bro, stop,¡± a voice whispered, deep and hoarse. He stopped kicking. They removed their hand from his mouth. ¡°Kiri?¡± he whispered into the darkness, his breaths a little shallow. ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Get dressed. We need to go.¡± She left him, and squatted by the entrance to the tent with her back to him. The flap was slightly open letting in cool air from outside as she looked over the proceedings. He could hear a voice out there. A male voice. A newcomer, but judging by Kiri¡¯s reaction, not a welcome one. He rolled out from under the thin linen covers, enough to have kept him from getting cold during the night but not thick enough to keep him warm. His [Uncommon Pants], [Uncommon Shirt], [Uncommon Tunic], [Uncommon Boots] lay discarded on the mat that had been laid above the pebbles to the side of his makeshift bed. In the dark, he fumbled with his clothes, twice putting his head through holes meant for his arms, before finally pulling his shirt on. He stood up, blinking at the pants he held, as if somehow that would help him see the dark hole in an even darker tent. He pushed out a leg. Nope. And again, catching the hem of the pants and almost falling over. The third time, he wrestled with the pants as if fighting in a world championship match and he was not about to lose. Eventually, pants and shirt on, he grabbed the tunic, again putting his head through a hole meant for an arm but only once this time. Finally, he grabbed the boots. The struggle was less but he had no idea if he had put the boots on the right feet. Whatever. It was the least of his worries right now. He wondered if he needed his [Uncommon Club] and then imagined himself besides Alina in her violet armour and great sword and him in his pants and tunic with a club. He thought better of it. He sidled up besides Kiri and looked outside. A large orb hovered above the remnants of the campfire, its light reaching as far as the logs they had earlier sat on. The stream was quite a few metres off to his right, the forest just as far to his left. He spotted Alina in full armour, standing with Emelyn and Imanie in front of the tent a couple over, just beyond the reach of the orb¡¯s radiance. He looked around and found Mira and Celeste halfway behind that tent and the forest¡¯s edge. Sadie was nowhere to be seen. Right in the middle of the light, a fair way away from where Tyler sat was the man who was speaking, if it was a man at all. He towered over anyone else there, probably a good ten feet tall. He was dressed in a figure-hugging black outfit that covered every inch of his body, leaving only his eyes visible. The outfit slithered and writhed in the light of the orb, making it seem like some living liquid metal, moulded to his body and ready to protect him with all the fervent devotion of a loving guardian. He had no weapons that Tyler could see but that otherworldly guise suggested he didn¡¯t need one. ¡°Who are you?¡± Alina asked, a hand on the hilt of her sword, though it remained sheathed. For all the confidence she displayed, Tyler heard the slight crack in her voice. All the women were as tensely wound as the bowstring that Imanie held, ready to let loose. Even sat at her side as he was, unable to see her face, Kiri¡¯s anxiety was evident, her breathing measured, a muted alarm that made his own pulse quicken. From what he had seen, these were not women easily frightened. ¡°I am called Reaper,¡± the man said, his voice smooth and firm. ¡°I¡¯m here for the one called Tyler Smith.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such person here,¡± Alina responded. ¡°Of course there is,¡± Reaper replied. ¡°He hides in the shadows there.¡± He pointed directly at the tent that Tyler was in, and Tyler felt his pulse quicken further. The others pointedly didn¡¯t look in his direction. ¡°What do you want with him?¡± Alina asked. ¡°I assure you, young Princess, that no harm shall come to him.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡± ¡°He is not of this world. He does not belong amongst you.¡± ¡°That still doesn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Alina said, her voice firm now. ¡°What do you want with him?¡± ¡°He will be brought before The Nexus Prime and be given the option of joining the Riftborn.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the Rift? You¡¯re a demon?¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. It was the only hint of emotion Tyler had seen from him. ¡°The Riftborn are not demons. We are defenders of this world, at the bidding of The Nexus Prime. I go where my master needs me.¡± ¡°I think we should go now,¡± Kiri whispered to him, her eyes firmly on Reaper. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you,¡± Tyler whispered back, almost surprised he was even able to speak. ¡°Follow me and do as I do.¡± Kiri lay down and slithered out of the tent, making as minimal movement as possible, careful not to disrupt the flap and give them away. He followed her lead, lying as flat as possible against the pebbles at the entrance and doing his best to shuffle out of the tent like she had. As he moved, he kept his eyes partly on her, partly on the events unfolding ahead. Once out of the tent, Kiri slowly slithered towards the forest¡¯s edge, less than ten metres away, and Tyler followed. Behind the tent he had just emerged from, the eastern sky had begun to faintly lighten with the first soft rays of the morning sun. ¡°STAY WHERE YOU ARE.¡± The words exploded in his mind, reverberated around his skull like he was on the inside of a bell that had been struck. Instinctively, he curled over and held his head in his hands, vaguely aware that Kiri was no less impacted, though she seemed to be doing her best to fight against it. Ahead of him, he could see Mira and Celeste looking at him and Kiri, worry on their faces as they edged closer to the forest. They did not seem to be affected by the command, and through the fog in his mind, he could hazily see Mira motioning with her hands but not at him. It looked like she was preparing a spell. He glanced at the other three, and like Mira and Celeste, they did not look affected at all. It seemed the command had been isolated to Kiri and him. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°There he is,¡± Reaper said. Tyler turned to Reaper to find the man looking at him. The effects on his mind had stopped, though the excruciating pain of someone shouting right into his head was still subsiding. Reaper kept his eyes on him briefly, before turning his attention back to the three women. No. Not at them. He was looking beyond them at Mira and Celeste. ¡°Were you aware of the demons in your midst?¡± he said to no-one in particular, his eyes firmly on the pair of sisters. No-one responded to him immediately but from the looks on their faces, none of them seemed surprised. Emelyn and Imanie had turned to face the sisters when Reaper spoke, and just ahead of him, Kiri was focused on the pair like a hawk in flight with pigeons below. She seemed poised to attack, one palm on the ground ¨C ready for an explosive pounce ¨C another gently placed upon a dagger at her hip. She seemed like she had been expecting this. ¡°We knew,¡± Alina responded, ¡°and we were going to deal with it, but you¡¯ve unfortunately ruined that now.¡± ¡°You have my sincere apologies,¡± Reaper said, ¡°but I cannot ignore their presence.¡± ¡°Your master didn¡¯t send you here for them,¡± Alina said, facing Reaper. The other two women had their eyes firmly on Mira and Celeste. Both sisters seemed prepared for an attack themselves, their postures defensive and Celeste gripping her staff. ¡°I was sent to retrieve Tyler Smith, but my primary function is to kill demons. Especially those escaping beyond the Rift. I wouldn¡¯t usually bother with these lesser ones but they should not be here.¡± ¡°You know what they are, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then you know the real ones are held somewhere. We need these two alive until we can get our sisters back.¡± Reaper looked at Alina but it was impossible to tell what the man might be thinking, but it was clear that he was considering something. He remained silent for a few moments before speaking. ¡°Then shall we strike a deal?¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± Alina asked. ¡°Rightfully, I should kill them and take Tyler Smith. There would be nothing that you could do to stop me. Not even if all of you tried together. But, I do understand your desire to get your companions back. I understand well the bonds of fellowship. Without them, who would we be? ¡°Give me Tyler Smith, and I shall be gone. You can kill them both once your companions have been located.¡± Ahead of him, Kiri, who had remained motionless, shuffled at the suggestion, her head turning slightly in the direction of Alina. Alina hadn¡¯t looked at him at all, but she remained quiet, as if considering the proposal. What was there to consider? She had to save her companions. Yet, Alina was looking at the pebbles on the floor. Taking too long to answer. It made no sense. If it had been him, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to think twice. It would be like him having to decide between saving her or his family but as he thought about it, could he really sacrifice her life for theirs? He¡¯d like to think he could, but what kind of person would that make him? As he watched her struggle, he actually hoped that wasn¡¯t a decision he ever needed to make. He began to understand exactly what kind of leader she was. What kind of person she was. He understood why she was struggling. Understood why she didn¡¯t want to make the decision. He smiled softly to himself, looking at the beautiful girl who had threatened to cut his head off earlier. It wasn¡¯t fair for her to make this decision. It wasn¡¯t fair for him to make her make the decision. He felt a sense of sorrow that those shoot of feelings he had begun to feel hadn¡¯t even had the chance to put down roots, as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Did you all think it would be so easy,¡± Mira bellowed. All eyes turned to her. Nobody even gave him a fleeting look. Kiri tugged at the legs of his pants. ¡°Get down, you idiot!¡± ¡°Do you think we have no say in this?¡± Mira screamed, before pushing her arms out at the tents. A brilliant light flared across the area, causing Tyler to shield his eyes. The glare lasted only a moment and when it was gone, two large discs hung motionless in the air ¨C one behind the sisters and a much larger one near to Reaper. The one behind the sisters looked into a room, it seemed and he could see the vague outlines of two figures. The other one seemed to look into pitch black water, though there were faint contours of rocks and craggy outcrops. ¡°I hope I see you again, Bro,¡± Kiri said. Suddenly she shot forwards in the direction of the two sisters, daggers in her hands. The sisters didn¡¯t seem surprised. Celeste quickly ran through the gateway with Mira hot on her heels as Kiri surged forward. Out of nowhere, large fireballs ¨C three of them ¨C appeared and hurtled towards Kiri but she focused on the sisters getting away. Tyler wanted to shout after her, to warn her but before he could, the fireballs crashed into her like flaming asteroids in the night. When the lingering sparks dissipated, Kiri was unharmed. She hadn¡¯t even been knocked off stride as she closed the distance to them in a blur of motion, and plunged through the closing gateway. ¡°Tyler,¡± Alina screamed firmly. ¡°To me.¡± Turning back to the other three women and Reaper, who seemed just as surprised as them at the turn of events, Tyler then noticed what was coming out of the portal. It bellowed out blue and green fumes, the pungent acrid smell like vomit mixed with shit. With it, out poured nightmares brought to life, like cockroaches scattering from a disturbed home, and spreading out as quickly as they could. Some looked like the Demon Sprite Tyler had escaped earlier, their nostrils flaring, taking in the smell of blood in the air. Others were grotesque, small, fat, with hairy bellies and small curly horns protruding from their heads like an experiment had crossed stunted humans with deficient rams. Those ambled out of the gateway on legs that looked too thin and frail to carry their large torsos, and had saliva drooling from their goat-like mouths. Winged creatures burst through, with elongated heads and serrated teeth in cavernous mouths, and torsos that were skeletal and thin. As they broke free of the portal, they screeched as they climbed for the sky. Tyler ran as quickly as he could and took cover behind the three women. ¡°Bags,¡± he shouted, and the blue screen appeared displaying a three by five grid, with only one of the fifteen slots filled. [Uncommon Club]. He pressed it, and it appeared on the ground by his side. There must be an easier way, he thought to himself as he shouted ¡°Bags.¡± The screen disappeared, as he picked up the club. It was useless. He knew it was useless. But it was all he had. Reaper, stood not far from the portal, sprung into action. His fluid armour writhed and wriggled, the metal pushing out from either side of his abdomen, sculpting two great swords, as if they had been contained within his body, waiting for this moment. He swung both swords with the graceful motion of a dancer, and where he sliced, several demons fell simultaneously. As he danced through their ranks, the liquid metal on his back shot out like grappling hooks, piercing through the wings and torsos of the beasts above, pulling them down to the earth so Reaper could finish the job. Golden fireballs appeared in the air from several places around them, striking the demons that managed to get out of the portal, but none made it more than a few metres before they were hacked down. Tyler and the three women watched in awe and he knew now why they had been so fearful, so apprehensive of Reaper. The man hadn¡¯t lied when he said he could have killed Mira and Celeste and taken Tyler and there wasn¡¯t a damn thing any of them could do about it. But even with such ferocity and might ahead of them, the demons didn¡¯t stop pouring through. If anything, it seemed their numbers swelled, and their desire to push through became frantic as they clawed past each other. Even coming through the portal, seeing Reaper there, knowing what they were walking into, it didn¡¯t stop the demons from surging through. And then he saw why. A large trunk of a leg, far taller than Reaper and almost as thick, crashed through the portal and pounded into the ground, squashing multiple demons with it. The earth shook with a tremor, the pebbles around them clattering against each other as they fought to keep their footing. A second leg followed, then another, and another until six legs attached to a body the size of a large house had emerged, each textured like an elephant and just as big. Above the body was a massive torso, chiselled from dark green and grey muscles with four arms at the shoulders, each holding swords or spiked clubs that dwarfed some of the trees behind them. The head was bulbous, blue and green flames swirling around its nostrils and mouth, gleaming green eyes surveying the scene before it. Two large horns protruded from its forehead, and curled all the way back to its shoulders. Reaper stared up at its face. ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± 9. A Thirst for Blood Reaper went flying. One moment he was there and the next, a gigantic club swung through the spot where he had stood. Tyler could almost hear the stadium announcer scream, ¡°Hoooooooooome Ruuuuuuuuun!¡± He watched as the strange man who had come to take him flew upwards, back arched away from the blow he had just taken. With Reaper gone, the demonspawn had free rein to surge through the portal with grunts and snarls and the thirst for blood. Alina and the other two didn¡¯t panic. They stood their ground, the three in a half-circle almost acting as a shield for Tyler. A couple of demons got hold of their scent and charged towards them, but Imanie let loose two arrows in quick succession. They whistled through the air, burying themselves with a thud in the rotting flesh of goat-like faces. No sooner had those two fallen than others turned to see what had killed their brethren. Above them in the lightening sky, Reaper controlled himself in his uncontrolled flight, twisting mid-air to face the ground. The black liquid metal that writhed over his body shot out multiple grappling hooks from his shoulders. How it could do so but still cover the man¡¯s entire body was a mystery, but those hooks smashed into the demon that had swatted Reaper away, digging deep into its flesh in a spray of green blood. The behemoth of a beast growled, the sound like rocks grinding against each other, the green flames around its head flaring with the pain. Reaper had the purchase he needed, the hooks halting his momentum away from the fight, and slingshotted him right back towards it before he released the hooks. ¡°This foe is beyond you, but may I ask for your assistance until my companions arrive?¡± Reaper¡¯s voice spoke directly into Tyler¡¯s mind, as the man hurtled towards the giant demon. ¡°Given this could have been avoided had you allowed me to kill the two shapeshifters, I do believe you owe me, as they say. My companions shall be here shortly. Until then, contain the lesser ones in the area, and kill as many as you desire.¡± From the portal, demonspawn surged through, wave after wave, an endless tide of nightmares, stampeding over the bodies of their fallen kin, flooding the pebbled bank. Several of the goat-heads charged towards Tyler and the three women. Alina drew her sword, a gleaming blade of silver with gold inscription along its length that seemed to match the engraving on her scabbard. Emelyn shrugged her shoulders, reached around her back and unhooked her giant battle-axe, about half her height in length. It had a wickedly curved serrated blade to one side, and a massive hammer-head on the other, with gold inscription curving along the edges of both. Imanie was already shooting arrows, nock-draw-release, almost faster than he could blink, her quiver seemingly as full as before her first shot. Tyler watched as the growing horde came closer, stumbling over the ones felled by Imanie¡¯s arrows. He held his club firmly, determined to help in any way that he could, but seeing the numbers across the field, he knew there were far too many to hold out for long. Only a handful came towards them but it wouldn¡¯t be long before more would appear and overwhelm them. For a passing moment, a part of him wanted to flee. He could turn around. Run back to the forest. Maybe find a way back to the Gamesmaster. Tell him it was a mistake. Tell him he¡¯d rather go back to his broken body and lost mind on Earth. Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of him like he had called up his stats, but it wasn¡¯t his stats. {Reaper offers you an [ENDOWMENT]} [EPIC ENDOWMENT][REAPER¡¯S SHIELD] [Immune to all damage from demons less than or equal to level 100 for ten minutes. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.] {Do you accept?}[YES][NO] {Reaper offers you an [ENDOWMENT]} [EPIC ENDOWMENT][REAPER¡¯S BANE] [Hits cannot miss and damage is multiplied against demons less than or equal to level 100 for ten minutes. The multiplier applied is equal to the difference between you and your opponent¡¯s levels. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.] {Do you accept?}[YES][NO] {Reaper offers you an [ENDOWMENT]} [LEGENDARY ENDOWMENT][REAPER¡¯S VIGOUR] [Endurance will not decrease for the next fifteen minutes. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.] {Do you accept?}[YES][NO] He pressed [YES] to all three. The first one alone was enough. He couldn¡¯t be damaged. That¡¯s what counted. To survive this. To move forwards. A brilliant burst of metallic violet light enveloped him, similar to when he had gained levels, but he had the feeling of an invisible coat settling on his shoulders, and immediately after, another burst with another invisible coat. The final burst of light was a metallic amber flare, followed by a warmth spreading through his body. Alina and the other two shone briefly like a violet and amber bonfire. Tyler understood that they must have also taken endowments, though he wondered if they were given the same as him. His thoughts were brief, as packs of blood-seeking demons descended upon them in an unholy din of howls and snarls. Imanie shuffled backwards, taking a position beside Tyler behind the other two, but she never stopped loosing arrows. ¡°You guys take care of the ones on the ground,¡± she shouted above the clamour of the hundreds of clawed feet clattering on the stones beneath them ¡°I have the ones in the air.¡± She was tracking moving targets above them, a trio of the winged beasts flying southwards over the stream. Imanie nocked an arrow, drew, released. The arrow flew towards the middle of the trio, before splitting into three, and striking the winged terrors, sending them plummeting into the stream with a splash. She didn¡¯t even bother watching, as if she knew what the result would be, her eyes already on another pair off to the left. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Alina crouched down, sword held across her body. She held the position for a few seconds, looking down at the pebbles, speaking silently to herself. The pebbles at her feet seemed to be getting ready to dance, stirring softly against each other. To Alina¡¯s left, Emelyn swung her battle-axe like the seasoned veteran she was, the giant of a human carving through any beast that came within her range. A head went flying here. A torso there. Two demons were sent crashing to the side together, stopped only when they hit a tree on the forest¡¯s edge. The pack stopped. Tentative. Unsure. They had not expected such resistance, but they had little time to consider their next move. The pebbles at Alina¡¯s feet bounced into the air, almost suspended in time, before clattering to the floor as Alina burst forwards, her sword arcing through the demons ahead of her in a spatter of green and blue blood. She came to a halt, arm outstretched, sword held away from her body. Where she had passed, several of the demons, goat-heads and sprites alike seemed to almost not understand what had happened, before their upper bodies slid past the stump of their torsos and fell to the ground in wet, heavy whacks in a synchronised dance of death. But the three women did not stop there. Alina needed a moment to recover, but finding herself in the midst of the horde, a moment was all she had. She swung her sword with relentless precision as Emelyn slowly waded through the numbers ahead to get closer to Alina. The demons hesitated. Stay and die. Or run back to the safety of the Rift. Those were their only options. Emelyn took advantage of the confusion, spending a few seconds like Alina had to charge up, before she jumped forwards through the air, battle-axe held in both hands behind her and swept over her head as she smashed the hammer side into the ground. A blast wave of air toppled the beasts to the floor like dominoes. Alina jumped on them, sword stabbing downwards, and scything through necks wherever a demon had dared to survive. Ahead of them, the demon surge through the portal was slowing down. Where five or six had been jostling to burst through together, now only the occasional one or two stumbled across the threshold. Everything felt like a surreal dream, a series of events unfolding before his eyes, the likes of which he could never imagine. Alina, her silver hair whipping in the faint breeze, her violet armour glinting in the weak morning sunlight as her blade swung with the majesty of an orchestral composer, conducting her masterpiece of death. Emelyn danced, her delicate balance and speed more suited to ballet halls than a battlefield, belying her overwhelming stature, and making a mockery of her size. Imanie, to his right, had not moved except to spin on her toes like a figure skater on the ice, her bow constantly raised to the heavens, the bowstring continuously loosed with a satisfying twang. And besides these fearsome women, he stood. A novice amongst a company of veterans. A child amongst a dance of adults. A lamb sheltering amongst a pack of wolves. And yet, watching them move, watching them kill, watching them fight to survive; to protect, filled him with a determination to prove himself amongst their ranks. He might be weak. He might be a nobody. But even the greatest of rivers began with a single drop in space and time. He held his club with a firm resolve, holding it in front of him in both hands. He would not run. He could not run. ¡°They look like they have things covered over there,¡± Tyler shouted to Imanie above the dying howls of the creatures around them. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back.¡± The older woman found another target in the air and followed it with her bow, before releasing the arrow and briefly turned to him. ¡°Make sure you do,¡± she smiled. As Alina composed, and Emelyn danced, and Imanie spun, Reaper was engaged in a frantic battle with the demon lord. The two of them had moved closer to the forest, some way from the rest, and it was apparent that Reaper had done that intentionally. As cold as the man seemed, he understood that Tyler and the rest would stand no chance. The behemoth was slow, but every swing of a sword or whack with a club left a wave, like a hurricane was passing through the area, the air cracking with the ferocity of the blow. Trees in the forest leant back as if to duck. The water in the stream surged away from the bank as if retreating from the battle. Every time the demon lord smacked the ground, a deafening crack could be heard from the pebbles and small craters were being left in its wake as it was drawn closer to the forest. Reaper dodged everything, twirling between the demon¡¯s arms, his suit of armour shooting hooks anywhere and everywhere into the behemoth to help Reaper manoeuvre. Every hook that landed drew blood, as Reaper manoeuvred himself onto the demon¡¯s back. He sliced and diced with his swords furiously, his movements almost invisible but for a blur of silver blades and green blood. The behemoth roared, hands tearing at his back to swat at the little man, but before Reaper was hit, he would jump off and swing on his hooks again. A claw clacking on stone to his left snapped his head around. Alina and Emelyn were in the thick of battle and Imanie still felled the flying beasts from the sky, her quiver never emptying. Tyler was the only one to have noticed it. A few metres away, it had been edging around the dangerous women, its eyes on Imanie, hoping to take her by slyness. No, not just her. He could see other shadows beyond it, circling around the two warriors and their fearsome sword and axe and hoping to take what they deemed to be the weaker members. He hadn¡¯t noticed before but the short, grotesque ones didn¡¯t all have goat¡¯s heads. The one sneaking up on them had the head and torso of a wolf, with thick, stale yellow drool hanging from the edge of its long canine teeth. This one had two longer legs, skinny in the lower half, thick and powerful in the upper, and arms ending in sharp, powerful claws. It snarled as it noticed he had seen it and it dropped to all fours, tentatively shuffling forwards. ¡°Imanie,¡± Tyler shouted. ¡°They¡¯re getting behind us.¡± Imanie whipped her head around, saw there were more to her right. ¡°Alina. Emelyn. To us. Now!¡± It was too late. The wolf-head leapt at him. He panicked and raised his left arm to shield himself, but the wolf-head was upon him, bringing its teeth down on his arm. Tyler grimaced, expecting the inevitable, steeling himself against the pain. He¡¯d been bitten by a dog once. Had needed stitches. He knew this would be worse. But nothing happened. The wolf-head bit down but its long canine teeth came to a halt against an invisible barrier. The endowment.. Tyler raised the correct arm this time, and swung his club with all the force that he could muster. He gave the wolf-head a ferocious whack across the jaw but it barely moved. That wasn¡¯t right. From his physique alone, he knew he had to be strong, and he was young, in his peak. And then he had the endowment on top. He knew the women were higher level than him, but they were carving through these beasts like a Sunday roast and he barely made it move. That pissed him off. That damn-well pissed him right off. ¡°I have had it¡­¡± he swung his club, ¡°¡­with these motherfucking beasts¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­on this motherfucking riverbank¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had it with this fucking world¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­and with being scared¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­and with relying on others¡­¡± he took a deep breath, swung again, ¡°¡­to protect me¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­I have had it¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­with being pushed¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­and pulled¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­and I WILL NOT¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­FUCKING¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­TAKE THIS SHIT¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­ANY¡­¡± he swung again, ¡°¡­LONGER.¡± He stopped swinging. In truth, he had long since stopped feeling any resistance to the club but as he looked at the wolf-head, the head wasn¡¯t there anymore. In its place was a pulp of flesh and green blood, of burst eyeballs, broken teeth, a ripped tongue. Green brain matter lay spread across the stones of the bank like mouldy popcorn. As he looked upon his masterpiece; his painting; the gentle strokes of his club, he realised he had done it. He had killed the beast. The bastard. How dare it try to sneak up on him? How dare it think he was an easy target? Tyler looked up. Looked ahead. On the edges of the forest. He saw more of the foul human-animal hybrids looking at him. Kill them. Kill them all. Make them regret the day they met you. His eyes had a feral look, and he snarled. Snarled like a beast had overcome him. He had a thirst for demon blood. With a roar, he charged. In that moment, a river was born.