A beast like no other, as I had never seen it before.
As it claws gripped the edge of the giant leaf we are on, it peers directly connecting to my line of sight.
Now that it was more visible, even more terror runs down my neck. It was a strange feeling, since I was still somewhat calm, but I could feel this creature was dangerous.
It stood a few meters tall, nearly four times my height. Pitch black fur, or scales, made it blend heavily in the dark corners of this jungle. There was hardly any light here, but I could see it clearly, the red gleaming eyes as it stalks me.
It slowly makes its way back on solid ground. As it does so, I move back. Once it moves, so do I.
I panic. My heart started to race.
〈What should I do here? Come on man, think!〉
Suddenly, I see tendrils move from its back and start swaying around hypnotically. My mind starts to blur and it's hard to tell what's what.
In the moment, nothing but terror filled me. It's like I was being manipulated by the tendrils that seemed to give off some sort of energy. So much so, that my legs almost give out.
I stumble back a bit, but I am able to gain my bearings. I look behind me for any possible escape. That would prove to be a grave mistake.
In a split second, wind blew past me and pain shot up from my leg as the beast appeared. While I wasn't looking, it chomped into my leg. I cry out in agonizing pain before scrambling around to grab something.
Before being able to grab ahold of something, the creature shook its head side to side while mauling me. Liters of blood were falling from my wound as the light from my eyes started to fade.
〈Damnit! I have to… get… out…〉
I felt my consciousness slip from me until my hand grabbed a hold of a tree branch. With the last remaining strength I had, I ripped the branch off, cracking it to make a sharp point.
Without even hesitating, I swing my arm to stab it in the only place I would know that it could be affected without question, its eye.
The piece of wood lodges itself inside the eye socket of the beast. As it happens, the thing releases my leg howling in pain and scratching at its eye in order to dislodge the twig.
A hole the size of a softball is present within my thigh. It gushed out blood as my only thing keeping me awake is the will to survive now.
The adrenaline kicks in and I pick myself up despite the striking pain within my leg.
〈I have to escape! Fuck! I gotta leave!〉
I limped hurriedly away from the monster and ended up forcing myself to use my leg. Eventually my leg went from being in a ton of pain to feeling increasingly better. Confused but not in any situation to think, I continued on faster than I could while able to run properly now.
Plans start to run through my mind, as I was defenceless against this thing- Wait… my spear! I patted my back to grab my spear but instead of finding a full weapon, all I had was the head and a half a foot of a pole to work with. It was better than nothing.
The only issue is, I doubt I could contend with this thing even if I wanted to. My only route to surviving this thing was to outrun it or find a place I could hide and where it couldn't fit in. A burrow would be nice, or a tunnel of sorts.
Trees thudded against each other as woodchips flew past me, slicing my skin on the way out. It was catching up, and I could feel its fury behind me.
It was as if you had death racing behind you and it was only a matter of time before it would clutch me in its claws.
Through thick brushes and tree roots, me and this monster played cat and mouse through the jungle. I would duck under roots and fallen trees as it bulldozed any obstacle down. Jumping off small cliffs and moving through hills proved to not be able to even confuse this thing.
It was like this beast knew where I was at all times.
〈Could it be my smell?〉
My eyes darted, looking for anything that could perhaps cover my scent. The only way to find out would be to do it, like those survival shows or a typical zombie movie.
Branches fell down nearby and almost slammed into me. I looked up to see this damn thing climbing the trees and moving through them like they were stepping stones. Its eyes were always locked on mine.
In front of me about a hundred yards, I saw a massive tree, bigger than the rest. It looked like it had enough space for me underneath, and was able to stop the beast.
My eyes locked on the tree, it was too late to try to mask my scent right now, I just need a shelter able to house me for now. This tree was my last resort.
I never sprinted as fast before in real life, but the weight of death hangs in the air.
…
But what is this feeling? I don't feel scared right now.
Before I could even arrive at the massive tree, the beast slid in front of it, now only twenty yards from me.
〈Shit!〉
I dove behind a group of trees as it lunged to me, getting stopped before it could bite me again. It tried wrapping its arms around the trees to slash at me, but I rolled out of the way barely avoiding it.
My legs still in great condition, hoisted me up and I continued this sprint of life.
I raced around and under the roots of these massive trees while it crawled and bites at me. This feeling came back, I have never felt so alive.
A quick smirk covers my face.
〈Am I having fun? … This is… Actually so fun!〉
It's like someone skydiving or caving. The heart pumps in an epic chase that could result in death. However, no matter the amount of inexperience I had, it felt like I knew what to do. I knew which paths to take and the options I could make. Something seemed to drive me other than my logic. Something more… animalistic!
After what seemed to be an hour of being chased, I came to this clearing where there were no trees, but the canopy was still covered above. The darkness was still present as the dim lighting left.
This looked like an arena of sorts, as if the trees themselves made up the audience. My prior excitement is now dwindling.
There was a cave behind the trees in front of me, and what seemed to be a giant corpse on the ground. Seemed like a beast smaller than the one chasing me, but it wasn't moving, so I assumed it was deceased.
Even more oddly, I couldn't hear the beast behind me anymore. It became quiet, a bit more so than I would like. More than the silence however I could feel things, or hear them.
Whispers…
It wasn't like human whispers or even other races, just haunting hushes, hissing and even grumbles.
Crunch…
Snap…snap…thud
Noises, now the trees are haunting me. It seems like something is out there, but I couldn't tell what it was.
A shadow moved in the darkness, my eyes catching and my head snapping towards its direction.
Nothing… Or is there something?
I couldn't tell, the lightning made things impossible to tell.
There were no other signs of life here, just like days before.
〈Did I step into its den? Or its hunting grounds? Maybe it left me alone, did I lose it? I outran it right? It has to be so. I'm just freaking myself out. I'm being too paranoid.〉
This felt unnatural however. My legs ignoring my commands to leave this area.
Unable to tell what feelings are real or not, I felt something staring at me, or was it multiple? It felt as though it was nearby and toying with me, making me fear it more and more for a sick game.
My mind blurred. I held my spear out to strike anything that came out, but nothing did.
〈I have to be freaking myself out right? There's nothing here.〉
I began to regulate my breathing, and upon turning back to head towards another direction, I heard it.
I heard an odd laughing noise, a hyena like snarl and snicker. It was the monster. It could tell it was getting to me.
The surrounding areas felt like they were shifting, like the world was wobbling around distorting itself. This was only doable with magic, a dark type of magic.
Was there a person? I didn't think there would be anyone around.
When I looked out behind me, I saw a shadow. A similar shadow I have seen before, and from that shadow, the beast's head arose.
From the darkness, and into the dim light, its face slowly crept out. It looked like it was smiling menacingly.
As it stepped out, the tendrils began wiggling around, like it was luring me in. My mind was muddled, I couldn't think straight.
〈Damnit! Is this it? Come on think man!〉
Was this all there was in the end? The darkness becoming the hunter for me? And me… the hunted?
It couldn't end like this, I just got here. I survived multiple days out here already, and I still have my castle I need to return to. My allies… my friends.
All the emotions and memories rushing by, like my life was flashing before me, but if I let them, then it truly means the end right?
I raised my spear, as my legs walked towards the creature, and with one quick motion, I slammed the spearhead into my leg.
Pain again shot out.
It stretched up my spine and my brain became less foggy, the darkness dispersed like it was never there, and the monster's eyes squinted at me.
On my other leg, I was right, the hole closed and is no longer there. It must be my lycanthrope regeneration passive. So this is the same character, and the same game, or at least the world the game takes place in.
I looked up at the monster, raising a middle finger towards it. "Eat that… Ya bastard!" I tried replicating Rak's accent for that, and then turned tail to sprint out.
It took a second for the creature to come to terms with what happened, it seemed too intelligent, more so than any animal I could think of. I, however, didn't have the luxury to try to figure out why that was.
The jungle ahead of me was my only solace. Passing by bushes and trees, I tried one last ditch effort to run towards the temple, a place I knew would be safe from this thing. It stood above the tree tops, so it was great for not being able to stick in the darkness, which is weird considering the fact that it was bright in that area.
〈Was that on purpose?〉
I shook my head. It didn't matter why it was the case, only that it was my only saving grace.
My legs carried me through the jungle. I was dead set on making out of this situation alive, no matter what. Nothing here will stop me, nor will take my life. I refuse that to be the case.
As I ran, I became more confident, more sure of my ways. Even when the giant creature of darkness was barreling down trees behind me, I knew I was safe. I had no doubt in my mind.
I couldn't tell why, but a feeling, a deep gut feeling, was pushing me along. A craving of life I never had before. A want for more than just letting the world push me down one way.
It was a second chance, a chance to make things better than they were before, and I'd be damned to let some mutt take that away from me. This is my path, and my will to survive… no, to thrive, won't be killed today!
The sound of a metal wire being cut echoed. I turned my head to see this beast frothing at the mouth, clearly angry that the trees halted its speed this whole time. It was climbing upwards to make it easier to navigate, but I was fast enough to make most out of the distance between us.
Once I looked forward again, I saw a light.
〈That's it! The temple! It has to be.〉
I sprint forward as if I was in first place fifteen yards away from the finish line. My legs buckle as I push past a few bushes. The light stood in front of me, I reached out to try to grab ahold of it.
The treeline broke away as I ran into a meadow of flowers. They were yellow and up to my waist. This whole clearing had these flowers, and in the middle was a giant tree.
〈A tree? Not a temple? I thought…〉
The more I ran into this place, the more doubt of my survival hit. All I could think was that I couldn't continue as the fatigue caught up with me.
I turned around and rolled over on my back to face the oncoming threat, but there was nothing.
The beast came through the tree lines. It landed into the meadow and upon the landing, the flowers underneath it puffed out pollen. The beast whimpered and retreated away from the meadow.
It seemed to be terrified of the pollen, but that means it will stop chasing me. It looked dead into my eyes, stared me down as it disappeared into the darkness jungle.
〈I… survived? heh , I'm tired… too tired.〉
I felt calm here. The flower and the pollen floating around soothes my nerves as I rest. My eyes flutter close as the adrenaline ends and my fatigue catches up with me.
It's cold.
It's dark.
〈Dark?〉
My eyes jolt open. I can't really see anything. I move around but my body is binded by something. I feel myself encapsulated in a weird sticky substance.
My spear is still clutched in my left hand. I try to move as much as I can to saw my hand free. It takes a bit, but I manage to release my hand from this capsule. Even with my hand free, however, I couldn't move my arm in order to use the spearhead to cut myself out.
I lay there thinking of what I can do in order to get out of this situation, but my mind draws blanks. I rattle the capsule I'm in. The capsule rocks back and forth.
I'm frustrated at my helplessness.
〈I was able to escape from the damn beast, and now I'm stuck in some trap?〉
Magic would be pretty useful right now if I could tell how to use it. In RTM, you only needed to speak a command word, and things would appear.
It was a simple system, but I also had times where I looked things up in books from libraries when I was bored. Considering I took a liking to science and math as my main classes, seeing how magic worked within the game was actually interesting.
Anyone who loved science could tell the magic system in RTM was very scientific based. This meant, along with an understanding of the elements made, you must also put them in a way that actually made sense, like a formula.
There were players who even managed to craft their own unique spells with weeks of researching.
It was all a lot of fun trying to figure it out, as if you were putting together a puzzle, or figuring out the last chess moves. The only issue was that the system was a huge help in allowing us to make such things happen. A tool of sorts.
Without the System, I couldn't begin to think of how I would be able to actually cast spells. So I began to trace back my thought process so that maybe the fundamental information of magic could potentially spark an idea.
There were three main types of magic; Material, Abstract and Foundational.
Material magic was the magic that tapped into the main elements of the universe. These attributes would be the primary paths people take, such as fire, water, wind and earth. There was also Light magic which every material attribute derives from. Which made no sense scientifically, well only a little, but it was more like a hierarchy then the elements originating from light.
Abstract magic dealt with the mind, as the title suggests. Dark magic was the top of the hierarchy here, and things that wouldn't make sense being in material then were pushed to abstract, like art or music magic. They all dealt with illusionary types or even messing with emotions, either through calming or enraging.
Last, but definitely the far superior magic, was Foundational magic. Spatial magic was at the top here. Foundational magic is able to cause change in the very fabric of our reality. Although it's more lore based than attributed to gameplay, this would mean messing with the laws of physics, like gravity, friction or even, only a select mages can do so, time.
Considering all this, to me it sounded as if I needed to understand the formula for what I wanted. It's been so long since I really had to think about that, that I didn't even know what the formulas were. The system did everything.
So this time, I tried thinking back to science class. When it comes to the formula for combustion, you would always need fuel and an oxidant, but how would I do that?
I had nothing to fuel, and even then, in the game, it didn't require that. It was as if magic itself was fuel-
Wait…
〈If magic never needed fuel, it's because itself is fuel. Mana! What if it's like an equivalent exchange? Mana itself is the element, or can be replaced as the element?〉
With that in mind, I tried again to look deep within myself. I tried to think of that lake I felt back then.
…
Once I opened my eyes, there was a massive lake in front of me. Nothing ran from it, it was one body of water.
The water though, was different. It took a weird light blue color, but it shifted in color often, like a rainbow. It went through all the different colors my eyes could comprehend and eventually landed on a deep red-orange color.
I reached out my arm to touch the surface of the water, and began to picture it. I thought of coal first, the easiest thing to consider as fuel. Once I did, I imagined a spark. Then oxygen, but what would that look like?
〈Air?〉
That seemed to be enough as stress builds and my head aches.
…
It happened. A fire!
From my fingertip, a flicker appeared in a slim stream of flame. It was almost insane how vivid the shape is equal to what I was imagining.
The realization hits me.
This is impossible for the game, but I began to wonder if this is even the game anymore. I felt pain the first few minutes after my resurrection. Magic itself is now how the lore intended, not how the system wanted it, and I can't access my options.
If imagination had a huge part in this play, then maybe I could-
The thought of the spell
"AAHHHHH!!!" I scream out in agony as my arm pulses, feeling like someone's tearing it apart. After a minute of writhing pain, it seemed to stop. This pain lasted longer than the hole in my thigh from earlier. Confusion then arose as to why I was feeling this pain, not only that, but my arm felt sore like it was injured. It never got better even after a few seconds.
Before I could collect myself, a voice from my left rang out.
"Would you quiet down there! You'll bring them back up here. I was sleeping fine without your screaming." The voice sounded like an old cranky grandpa that yells at kids to get off his lawn.
"Who's there?" I breathe heavily after the shock I went through.
"No one you need to know right now. Well… Maybe your partner in death perhaps." A slight cackle emanated from his mouth as he laughed.
"Partner in death? Where are we? What's going on with us?"
"Well, firstly let's make it to where you can see." A gust of wind erupted towards my direction. Whatever covered my face was sliced and blown away from me. Light poured into my eyes as I squinted. "There, all better yeah?"
I looked towards his direction, and a look of shock showed on my face.
The man that was next to me, although not sounding anything like him, took on the form of my grandfather. Well, I say grandfather, but we weren't related. He was a short and stout man who was balding except for the hair that wrapped around the back of his head. His face was wrinkled with age and his eyes were hard to see due to the bagging forehead.
My grandfather was one of the main reasons I kept pushing for greatness in my past life. His death caused a lot of grief with me and helped spiral myself down into depression before getting into gaming.
"Grandpa? You don't sound like yourself." I look at him, or try to while my eyes water.
"Oh? So I took the form of one of your elders I see." He lifts up his right arm that bursts out the cocoon he was in. "Child, I am not the one you remember." He scribbled something in the air and his form changed, like he inscribed some code that applied to his body. "It's a spell that allows the caster to change forms. How mine works is that it shows the onlooker a person or being they connect most to within their memories."
From the old man to a more sophisticated being with more sharp features. He almost looks like a mirror but fractured and distorted.
"What are you? Also, where are we and what's going on?" I ask again but more sternly this time around.
"Well, there's a lot going on. For one, we are in the cave of Araneaephidias. They are also known as spipents! They usually nest in Garatortuga trees, which root themselves within meadows and have puff flowers grow around them. It's a fascinating environment of give and take, a community of mutual agreement." Without even taking a single breath, he continues rambling.
"The Garatortuga allows homes for the Spipents, the spipents' food can be absorbed by the Garatortuga and the puff flowers, and the puff flowers add a wall almost no creature can fight against other than the spipents and a few others which causes the wildlife to fall asleep and be captured by the spipents." He seems very interested in the ecosystem within this meadow.
"And? Who are you?" I try to get him back to the most curious thing about this situation.
"Me? You can call me whatever. Maybe saviour, hahaha. Well, you don't need to know that now as you will eventually." In an instant, he casts a spell of wind that releases him from the cocoon he was trapped in and starts to walk out from this burrow.
"Hey! You going to help me out too maybe?" I wiggle around confused as to why he'd leave me behind.
He simply looked back at me with a smile and said, "You don't need it. Fate is on your side my friend!" And with that, he stepped out of the burrow where I never saw him again.
"HEY! WAIT A SECOND! YOU BASTARD! FUCK!" Annoyance then overcomes me as I yell out to the man who abandoned me. I thrash around trying to get myself out of this cage I was in.
My ears perked up as I heard an eerie noise. Footsteps but they sounded like they were snapping twigs on the way. Whatever it is, I didn't want to stick around to find out.
Trying to think of anything else I could do, I noticed a piece of glass on the ground where the mysterious bastard was laying down.
It was a small broken piece of mirror and upon looking at it, I could see myself and a few words and numbers on it. It seemed like it showed my level and stats, like the system. Although it was hard to see due to the small size of the mirror and the fact it was a few meters away. I could see however my level was at one.
Then it clicked in my head. I was level one! How could I forget, I was recently reincarnated.
Level one characters can only use level one spells. The pain that was caused earlier might've been because of my level being too low to cast the spell. I can't believe I didn't remember that fact, but it was a very hectic day for me.
The moment I realized this reality, I quickly pictured the spell
The webbing that bound me fell loosely onto the ground as it burned away. The first singed my hair a bit, but no other damage could be seen.
Just then however, I spotted eyes peering at me from a tunnel to my right, in a split second, a snake head protruded from the tunnel and lunged at me. It was like a bullet with how fast it shot out, and the sound of a gun was also present.
I planted myself into a plank position as the snake body struck above me and slammed into the burrow wall. I grabbed the ground and pulled myself towards the exit where the light shined in.
Grabbing the earth below me as if to pull myself free, I grab root and thrust my body out from the cave.
I landed in the meadow of puff flowers and began to hold my breath covering my mouth and nose. It probably is pollen that invades your lungs to bring about a drowsy feeling, which was my initial thought, and seeing how I was still conscious, it proved to be true.
From the burrow I hear hissing and screeching. Multiple trampling steps sound from the burrow. I ran away from it to distance myself from whatever was approaching.
In a pillar of dust, multiple large creatures erupt from underground. A total of six spider-like creatures land into the meadow and surround me. The weird thing is, they have a body somewhat of a spider but curled up in a spiral form on where their head should be, is a coiled snake with its head burrowed into its body.
I'm guessing this is what the man called, spipents. Spider serpents. A creature I don't remember from my time in the game.
〈Couldn't the game try to have more unique looking monsters.〉
One of the spipents shoots its snake body out like a gun. Its head was flying five meters away from my position. Even with the sheer speed at which the snake was charging towards me, I was able to lean to the right a little bit to barely dodge the fangs approaching me.
It seems my stats are far higher than any level one I can think of. The reincarnation process usually allows one to keep a small portion of their stats, and I seem to have started out with stats that allowed me to move quicker way earlier.
Just because I dodged the first strike, doesn't mean I'm in the clear.
The other four ready their attacks. Each one shot themselves out one at a time to avoid hitting each other. My body barely managed to dodge each one of their strikes, but I felt like I was running on something other than my own ability and perception, just like before.
After the first barrage, they started to up their pace and I couldn't continue to keep up. Even if I was able to continue with my stamina continuing to regenerate itself, I can't stand here and dodge these forever. I have to look for a way to settle this.
As one of the spipents lunges at me, I duck underneath its scaly belly, twist myself from under it, stab its body above with the spear head I kept on me and land on its back. I drag the blade up its body, slicing it all open.
The other creatures aim for my sides as I pass by them. The first strike missed my back by an inch but the second strike connected with me. The fang slices my lower back as it passes by it. My back stings and becomes hot.
I see the third attack coming and pull up the snake's body that I've been slicing in half to use as a guard against the strike. The snake refused to bite at its fellow being and closed its mouth before slamming into the body.
The fourth attempt at me caught my right leg. The fangs pierced through my lower thigh and it clutched my leg tightly. More irritating pain spreads through this wound as well.
〈Poison? Makes sense, but damn this hurts!〉
With a single motion, I drop the snake body and puncture my spearhead through the one that grabbed onto my leg. From the eye straight to its brain, the spipent died immediately.
I had to break the fang off in order to release myself from its dying grasp. Now only four of them are left. With my right leg out of commission and my lower back aching in pain, I had to finish this.
I waited for my leg and back to regenerate, but they didn't. It seemed the poison was affecting my healing factor.
So, instead of fighting them, I ran.
Every bone in my body told me I was at a disadvantage in this fight. Not only does it seem they have a way to weaken my regeneration, but the longer this fight goes on, the weaker I get and only having managed to cut down two was more than I could get to normally.
As I run, the pollen from the puff flowers spreads wildly. My body starts to slow down as fatigue washes over me. Being here for this long and not passing out was amazing in itself, but I can't go unconscious now.
Without hesitation, I stab my left thigh with the spearhead. The pain caused my drowsiness to subside for a brief moment. This allowed adrenaline to rush to me in a quick burst, I ignored all my damage and pain. I rushed through the hundred yards of the meadow as fast as my legs could carry me.
My vision gets a bit blurry as I race to get out. The spipents snap at me along the way, nearly grazing my skin with their poisonous fangs.
In a split second, I felt a protrusion in my sides. Fangs dug deep into my body as it pierced through my organs. Blood gushed out and my body felt numb and cold at first. Refusing to let this be the end of me, I scream out towards these beasts, "Get the fuck off of me you damn assholes!"
Heat was felt through my still injured left arm. It was a spell. The blood in my veins bubbled and evaporated within my body. Blood spray out and fire followed it as I shot out my left arm.
"
Laying down with my arm clutched, the spipents slowly make their way to me.
I crawl away from them as they shuffle to me. The snake bodies shoot out and grab me. As their two sets of fangs drag me and poison starts to take effect, I can't do anything but wait for my end.
A shot rang out, and in that moment I heard the sound of a wire being snipped. Then another noise.
…
Thud!
Then another, Thud!
A noise of chopping wood emanates from the jungle. Then a series of branches and leaves rustling.
Then… A war cry… followed by a crocodile bellow.
Much of what happens is a blur as I blacked out due to the poison.
Darkness again. I always seem to find myself back to it. This time however, it was abruptly interrupted.
______________________________________________________________________
A splash of water rattles me up. My eyes open to notice a fire and a familiar face. It was Rak!
"Jeez kid, couldn't even last a week huh?"
Relieved and chuckling, "Yeah, it's kind of hard when everything is trying to kill you."
We both share a laugh.
He sets his cup down. "Them spipents are quite the territorial ones, most people know not to approach em," He turns to me with a stern look, "so it's odd finding someone who doesn't in these parts. Tell me, where did you actually come from? The temple you pointed out, I went back to it. It's a temple of Sujun, the Goddess of Life. Only wanderers come from places like that."
It seems he is a bit of an interrogator… Get it?
Well, it's kind of hard to really tell him, but since he knows I could let him in on it. "What do you mean by wanderer though? I mean, I'm definitely from that temple."
"Wanderers are beins that don't think before they act. They think they could never die at times. Hell, they thrive off adventurin'. Also, they the only beins who could ever come from a temple of Sujun." He stared me down, like he was unhappy with his own thought process.
"Well, then I guess I am one. Do you hate them or something?"
"Not really, but I don't like em either. However, I doubt you would do somethin' stupid now."
"Why not? Well, it's not like I'll be getting many chances to be dumb heh."
"Because we're both hated by the world!"
…
"Huh?"