The moment I choose it, muscles across my body seize up painfully, almost like what I would assume being tased feels like. Darkness begins creeping into the corners of my vision, and as everything starts fading, I can almost swear I hear screeching in the distance.
-
I’m not quite sure how much time passes, or even when it becomes clear to me that I’m coming to, but I slowly begin grasping hold of my mind. While my vision had gone dark before, it no longer feels like the emptiness I’m experiencing can be explained by simple darkness. It’s just nothing. I can’t move, can’t even sense my body, and my head is so foggy that I’m not even sure that I’m really thinking at this point.
After what could be 10 minutes, 10 years, or 10 seconds, I begin to regain awareness of my body. Slowly but surely I find myself able to flex my fingers and toes, then bend my arms and knees, finally rolling my neck, allowing me a glance at my body. My body that’s… just kind of floating there against the background of the void.
It only takes a couple of moments to recognize the changes that have taken place across it. I am nowhere near as filled out as I’d been before my injury, but I’ve definitely regained some muscle! It also feels like my feet might be further away than they used to be. “Where am I?” I wonder aloud.
An unexpected answer rings out somehow both inside of my head and filling the entirety of the void I find myself in, Where you are is not of concern at the moment. It is what you are that is of interest. I freeze, the strong feminine voice echoing in the corners of my mind. What I am currently, is terrified! Afraid to speak, move, or even think, I remain still and silent hoping I’ll be able to go unnoticed if I don’t disturb the voice. The firm, almost scolding voice speaks once again, Come now, we don’t have much time, surely not enough for me to assuage your fears. You are one of the few daring enough to even be considered worthy of my blessing, and the only one with the bravery to choose it. Surely this cannot be enough to shatter your confidence.
“Well, I uh… kind of hoped you would forget I was here and I could find a way to leave,” I say, then panicking follow with, “Not that this isn’t a lovely place, it’s just very different from everything I know and -“
Enough. The voice interrupts with a sigh, I suppose there is enough time for a short explanation. This is the Void, a space that exists in the seams that have formed in the overlapping of your realm and my own. I brought you here in the hopes that you would be one who embodied strength, that I may bestow unto you further strength beyond your comprehension, guidance to lead you down the correct paths, and foresight that you may know what is to come. While my hopes may have dimmed, they are not dashed completely.
Hurtful.
You have chosen the path of a champion. You’ve chosen to become my champion to be precise. If I do not deem you fit, you will be cast away in favor of a new one, my gifts reclaimed. Your realm was given the tools the others deemed necessary to defend itself from the incursion, and yet in observing their behavior, many of us have deemed it insufficient. Your race understands not, the calamity it faces. Few have sought answers, and fewer still treat the answers that are found with respect.
Your race treats this as a game, a way to boast their increased power, and a way to further their own agendas. Seventy percent of your population fell at the beginning of the first wave, and yet it was not enough to convince them of the severity of the situation or sway them from their own selfish desires. As such, you are one of eight granted power beyond the others. While you are quite late, you know a drive that few others do. In your 23 years, you approached strength most of your kind would not know in an entire lifetime. You did so while persevering against strife, poverty, and even the sheer difficulty of the tasks you set for yourself. This is why I believe you shall be able to rise. This is why I have chosen you, Michael Ward, to lead your race against the waves of the incursion. Do not prove me wrong.
If I could breathe, I think I would be hyperventilating. I’ve been chosen to save humanity? What kind of bullshit is this? I’m probably one of the lowest level people there are! I open my mouth to speak, but between the thousands of questions whirling around in my brain, all that I manage to squeak out is a pitiful, “Huh?” I can almost feel her (I think the voice is a her?) sigh in distaste,
More will become apparent in time, for now, you may ask one question as the creatures have just breached the cave you lie unconscious in, and it would be a shame for your story to end before it’s ever begun.
“I’M GONNA DIE???” I shout in fear.
She chuckles and responds, Not if you fight well Michael. I would recommend a better disposition and perhaps better questions for the next time we meet. The nothing of the Void begins to come undone around me, looking awfully cavelike.
“Wait! That doesn’t count!” I yell as the world begins to take shape.
A soft, “I’ll see you soon” follows me as I awaken in my real body.
I don’t have long to ponder the conversation as she was definitely right. There are 6 pretty pissed off looking goblins busting into the room. Their skin is a darker green, and they’re taller than the previous two sets, wielding clubs instead of shivs. They’re almost definitely higher levels than the last batch. I quickly pop my status up to get an idea of how much HP I have to work with.
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[Michael Ward
HP - 399/610
Titan - level 10
Strength - 110
Dexterity - 24
Defense - 52
Intelligence - 17
Vigor - 51
Charisma - 23
Skills -
[Passive] Overwhelm I - Increase your Strength stat based on physical muscle size. Increase height by 6” and muscle growth by 10%.
[Passive] Might I - Two handed weapons can be wielded one handed if strength requirements are exceeded by 50% or more, and ordinary objects can be used as weapons, receiving stats based on their material and shape.
[Active] Shatter I - Hitting a creature while this skill is active deals extra damage equal to your Strength stat. 1 hour cooldown. Ready
[Passive] Basic regeneration I - Restore 1 HP per level, per hour.
[Passive] ??? - Prerequisites not met.
Mutations - N/A
Available stat points - 4]
Three things immediately leap out at me, not goblins yet, thankfully. Class evolutions heal the HP they grant, but levels don’t, that hidden fifth ability, and also I don’t remember seeing anything about regeneration in any of the classes I could pick from. I’ll have to ask James about it when I get back out of the dungeon. I don’t have time to care about that fifth ability right now anyway. What I do have time to care about though, is the 300 extra HP I suddenly have. I quickly make my way to my feet, wincing at my previously forgotten wounds and grabbing two of the fallen goblins’ shivs.
“Alright fuckers, I have more HP to work with now,” I say mostly to myself as I squat down to get more on their level, and walk slowly backward toward the edge of the cavern. If I can keep them from surrounding me, I think I’ll be able to manage this fight. I only have to deal with the goblins in front of me, and any others that may be between me and the exit gate, but at least those should be the weaker variety I fought earlier.
Speaking of the nasty little things, they’re all sprinting at me with nothing but hate filling their eyes. I bring my fists up and prepare to crack some skulls. I swing on the first one that gets to me, and I realize very quickly that my strength increase did WAY more than I realized. There is only a fine red mist where that goblins head used to be. It looks like I can probably afford to be a bit more reserved and dole out more careful shots since my strength is so high. Holding back a slight urge to vomit, I try and pick a target out of the other 5 that are encircling me the best they can. They’re staying a bit further back after watching their friend's head burst like a grape. I don’t blame ‘em either. That was way nasty, and way overkill, but if it adds to the intimidation factor, I may just have to get used to it.
One of the goblins, presumably the leader since it’s a bit taller than the others, screeches out a war cry, signaling all of them to charge, as a sudden light yellow aura begins emitting from their bodies. Some kind of buff I assume? Whatever it is, it can’t be great news for me. I whip a punch across to my left that the goblin I’d targeted nearly dodges, unfortunately only dealing a glancing blow and sending it sprawling backward. In the meantime, my ribs and kneecaps become well acquainted with the goblins’ clubs. “Mother FUCKER,” I scream as I feel at least 1 rib crack and my knees threaten to buckle as my HP drops.
I immediately yell “Shatter!” hoping to get it to activate. Looking down slightly, I find my fists glowing with a light gray energy. I look back up with a grin, the next goblin I touch is gonna look like tomato sauce by the time I’m done with it. I step forward and swing a powerful haymaker toward the closest goblin who is currently trying to get a greedy hit in, thinking the pain will distract me more than it does. I swing like I’m trying to punch the goblin behind it…and with the little resistance its body puts up, I do. I wasn’t serious about turning it into pasta sauce, but apparently my fists didn’t get that memo, as that is very nearly what my right arm is now covered in.
The goblin behind it is still alive, but it isn’t doing a whole lot better. With a fist shaped dent in its chest, it appears to be struggling to breathe. I figure I’ll let nature take its course there, turning my focus to the other three still attacking me. Speaking of which, can these little shits stop attacking my damn KNEES??? I’ve taken two more hits to the knees during this, and am on the verge of dropping due to the pain alone. I reach out and grab the closest goblin, the one that almost dodged me earlier, and swing it like a bat into the next closest one. A nasty crack rings out as their heads smack together.
Finally I’m left with two goblins, one prone on the ground that looks like it’s lungs may have collapsed, and the one that buffed the others. I take a lunging step towards it, spartan-kicking it in the chest. “You wanna go for the knees? You think that’s a fun way to fight? Let’s play your way buddy! Let’s see how you like it!” I say to the stumbling goblin, as I pick up one of the dropped goblin clubs. Crunch I slam it into its left knee, shattering it and rendering the goblin immobile. “Not very fun to be on the receiving end is it?” I sneer. I aim for one more blow to the head as it screams, what I can only assume are goblin obscenities, at me. I swing the club one last time, and it is no more. I walk over to the final goblin to put it out of its misery, but it looks like time beat me to it, as I get a slew of notifications.
[-18 HP]
[-15 HP]
[-16 HP]
[-14 HP]
[-15 HP]
[-18 HP]
[Level 10 Goblin Slain - Exp. Awarded]
[Level 10 Goblin Slain - Exp. Awarded]
[Level 11 Goblin Slain - Exp. Awarded]
[Level 9 Goblin Slain - Exp. Awarded]
[Level 14 Goblin Slain - Exp. Awarded]
[Level 12 Goblin Slain - Exp. Awarded]
[Level up]
[Level up]