I groaned as I opened my eyes and sat up, dazed and confused I tried taking in the surroundings. A fogginess occupied my brain, I couldn’t remember what happened before waking up here, never mind how or why I was here, wherever here was. We were in some kind of cave. There was no sign of an entrance or an exit, no lamps, lights, or torches. Yet, somehow, the cave was still bright enough to make out what was happening around me.
The cave was vast, with at least a hundred people scattered around, all waking up and asking the same questions I was contemplating. “What’s happening? Where are we? How did we get here?” they exclaimed, their voices full of both fear and trepidation.
I looked around, trying to make sense of the situation. The walls were damp and rough, the air thick with a musty smell, and scattered rocks on the ground. There was some type of florescent lichen or moss on the stalactites and stalagmites surrounding us lending to a creepy and mysterious atmosphere as well as providing light.
As I tried to gather my bearings, words suddenly appeared in front of my face. The cave fell into a hush as everyone stared into the air in front of them, likely, seeing the same words.
[User Interface Protocol initiated . . .] [You have entered a Miscellany.]
[Quest: Survive the Crucible
Award: Exit to the Miscellany
Penalty: Death]
Confusion and fear filled my mind. Crucible? Penalty? Death? I had so many questions, “What the fuck is a miscellany?” I mumbled. To my surprise, and everyone else’s, an answer was provided.
[Miscellany - A place where mystical energies have coalesced and congealed; monsters live in these places.]
“Monsters?” I heard someone ask, their voice trembling.
[Monsters - Flora, fauna, and humanoids mutated or made by mystical energies.]
My mind raced as I tried to make sense of the words and the situation. I wanted, no, needed more answers. Where were we? What was happening? How did we get here? What does this all mean? How could this be happening? “Who are you?” I shouted, desperate for answers.
[User Interface Protocol.]
“What the fuck is a User Interface Protocol?” another voice yelled.
[User Interface Protocol.]
“Is this some kind of virtual reality program?” someone else asked.
‘Or mass hysteria?’ I wondered.
[This world is governed by the User Interface Protocol.]
“This world? Are we not on Earth anymore? When did that happen?” I rapidly fired questions into the air hoping this User Interface Protocol would have some answers. We were not ready for the answer.
[Earth has been altered by the User Interface Protocol.]
Silence descended upon the cave as the weight of those words sank in. The world had changed. This was no longer the world we knew. And as I looked around at the others, I could see the same realization dawning on their faces.
We were all trying to make sense of this new reality. I knew there were more questions, but I also recognized that whoever or whatever was communicating with us seemed to only be able to do so in a limited way. It was like an artificial intelligence, providing information in a cold, detached manner.
“Are you sentient?” I asked before anyone could utter another word.
[User Interface Protocol.]
That was the only answer I received. Ironically, that answered my question. This was some sort of AI limited to whatever its primary function was.
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I began wondering if this was all some type of horrible dream or if I had been injected into some type of virtual reality program. Maybe I died and this was my own personal hell or heaven? I’m not sure which yet. I did, after all, consume a lot of digital and written media of the fantasy variety.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all too real. The cave, the messages, the sense of danger lurking in the shadows. It all felt too real to be a mere computer program or nightmare. As I took in the surroundings once again, I waited with bated breath for that proverbial “other shoe” to drop. The quest mentioned survival, and that usually meant action of some kind was required.
“Ko-Kee. Ko-Kee.”
The sound of a high-pitched cry echoed through the cave, causing heads to turn in its direction. A massive frog emerged from behind a stalagmite, at three feet tall, its size alone captivating the attention of everyone present. Above its head, a name appeared in bold red letters: Barbed Tongue Coqui.
The creature sat there, watching us with its large black eyes and croaking out its name: “Ko-Kee. Ko-Kee.” While we were frozen still unsure of what to do or make of it.
Suddenly, it opened its mouth and shot out a long powerful barbed tongue. The tongue stretched at least ten feet and slammed into a man standing in front of it. It hit the man like a wrecking ball and he went flying back several feet before landing hard and rolling several more. He came to a stop with his neck twisted weirdly and blood seeping out of his crushed and punctured chest. It was clear that he was dead.
“AAAaaahhh!” A woman screamed and chaos erupted as people scrambled to escape the danger. Amidst the stampede, I and a few others stood frozen with fear and anticipation, eyes fixed on the Coqui. I tried remembering anything I had ever learned about frogs but kept coming up blank. We had to fight this thing and I wanted to learn its patterns and weaknesses first if possible.
The giant Coqui was frighteningly fast and strong, it crouched lower and dashed forward at a startling speed slamming into someone’s back as they ran. The person crashed to the floor as the Coqui expertly landed and struck with its tongue. This time it hit the head of the person as they slid on the ground and it burst open like a watermelon. Chunks of skull and brain matter were stuck to the tongue as the Coqui reeled it back in and swallowed.
Screams filled the air, and the stench of blood and fear was suffocating. But then, I saw a child fall to the ground, she couldn’t have been more than ten years old, and something within me snapped. Without a second thought, I charged toward the monster.
Within a few swift steps, I was at its side, delivering a powerful blow to its earpad.
“Keee!” The Coqui let out a shrill cry and tried to hop away, but another man tackled it, and we relentlessly attacked it until it lay torn and lifeless at our feet.
That victory was short-lived as a blinding pain washed over me, causing me to fall to my knees and gasp for air. Whatever was happening to me seemed to also be happening to the other man who helped me, as he had also fallen to his knees. The shock and agony were overwhelming, and soon I began to slip in and out of unconsciousness while trying to read the new message in front of me.
[You have defeated a monster - Two experience points have been received for defeating a Barbed Tongue Coqui... Galvanization Protocol initiated.]
As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I could feel every beat of my heart sending waves of excruciating and weirdly euphoric pain throughout my body. The sensation was intense and before long, I succumbed to the darkness.
***
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks as I opened my eyes. I was lying on my side, the cold, hard ground beneath me.
As I struggled to get up, it felt like I was getting over a hangover. My joints were on fire, my throat was raw, and my head was spinning. I noticed a putrid mixture of vomit and a slimy, black substance on the ground in front of me. Pain and confusion consumed me until I managed to stand up.
As I stood up I felt more alive and alert than ever before. Not only was the pain and confusion gone, but I felt like I was made anew somehow. I had suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life, usually felt tired and run down, and constantly had mysteriously unidentified pains, but now I felt none of that. Now I felt strong, healthy, and powerful somehow. ‘The black sludge mixed with the vomit likely has to have something to do with this. Maybe some type of system purge?’ I thought.
As I looked around, a new screen appeared before me, displaying information that I couldn’t fully comprehend just yet.
[Designation: Achak Health: 200/200 Essence: 20/20
Level: 1 (2/100)
Soul: Ancient
Race: Human
Genus: None
Species: None
Affinity: Electromagnetic
Strength: 5
Constitution: 6
Endurance: 8
Agility: 8
Dexterity: 8
Wisdom: 10
Free Points: 4
Skills: Shock Strike]
People were emerging from their hiding spots, bombarding me and the other man with questions. Not allowing us to take in the entirety of what was happening, or rather, had already happened to us.
I tuned the others out, and without really thinking, I reached out and touched the screen in front of me. It felt solid, like an electronic tablet. I clicked on the skill with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
[Shock Strike - Your strikes are encased in lightning, making them stronger and causing electric burns on impact. There is also a 10% chance for the target to be stunned.]
Amazing, I whispered to myself, in awe of this newfound ability. ‘Is this magic? Is magic really something possible now?’ I was snapped out of my trance by someone tugging on my shoulder.
“Hello, young man, are you okay?” A woman’s voice pulled me back to reality. “I’m her mother, and I just wanted to thank you for saving my daughter,” she pointed to the girl I had protected.
“Oh, uh, it was nothing,” I mumbled, not yet entirely back to my senses.
“What do you mean nothing? It was incredible the way you bravely fought that thing. I didn't even realize my daughter had fallen until I heard that monster's scream.” The woman hugged her daughter tightly, tears in her eyes.
“Thank you… Uh, you’re welcome.” I replied, flustered unsure of how to handle compliments. “If you don't mind me asking, how long was I unconscious after the fight?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“Not long at all, maybe a few seconds. I thought you were dead, but then this red lightning surrounded your whole body. It started at your chest covered your whole body and then disappeared just as quickly. Thank god you’re okay. It's like you had a guardian angel watching over you. God must have chosen you to see us thr…”
I dismissed the woman’s religious ramblings. I wasn't a religious person and didn't judge those who were religious. However, I didn’t care for how they attributed everything to some divine being that had never been proven to be real.
‘But, then again, what do I know? This whole thing seems magical, or divine in some way,’ I thought, then excused myself and walked over to the man who had fought alongside me.