(3rd-Person Narrator: Rufus)

A year passed since that day. November 24 in 333 A.D. brought more rumors of the Aurea and gossip. The Soldiers outside Doki Doki Town built a total of 13 giant Outposts lining the borders of the Dry Desert and the Badlands. And in Doki Doki Town, there's a troublesome and dysfunctional couple having a lovely chat.

(Rufus) "Come on! I busted my ass and helped you for free! So why can't I bust in your ass?"

(Sammy) "Fuck off you dick-driven Dumbass! I'm not that easy of a woman!"

Yes. It was Sammy and Rufus who screamed at each other in the streets.

(Rufus) "Please! If it was true, I would have fucked you sideways until you couldn't scream anymore. Plenty of fucking chances, Prude."

Sammy gave him a hard Left Hook and Rufus flattened into an indent on the paved road.

(Sammy) "Stop being a perverted Dumbass! Who told you to be so dirty?"

Her entire face was red. Whether it was by anger or embarrassment, I can't tell.

(Rufus) "Che. Stuck-up Prude. Open your heart a little for the man you love so he can squeeze through the cracks of your legs!"

Sammy punted him 7 houses away and stomped away in anger. Rufus got out of the rubble he was buried under and brushed his clothes off. He sighed a noise of loneliness and despair.

(Rufus) "Fuck... Nothing's going right."

His original plan was to bring Sammy with him on his journey. But she already became part of the Towns Guard and wouldn't leave. So the next best thing to do was to beg her to. When that failed, he thought he might as well get some of her ass before he goes. Who knew when they'd meet again? However, that was not as easy as he thought it would be.

Rufus sighed again. The worst part of staying in Doki Doki Town was that he couldn't improve his strength. In fact, he seemed to be worse than when he came. Occasionally, Sammy would fight with him and sharpen her skills, but he had no competition. Chief Stonewall kept challenging him and getting his ass knocked flat. It was all so boring.

And he never could find the Unicorn Horn his Master spoke of. It had such strong medicinal powers that his condition would be cured. Only then, he could be the strongest. Rufus left the gaping hole in the street and mixed into the crowd of people in Town Square. Suddenly, he felt someone was following him.

He maliciously chuckled and moved to the nearest alley. The stranger burst out in front of him and looked around as if making sure there were no spectators.

(Rufus) "What do you want?"

Rufus growled, with a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. Finally, someone to beat the fuck out of!

(???) "I've heard you were looking for something."

The shady figure under a dark cloak spoke in an indeterminate voice. Strange...

(Rufus) "And for what?"

(???) "For this!"

A peach-colored hand thrust out from the folds of cloth bundling this mysterious person. In it was a horn that emitted tremendous power.

(Rufus) "Is that-"

(???) "YES. Shush now. Can't let anyone know."

Rufus shut up and closed the distance between them.

(Rufus) "Name your price."

(???) "All the money in your pockets. Including the secret ones! And I have a favor to ask of you."

Rufus took off all of his clothes and shook an entire pile of gold onto the floor. The stranger spread their cloak over it and snatched it all up. There was no hesitation from either side.

(???) "Use this in the Badlands. If you do it here, you endanger this town by your explosion in power."

The Unicorn Horn passed hands and the stranger disappeared.

Lucky! Rufus did a little Dance of Triumph. His strength could now grow leaps and bounds! Quickly, he blurred through the streets and broke the stone streets with his thundering steps. Then, he leaped over the walls and headed straight for the Badlands. Avoiding the Soldiers and their Outposts was a breeze.

Deep into the Badlands, Rufus found his old cave. There was a group of Gravel Bears nesting there now but after a few smacks, they all ran away. Then, he sat down in his meditation hole and began to eat the horn.

Rufus was not skilled in manipulating energies and so had to directly consume things in order to process them. And Unicorn Horns were incredibly special. They held the power of Healing and were unbelievably rare. Only in rare instances of abandoned foals and sickly Unicorns did the average person have a chance to find one. In legends, Unicorns came in the time of need for Heroes, especially in the tale of Logos. The day he went, an entire herd of Unicorns arrived and paid homage to his passing.

Solaris set into the Horizon when he broke out of his meditation. He experimentally moved his body and felt much stronger. Almost as if there was nothing that could stop him. His grin spread across his face and he began his long journey home. He made sure to be especially careful when going past the Outposts. But he was in for a shock when he saw Doki Doki Town.

Its entirety was up in flames and the once great Palisade lay pushed outwards as if blown over by an explosion of a great magnitude. Rufus rushed over to put the fires out. The aftermath of a terrifying attack utterly destroyed each and every Barracks and Guardhouse. The dead lay in pieces and splatters of fleshy blood. Towns Guards had gaping holes in their chest, with their heads disrespectfully jammed inside of it. A disgusting display of power.

Rufus headed straight for Sammy's house. He broke apart the flaming wreckage but found nothing. So he went over to all the Barracks and Guardhouses. There was nothing but dead bodies and rubble. Then he checked her parents' home. They were dead and mounted on stakes like many others. All of them were gone. It was only but today when he last saw her...

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

A loud clacking of stone caught his attention. Rufus looked over at a large wall, which had fallen over. Quickly, he lifted it up and pushed it over. He panted in exhaustion, and for some reason, more tired than usual. Underneath was a young girl, not older than 18. Her right leg was completely smashed into a fine paste and she was struggling to stop the bleeding. She stayed alerted during the entire treatment process. After helping her, he picked her up and started walking through Town to find survivors.

Suddenly, he stopped and realized something. Among all the dead, there weren't any young women. So Rufus hurried up and climbed on top of a half-destroyed Tower. He looked to see if there was anyone leaving Doki Doki Town. But when he reached the top, he found nothing.

Rufus went down to continue shuffling through the debris. Hours passed in the dark of night as he set aside burnt wood, and listened to the girl sobbing. At daybreak, he sat down to take a rest. Rufus couldn't go on any longer because his body wouldn't listen to him anymore. Then, a voice reached his ears.

(???) "Ah. Fucker's down! Nice job with using a Vehement Basilisk's Fang! Fucker couldn't tell the difference between poison and wine, much less a Unicorn's Horn!"

A man dressed in what looked like plant growth stepped out from behind a pile. More came out and began laughing at his misfortune. Their long ears! Rufus thought. Remember them and then take revenge!

(Elf? 2) "Bwahaha! Fucker's still got a look of a fighter in his eyes. Let's show him how much of a worthless fuck he really is!"

Fists connected to his skull and rattled his brain. Rufus was beaten, smacked, spit upon, and shamed. But none of this mattered, so long as he lived.

(Elf? 1) "Gah. Fucker's not saying anything!"

(Elf? 3) "Hey, how about this girl? She looks important to him!"

The young girl cried as they grabbed ahold of her. She couldn't struggle out of their grasp. Rufus watched as they ripped apart her remaining clothing and take off their pants. He could not stand for this. So, he acted.

In a final gesture of respect, Rufus stabbed his hand through her chest and pulled out her bloody heart. She looked at him in betrayal, but he looked back at her in peace. Now only he would suffer for being such a fool.

(Elf? 3) "Fucking hell! That was the only girl left!"

(Elf? 2) "Yeah, they're better young. Much tighter!"

(Elf? 1) "Older ones are loose whores. Nothing beats a soft, delicate girl."

(Elf? 4)"Fuck. And everyone else already killed the rest! Damn shits! Don't fuck out their organs! Leave some for me!"

Rufus looked at them and was unable to move anymore. The warm heart provided him a comfort but their words were horrible. Who knows what else they had done before? Damned perverts were even Necrophiliacs!

(Elf? 2) "Oh. Look at the fucker. He's just about dead."

(Elf? 1) "Urk. Nasty fucker he is."

(Elf? 4) "Worthless garbage now."

(Elf? 3) "Now what?"

(Elf? 4) "Let's dispose of him."

They grabbed his limbs and brought him over to a giant ditch. It appeared to be formed during a great battle between two powerhouses. It probably was Chief Stonewall against these scum.

(Elf? 2) "And heave!"

(Elf? 1) "Ho!"

(Elf? 3) "There we go!"

(Elf? 4) "Good job. Let's go!"

Rufus slammed into the pit. His body no longer felt anything, but the girl's heart stayed gripped inside his hand. Today he took an innocent life. Today, he failed to protect what he loved. But it won't happen again. Never again. I suffered but still lived. Wait for these Bastards to leave! Then, I will rise from the ashes of Doki Doki Town and murder them! Each and every Bastard! Look at me now and burn it into your memories! 

He cried but did not notice. He only thought of his revenge, of his Vendetta with these long-eared, nature-loving Bastards. Time. He just needed more time!

Footsteps approached him. Damn it all. One of the assholes wanted to finish him off.

Well, let this fucker try! Rufus could take him at any time! None of them could stop his Vengeance!

(???) "Oi, what's this. You're still alive?"

Someone gently pulled Rufus out from his makeshift grave and lay him on the ground. He saw the face of a kindly middle-aged man. A sharp face of a wizened teacher with caring eyes that even softened his burning rage in his heart.

(Teacher?) "Are you alright? Let me heal you."

As this man tried to, Rufus struggled against him. There was no need for healing! It would worsen his condition! However, it seemed the strange man noticed this too.

(Teacher?) "You can talk now, right? What's wrong with you?"

(Rufus) "Basilisk poison. And a medical condition."

Rufus sputtered back at him.

(Teacher?) "Hmm... That is a problem."

The man stroked his beard, in deep thought. Then he took out a potion and eased the drink into Rufus' mouth.

(Medicine Man?) "An antidote. Hopefully, this doesn't trigger your medical condition."

And it didn't. The poison in his throughout his Meridians that his Master talked about and his pores oozed out a vile darkness.

(Medicine Man?) "Yep. There we go. You should have absorbed some of that. Now, I'll need your permission, but I think I can cure your medical condition."

Rufus spat out some bloody gunk. Really? All it took was a wandering practitioner? Didn't Master tell me it was incurable, save for the Panacea of the Unicorn Horn?

(Medicine Man?) "You won't be the same after this. I won't even guarantee your survival. But you have a slim chance of becoming something greater."

Say no more. Power is what I need. Rufus grabbed the bottom of the man's decorative robes.

(Rufus) "Do it."

(Medicine Man???) "Alright... Now how did it go again?"

Immediate regret filled Rufus like a hammer smashing his ribcage. He gave the man a withering look of disgust.

(Medicine Man?) "Just kidding. Take a joke, just take a joke for once."

The man brought out glowing leather out from his flowing robes, with a quill from a Griffon's wings and a vial of blood that throbbed with power. He was not ordinary in the least as he inscribed an incomprehensible Sigils across it and energy from the skies themselves flowed into his writings.

Glowing figures rose from the ground and circled around him. It looked like a colorful light show on the surface, but an intricate ritual on the inside. Then, he started inscribing into Rufus' back. Pain burned into him, as the hot energies flowed inside of him. It stretched throughout his body and put everything under its command. The man then slid the leather over to Rufus.

(Magic Man) "Just sign your name right here and give me an oath that I have become your Master!"

It wasn't like there was a choice, so some scribbles and declaring another man as his Master later ended the ritual. A huge explosion rocked the entire area and flattened the remaining buildings.

In the epicenter of this all, two men stood inside a deep crater. Rufus inspected his body, which for the first time in his life, could control the energies inside. The man, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground. His breathing was erratic and heavy.

(Rufus) "Woah! Master, are you alright?"

(Master) "Fucking hell! Damn you, Student! You stole so much of my power! Didn't I just limit how much you could take?"

(Rufus) "Sorry, but I guess it's still automatic. I can't control my energies that much."

The man sighed and began explaining to Rufus what happened.

(Master) "Your will is strong, which allowed you to survive. And you also took much of my power. I'm guessing you not only tripled your power but removed that pesky growth inside of you. Now it's under your command, instead of you under it. Expect an outrageous amount of regeneration power, Student. You'll need it after I'm done beating my lesson into you."

(Rufus) "Hey! It wasn't my fault!"

(Master) "Yes, it was. Your subconscious desire for power sucked me dry! Your body can't even emit magic anymore because of how greedy you are! You need to learn how to let go."

Rufus looked confused. Wasn't it because of his medical condition that he couldn't use magic?

(Master) "Just come with me, my stupid Student. You have to meet your Peers at the Outpost with 7 Rings and a Dot as its flag. We're also going to get your revenge."

(Rufus) "Thank you, Master!"

(Master) "Go on ahead. I need a moment."

Adrian Floda watched him leave. The jump in his step reminded himself of his own younger days. Bah. It didn't matter. He still got an 11th Pillar Chi student. A ridiculous monster! He himself was barely 7th Pillar! He sighed at the naive Youth. If only he could use magic...

Adrian dismissed his thoughts of the 1st Vampire to ever exist and ignored his Masterpiece. He stealthily rose the soil up from the ditch, and it filled with all the corpses he collected. Perfect materials for the oncoming battle...