I blinked my eyes once…
*blink* *blink blink*
I lied. I blinked three times.
*plop*
Another heavy drop of water fell on to my face.
Nope. That is definitely not rain.
*plop* *plop*
The sound of slow drips of water filled my ears, reminiscent of a cave. Looking up, I stared at the stalactites hanging down from the ceiling, barely able to make out their shape in the darkness.
I don’t remember there being any underground stations… is this because I fell asleep on the train?!? Was the new conductor secretly a mass murderer?? DID I GET KIDNAPPED?!?
I bolted up at the mere thought!
Except…
Wait… what?
No binds, ties or ropes held me. Indeed, I was underground, and in a cave no less. However, somehow there was some faint illumination surrounding there area. I could make out the outline of what appeared to be a train station!
It must have been one of those stations under construction… I bet the conductor just threw me off for sleeping and missing all the regular stops! I will definitely file a lawsuit when I get home! Just you wait… this isn’t the last you heard from me…
I nodded with satisfaction to myself. With such a scenario, clearly I was in the right. I could claim any injury I wanted and would make out like a bandit! It would make the news! A lone man tossed heartlessly from the train on New Years! I could take all the vacation time I ever wanted with this!
But… the problem first is… which station is this again?
Looking down either direction of track revealed nothing. So instead, I decided to carefully walk to the end of the platform.
“Ehhhhh??? It just ends?!? No walls…. It just drops off? And the track just stops here too?!”
I was so flabbergasted at the sight, I couldn’t help but exclaim to myself!
“What if…”
My voice trailed off again, as I walked to the other end of the platform. As I did, a cold sweat began to run down my forehead and back.
No… this isn’t possible… it’s… it’s the same…
Absolute, unending darkness. The only visible wall is the rock face the station was attached to, and the ceiling.
“Hmmm…”
An idea struck me! I reached in to my pocket for my phone, maybe with its light I could see a little better? Yet, while reaching in to my pocket, I felt something else besides my phone. It was about the same size, but perfectly circular… and flat. Like an oversized quarter.
What’s this?
I pulled it out with my phone, and turned my light on to get a better look at it. A nice, large, black coin with the letter C emblazoned on the middle of it. It was also somewhat malleable, like it was made of rubber.
When did I pick this crap up? Was I really that drunk?
Well, I had a good use for it. Between this rubber coin and my phone light, I can figure out how far this drop off really goes!
*thwip*
I tossed the coin lightly over the edge of the platform, shining my phone light downward as I did.
Then…
As the moments ticked by…
My skin began to grow really pale. And about a minute later, I shrieked.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!? IT’S REALLY BOTTOMLESS?!? IS THIS A REALLY SHITTY DREAM??”
Mmmm, nope. Dreams aren’t this boring. Or this slow. Or this… detailed?
Definitely. Definitely not a dream.
I looked at my phone screen… no reception. Time… 10 A.M. Battery… perilously low.
Then… where am I really?
I shone my light backs towards the tracks, and I finally noticed a small standup ticket meter was there.
Why bother installing a pay-station for a place trains cannot reach?
Looking closer, I noticed one thing immediately.
And… I stared at it. Unblinking. For god knows how long.
*eep*
It only had one coin slot, and a fairly large slot at that. What’s more, the symbol of currency on top… was a rounded black coin with the letter C emblazoned on the center.
“Are you seriously telling me this place only takes joke currency?!? You gotta be kidding me!!!”
And so I yelled and ranted, to nobody one in particular, before feverishly scouring the platform with my phone light looking for another coin!
Under the benches?
NOPE!
Behind the empty vending machines??
NOPE!
What about the destination… sign?
For a moment, I paused in my frenzied search…
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
But…
It was only for a moment.
Before resuming with an unholy fury that would have made even the gods cringe!
It’s because I read the sign, and being a total nerd, gamer, and manga/anime addict, I knew exactly what it meant.
A TRAIN WILL BE SUMMONED WHEN THE FARE IS PAID.
THE WORLD TRAIN SYSTEM (WTS) LIKES TO MAINTAIN A PLEASANT TRAVEL ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL PASSENGERS, SO PLEASE ENSURE NO EATING OR DRINKING EXCEPT IN DESIGNATED MEAL CARS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU DO NOT FALL ASLEEP OR MISS YOUR STOP, AS THE WTS OFFERS NO REFUNDS OR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR YOUR OWN MISTAKES. AS A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY, WE MUST WARN YOU THAT WE OFFER NO CUSTOMER SERVICE OR EXTRANEOUS STOPS. THANK-YOU FOR USING THE WTS AND I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR RIDE, AS THERE ARE CERTAINLY NO REFUNDS EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T!
DESTINATION
COST
TRAVEL TIME
“The End” Station, Temaria
You are here! :)
Instant, dummy!
Earth
1 “C”
10 hours
Megavania
5 “C”
20 hours
Hell
1 “C” (majority cost subsidized by his Excellency Lucifer to encourage “tourism”)
15 hours
Heaven
100 “C” + 1 “S” Token, OR a sponsorship earned by successfully threading a full-size camel through the eye of a normal-sized needle.
Update: No loopholes around the intent allowed as of 10/15/1011 A.D.
200,000 hours
etc….
etc….
etc….
I found a door, obviously out of the station, and clearly made of some insane metal material, and reinforced with countless bars and braces. But I dared not open that one just yet. I had a damn good feeling where that door went! And knowing how triggers work, the moment I left this station I almost certainly wouldn’t be able to come back in so easily!
I was also able to enter the main ticketing booth… empty. The registers… empty. The vault… empty.
I found a conductors log. The last train to visit this station, other than mine… 1,560 years ago.
The restroom… also empty. But it had working plumbing, and toilet paper! Ancient, fragile, single-ply toilet paper… but, at least it was there nonetheless! I made sure to use it while I had the opportunity!
Bike racks? Also empty.
Trash bins? YOU GUESSED IT! Full of ancient trash. And no coins.
Internally, I was crying to myself, I felt like I was a homeless person now!
Actually, technically, am I not a homeless person in this world now?
*DESPAIR*
Huh? A parking lot with no entry or exit for cars? WHO THE HELL CAME UP WITH THIS PLACE!?
Soon, though, I had no choice but to give up the futile search. Not one coin was to be found, and worse yet….
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
My phone… had died.
I stared in the general direction of the door out. I had nothing left to do, if this was really a dream in disguise… I would soon wake up. If not, it has to be better than slowly starving to death here.
“Pure abyssal hell, huh…”
I couldn’t help but mutter to myself…
No backpack, a dead phone, my wallet, my house-keys, my glasses and the clothes on my back… which is nothing more than my business casual jeans and formal long sleeve shirt.
An expression halfway between horror and devilish excitement began to crawl across my face.
Here we go…
With a loud and rusty groan, the massive doors creaked open.
Before me lay a tunnel, further shrouded in darkness, the end of which I could not see. Stepping through, I didn’t notice I was holding my breath.
Then…
*CLANG!*
Just as expected, the gate slammed shut…
*Ding*
A small blue window appeared before my very eyes!
“GYAH!!”
I didn’t expect something like this would pop up! I was on edge for monsters, yet this took me even further by surprise!
The Gods are pleased with your decision and in awe of your determination! Completely abandoning your only way home takes true resolve!
But… BUT I DIDN’T KNOW I WAS DOING THAT! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!
As a reward, you are offered the chance to choose one of the following boons!
* “Card Master”
* Darkvision
* Automatic Language Acquisition/Translation
Well the choice here should be obvious!
While I do enjoy gaming, it is absolutely NOT a survival skill. So a gaming boon should certainly be avoided.
Darkvision… now I have played more than enough games to know how useful this one is! Especially in such an obviously light-free environment!
And… this will be troublesome and upsetting to have to leave, but I doubt Automatic Language Acquisition will be of use surviving in an Abyssal Hell. I am sure I can pick it up again later anyways.
“I choose number 2, Darkvision.”
The Gods are amused by your decision and are eager to see your next move!
As the darkness faded away and was replaced by a world of black and white, with various objects appearing in the once impenetrable void, I couldn’t help but feel amiss. My brows furrowed in concentration.
… What? Am I being sassed right now? I felt like I was being sassed with the first message too! Did I… Did I just make a bad choice?! Wait… if there is something like this…
“Status!”
A small blue screen appeared before me again, full of details and information about myself. When I think about each individual item on the screen, I can even get a description of what it is and what it does. I can even see a progression screen and a list of available feats and abilities for my “class”.
“…. Oh. Well then…”
Yup. Amused indeed. I think I would be too… if I wasn’t the one to make such an uninformed decision!!! What the fuck even is all of this?!? Can I get a restart already???? How could I let myself get so flustered that I didn’t even check what I was getting and just assumed what it was!
Name: Aquis De LaMonte
Level: 1
Available Ability Points: 0 (Masterminds gain 1 per level vs the usual 1 per 2 levels)
Health: 6/6
(+1/level)
Mana: 12/12
(+6/level)
Stamina: 6/6
(+1/level)
Strength: 3
Endurance: 2
Willpower: S
Wisdom: 1
Agility: 2
Constitution: 3
Luck: +/- 100
*The universe responds to you in special ways. Best of “luck”!
Intellect: U
Class: Mastermind
Subclass: -
(*Can only select once!*
Schemer: 20 AP
Controller: 50 AP
Summoner: 70 AP
***Card Master: 100 AP)
***Unique subclass available for purchase only to those who dared challenge a god in a card game. It would have made a nice choice for a once in a lifetime boon ;)
Boons: -
*Can be granted by divine intervention ONLY
(Automatic Language Acquisition/Translation *can allow for communication with creatures lacking a normal language*,
Divine Health,
Magic Immunity,
Unrestricted Magic Casting,
etc…)
Feats: Dark Vision (5 AP *FREE*)
-
(Metamagic: 10 AP,
Dual Casting: 15 AP,
Evasion: 3 AP,
Low Tier Magic: 5 AP,
etc….)
Titles:
Primary: Unrepentant Charlatan (Improves attempts to lie or deceive others, while making attempts at honesty less believable.)
Secondary: Challenger of the Gods (Boss monsters are 1000% more likely to target you, and will chase you even outside of their designated aggression zones once targeted.)
Skills:
Concentration: +5
Deception: +10
Construction: +2
Medicine: +5
Combat: -1
Bluff: +10
Persuasion: +0
Climb: +1
Jump: +1
Cooking: +3
Crafting: +2
Gaming: +15
Spells: -
I will be fine… it will all be fine! This is fine!
*Self-deception check failed!*
While that is what I thought, in an attempt to calm myself, my face was saying something completely different! Especially with a mountain of tears and snot running down my face and my mouth contorting into all kinds of weird and unnatural shapes!
Just as I suspected…
Before I even entered the dungeon…
EX-HARD MODE ACTIVATED!