A cool breeze gently rolled over her as she stood in a bright green field of long thin grass, admiring the cityscape that towered high into the sky far ahead in the distance. The city seemed silent; no movement of vehicles or humans could be observed from that distance. It all seemed like a perfect painting, the detail of which had no match; it was simply out of this world. Where this beautiful city was located on Earth eluded her, she’s never seen anything like it before.
With her arms stretched wide, she took in as much of the fresh breeze as she possibly could, the air around her was new, and the sounds were revitalizing. The memory of when or how she got there seemed to have faded, but it was better than the hospital bed. She has not felt this good in a very long time.
Moments had passed; she just ignored everything else around her; the peace she was allowed made her heart beat slowly, and her breath be as calm as the waves of a still ocean. The only thing missing was Ryan; he would have loved being with her, she thought to herself.
Sounds behind her drew her mind away from the amazing tranquility of that place. Something was happening behind her. She turned to look but found something she was not expecting. The rest of that beautiful landscape behind her was not as beautiful as she thought.
As she turned, her essence transcended from her body, away from it, to above where she was standing; Taylor was able to see herself standing in the field with a backdrop she did not expect. However, she couldn’t recognize herself when she looked at the body standing before her; she looked like a blank mannequin or a robot smooth as an egg, with no eyes, mouth, or other facial features.
Behind this empty vessel, it seemed like an intense battle was raging far ahead, thick smoke billowed up into the air, and an explosion would disturb the fray every few minutes. The sounds of war reached her moments after seeing the struggle; the screaming of men in battle, the firing of weapons, and the echoes of explosions. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the battle was heading in her direction, albeit very slowly. They must be heading towards the city, she thought to herself, and strangely enough, she did not feel like she was in any immediate danger.
Her attention was drawn back to the strange lifeless Mannequin; she found it very difficult to believe that she was inside it just a few minutes before. It felt so surreal. She picked up her hands to look at them; they were not there; her physical body did not exist anymore.
As she contemplated the meaning of all this, a strange voice echoed in the cold air:
“Choose your appearance.”
As she heard these words, a long line of different ‘appearances’ stretched out on either side of the Mannequin. There were many kinds, with different colors and styles. Her chest grew heavy, and if she had hands, it would be shaking. She looked up and down the line; it was amazing how many there were. She felt the urge to inspect them all and found herself floating along the likenesses lined up for her; there was a large variety to be seen. Amongst the humans, there were also robots; some of them seemed oddly familiar. The human appearances were all generic, with some differences and variations here and there. Finally, she stopped at a robot; she couldn’t remember where she had seen it before but moved closer. In a single moment, she entered the body of the robot. She lifted her hands and was amazed that she was now inside the actual body of the robot. She could hear the hydraulics when she moved and the humming of cooling fans. She tried jumping up and down, bending her limbs, and making noises to hear what her voice sounded like. “I am a robot” She couldn’t help but laugh at herself for doing such a silly thing.
Turning once again, she transcended back, able to see all the other variations once again. She looked at each one intently, deciding who she wanted to be. It felt like she was starting a new game, but also, it felt like it was reality. However, she was not sure which one it was.
After a short while, she noticed the distant battle was drawing closer. “I think I would like to be a male for a change.” Finally, she thought out loud. All the female and robot appearances disappeared, only leaving the male appearances in the line; there was still plenty to choose from. It was a very cool filtering system to have in a reality that she found herself in. Then, a black-haired young man with an emo-style haircut covering his left eye caught her attention. She always loved that kind of look in a man; it reminded her of someone, someone she wished she could be with.
She entered the body of that appearance, her mind was made up instantaneously, that was the likeness she wanted, immediately she was taken to a dressing room. She could see herself in the mirror, completely naked. It was odd, but she couldn’t help but feel excited to be experiencing something like that.
A strange but very familiar appendage hanged from her groin; she couldn’t stop staring; she was not used to seeing that on herself; all the sensation of that body part was there. Slightly erected, she refused to take her eyes off it. Finally, as if too shy before and overcoming the feeling, she touched it to ensure she was not dreaming. Again, it was not a sensation she was used to.
After a long while of touching and playing, she realized a gallery was floating next to her, showing different sizes and shapes. “This is weird,” she said out loud. Then, scrolling through the countless male members, she found one she thought she would be able to live with. She selected it and replaced the one that was there seconds ago, it was painless, she hardly felt any change. But, even with the new member, it remained erect. A strange sensation was coming from her groin; much like butterflies in her stomach with a slight warmth but only it was coming from her groin. It made the member more aroused and hurt more as pressure built. “Now I can understand what guys are going through.” She blushed for a second, thinking about moments playing games with her friends; the guys would usually get up and leave the room for a few minutes. Though they tried to hide it, she would always catch a glimpse of their erections. “I need to find out what that feels like.” She smiled at the thought.
She looked up at her face; it was perfect, no pimples, no rough skin, only a beautiful face she had never seen. Another screen appeared with different options she could use to change her facial features; there were many options. She changed her hair to a rose red and her eyes a crimson red. Her skin, greyish pale, and her body frame she changed to bulky. She stepped back and couldn’t help but admire her new appearance. The male appendage was still erect.
She was satisfied with her appearance; the room around her changed into a wardrobe; everywhere she looked was different clothing from many different eras and styles around her. It was the futuristic clothing that caught her eyes. She selected a body-tight, leather, and skinny jean jumpsuit with a black leather jacket with some sort of blue glowing lines in them. She couldn’t see any purpose for them but looked cool nonetheless. She finished off her look with a pair of heavy black boots with knife holders on either side. Very cool to look at but useless, she thought. With a nod of approval, the wardrobe disappeared.
“This is strange.” She stopped and thought to herself.
“Choose your Name”
The words appeared on a label on her jumpsuit. “I guess this is where a choose an alias to go by.”
When she started playing games, this was her favorite part; she used a unique name that only belonged to her, Taygoth. Then, finally, she said the word out loud, and like magic, it appeared on the label of her clothing; she smiled.
“Sweet. Whatever game this is, I love it.”
She returned back into the world; the calm wind was warmer now, hot ash flew around her, and she could see the battle was drawing closer. Where her appearance stood now were five banners, all distinct and oddly familiar.
“Select your Faction.”
She looked around, the city in the distance was still as quiet and peaceful as before, and the battle in the other direction was drawing closer.
She walked to the first banner; instinctively, she touched it. The flag was Orange; it had a black circle in the middle with a planet depicted in the center of it. Then, a deep voice spoke out from thin air:
“The Empire of Prion. A proud people who value peace and find practical ways to avoid conflict. Though war is coming, and your Emperor needs you.”
She knew that name from somewhere. Still, she couldn’t precisely remember where she had heard it before. Then, finally, a vision of a planet covered in one massive city came to her mind; it sparkled like a diamond in the emptiness of space. A large ship was in orbit; it was unknown to her.
Intrigued, she moved to the following banner. This flag was white; it had a purple crystal in the center of it. A female voice spoke.
“Guardians of Jenarome. A peaceful people, their mystic powers will protect their realm.”
She could see a planet with a purple scar through the landscape in her mind’s eye and a young lady dancing under purple blossom trees near a crystal radiating with purple energy. This she has seen somewhere before, she shook her head, was she dreaming?
The third banner was in the center; it had a black background with white gears interlocking prominently displayed in the center. A soft voice of a mature man echoed in the breeze.
“The Black Horde. Rising from the ashes of the Great Civil War on Luna, they set to the stars to wage an eternal war against their evil overlords, banding together any star system willing to fight.”
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A vision appeared of the crowded cities upon Earth’s moon. A grand parade took place with hordes of battleships rising to the void, Earth on fire in the background, and loud cheers abound. She began to remember all of these things; they were stuff straight out of her past, from a story she loved so dearly.
Next to it, she found another banner with little on it, only a white face on a light grey background.
“The Aaron Consortium, a secret gathering of old men following the teachings of Tarkus and their founder Aaron, the Rogue.”
Lastly, there was a banner with a black star on it; the background was pure gold; the North and the South points of the star were stretched out further than East and West. A mysterious voice called out:
“Unknown.”
The last one intrigued her the most; it was secretive, and she might know the name for this faction. The Order of the Ipsimus. The decision was evident; there was no other choice for her but the last one; it was calling at her. She picked up the banner, and it vanished into the air. The earth beneath her shook; she looked down to the ground.
On the floor, before her, laid three weapons:
* A Black Sword
* A Purple Gauntlet
* A Grey Automatic Gun
She’s seen these weapons before. The designs she’s seen a million times, their meanings were clear to her. But, then, a voice echoed in the air…
“Choose your weapon.”
Something was not right. She looked around again and saw the battle getting closer. The ground beneath her feet began to shake. War was coming. Beyond that, someone was watching her; she had to be careful.
When Taylor, or as she is now known: Taygoth, touched the sword, another voice echoed in the soft air.
“This is the weapon of those who swear a life to the art of Mortal Combat. They are the guardians of the Epsimus, and the enforces of his will.”
Intriguing, she thought to herself. She placed the sword down and picked up the gauntlet.
Taylor was starting to believe that she was not in a game, that, as bizarre as everything was, this was now her reality. Again, though, she wondered how did she get there, where exactly did she come from? She looked at the gauntlet; it was not large or seemed heavy in any way; though it was like voices screamed from it, it was like nothing she had ever known. She picked it up and held it firmly in her hand; it was extremely light, made from black leather, and inside she could see a purple glow.
“This is the weapon of those who swear a life of service to the Nihil. To the teachings of Nivshevis and bow to the will of Izzar.”
She recognized the word Nihil. The mystical power of the Fables of the Void Universe she loved reading and watching movies about. Excitement grew within her; she could not contain herself; was she actually in the game she and her friends anticipated for so long? Though she felt like this virtual reality was a little bit too realistic. There were no computer-generated graphics, there was no artificial wind. The heat of the sun, the cool breeze, the smell of the oncoming battle; it all felt too real to be just a game.
Instinctively she knew what the gun was; it must have been for the soldier class. However, she never desired to carry a weapon like that; she was stuck between the sword and the gauntlet. She wondered by herself whether or not she would be able to incorporate both classes later on. Or maybe she should do it now.
She reached for the gauntlet and the sword at the same time. Grabbing both the weapons made the entire world shake profusely; that was not supposed to happen, she thought to herself. She looked back at the city and saw that some buildings were collapsing due to the intense earthquake. She tried to drop the sword, but it did not disappear with the other weapon that laid before her moments ago.
“This is not good.” She wiped what she thought was sweat from her forehead, but there was nothing. The attacking armies were upon her now; the quake did not stop them; she was left to defend herself. She quickly put the glove on her left and bent down to grab the sword from the floor, and held it with her right hand.
There were many enemies around her; she saw a health bar displaying their level above each one. A few of them noticed her and charged in for the attack. Though but a moment before they could land a blow, everything froze around her; the soldiers surrounding her were stuck in time. She could feel the hair on her back rise and her arms and legs grow ice-cold. A dark purple matter appeared a few feet from the ground, a little ways ahead of her, and out from it came a dark entity. She knew who it was. Nivshevus.
Nivshevus: “You are not intended to wield two weapons; this is unheard of.”
She was unsure what to say; the dark entity moved around her like a dark misty cloud, examining her. She still had an erection; it became more painful with the tight jumpsuit suppressing it with the passing moments.
Nivshevus: “Have you come to destroy this universe?”
Taygoth: “I don’t even know in what universe I am; how could I be here to destroy it?”
Nivshevus was silent for a moment.
Nivshvus: “Around you is a universe plunged in war, chaos reigns, and death travels over the large oceans of the cosmos. The Dark Hordes are racing towards Prion, seeking its downfall. Have you been sent to destroy their armies and the rest of the galaxy with it?”
Taygoth: “NO, I don’t even know why I’m here!”
Nivshevus: “Epsimus Izzar has granted you the Gauntlet of Nihil, filled with the essence of his power you were tasked to use it to defeat the armies of the Black Horde. At the same time, you are wielding a sword meant for the guardians of the Epsimus to protect and enforce the will of Izzar; wielding both weapons are forbidden.”
Taygoth: “Can’t you just take the sword from me?”
Nivshevus: “I cannot. You have chosen your roles, now you need to complete your journey. You are not the same as the others who have passed through these plains before.”
Taygoth: “Others? You mean I’m not alone.”
Nivshevus: “You are not, but still you are. No one has ever chosen two weapons before. I must report.”
The entity disappeared, but his voice remained.
Nivshevus: “While we investigate, open your datapad, open the journal and follow your destiny.”
There was a vibration in her jacket’s inside pocket, she reached in, and a datapad was resting there, waiting to be picked up. It looked like a regular old tablet; she double-tapped the screen and from the device appeared a holographic screen in front of her. On the screen, different tabs were available:
* Character Sheet,
* Journal,
* Stats,
* Upgrades,
* Abilities,
*
She tapped on the Journal tab as instructed, ignoring the rest.
* Story Quests (1)
* Side-Quests (0)
* Team Quests (0)
She tapped on the Story Quest sub-tab, and a short list of tasks appeared:
1. Select your Appearance (1/1 Completed)
2. Choose a Name (1/1 Completed)
3. Choose your Faction (1/1 Completed)
4. Choose your Class (2/1 Completed) ERROR!!
5. Reach Character Level 1 (0/3 In Progress)
* Defeat 20 Black Horde Troopers
* Upgrade your Attributes
* Defeat Squadron Captain
The world around her came back to life; she quickly placed the datapad back into her pocket; the troops rushed rapidly towards her. She was unsure how to use the gauntlet, but the sword felt like it belonged in her hand. So with a rush and an awkward erection that did not want to go away, she started hitting the troops one by one, cutting them down. But, unfortunately, it all seemed too realistic for her liking, the blood and the piling bodies were not fading, and some of them were still moving.
Nivshevus: “Remember, the Epsimus is always watching.”
The voice disappeared; she was still cutting down each soldier one at a time; she could feel deep within her that she grew a little bit stronger as each enemy fell. Soon the enemies overwhelmed her, but with well-executed timing, a bright golden light emanated from her, destroying all enemies around her. In an instant, she felt much stronger and her weapon a little heavier.
Once again, everything froze around her; she took out the datapad when she saw nothing would go back to normal any time soon. On the datapad, this time Taylor selected the character sheet, it opened up and revealed some interesting information about her:
Character Sheet – Taygoth
Class: Practitioner of Nihil Guardian of the Epsimus
Race: Unknown
Homeworld: Unknown
Golcoin : 0
Next to the Upgrades tab, the number 6 was displayed; she quickly tapped on it.
Level: 1
XP: 2900
Upgrade Points: 2
Upgrades available
Upgrade Tree
She tapped the words Upgrade Tree subtab, and in an instance, a screen came up with a sheet displaying upgrades to her attributes.
This was all strange; she ran her finger through her hair, it was incredibly soft and clean, a stinging pain came from her groin, she couldn’t help but grab onto it. She scanned through the sheet but only saw the first eight at the very bottom of a pervasive hierarchy of upgrades.
1. Nihil’s Strength (Strength +1) – Cost: 1
2. First steps into the Void (Nihil essence + 1) – Cost: 3
3. The Tongue of the Epsimus (Charisma + 2) – Cost: 1
4. The Shadow of Ghost (Presence - 1 ) – Cost: 5
5. Viha’s Teachings (Melee +5) – Cost: 25
6. Vision of Tarkus (FOW -2) – Cost: 1
These all branched out to character trait upgrades that were unavailable. It was difficult to choose; all seemed to suit her perfectly. She ended up taking options one and six.
She closed the tablet and returned to the battlefield with most enemies still charging at her; she continued to fight relentlessly. She could feel her body growing tired but not as tired as she would imagine.
A blow to the back of her head made her stumble and fall to the ground; it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. If she remained on the ground, she was dead meat. Although she was ready to defend herself again, the troops stopped attacking her; she could feel her life essence draining. But, then, a more significant enemy approached; he wielded two large electro axes, his level was five. She wouldn’t be able to fight against a brute like that. She turned to run, but the hordes of soldiers were surrounding her, making her escape impossible.
She couldn’t understand how she got into that world; at first, it seemed pleasant, but Taylor was questioning her existence with the battles she was fighting and the level of realism it entailed. Then, from amongst the fray, help came, a hooded figure sliced through the hordes with a sword she recognized as being the same as the one she was wielding.
He swiped his sword around in an uncontrolled manner, hitting troops here and there. However, the larger enemy seemed not too bothered with his presence and still approached Taylor.
Elrico4891: “You need to level up, attack some troops.”
This seemed like a straightforward task, considering she had already slain more than twenty of them. She tried running, slicing through the hordes of troops. She could feel herself grow stronger by the minute. In no time, she reached level 5. Cutting down the minor troops became a trivial task.
Taylor finally stopped and faced the larger enemies. Elrico5891 was standing next to her; the other troops formed a circle around them once again. Both attack at once, making quick work of the once-feared enemy.
Taygoth: “Who are you?”
She looked at his level, level 8. What was he doing in a place his level was no use to him? He was overpowered, and there was doubt he gained more experience from the fights.
Before he could answer, everything around her, including him, faded away into a dark emptiness. She blinked for a mere moment finding herself rushing towards a bright light. Instinctively she blocked the light with both her arms and closed her eyes. When the movement stopped, she slowly lowered her arms to find herself standing in what seemed to be the center of the galaxy. So far and wide around her, the stars and constellations were a beauty to behold; she was more prominent than ever, her body more prominent than the core. Her heart raced.
“What is happening? And what is up with this erection?”