Slave work had been surprisingly kind to Donny. Not that he enjoyed the past three weeks being a part of labor team number 14, but he wasn’t dead, dying or seriously injured. He wasn’t even that hungry most of the time. They allowed them to keep their shoes, which was nice for the people who had them - Donny’s boots were apparently too nice for him to keep. They even gave everyone clothes. The “uniforms”, as the task masters liked to call it, were little more than gray rags for shirts and coarse brown pants, but it was better than working in his underwear. The labor was also made easier by the fact that he wasn’t in his own body.
Donny had felt a little strange since getting here, but was too distracted by being robbed and thrown in a wagon with no clothes on to think much of it. It took being sized for their work uniforms and then seeing his reflection in a bucket of water to realize he was a different person. He could only describe himself as being his in game avatar.
He was moderately tall now, perhaps a good 6 feet and a little change. His body was lean but muscular. He had messy dark brown/black hair, and lightly tanned white skin. Donny’s new face was plain, but a little handsome. Otherwise his new body was average and unassuming in every way - which made sense as he always left the avatar settings on default - but it was healthy and in great shape. There wouldn’t have been enough inhalers in the country to get his old body through the exertion he was going through now.
The town and castle were undergoing major expansion due to the new wealth brought in by the war, and it was all slaves on deck to get everything built. The current lord of Gowan Castle, Lord Malgui, had big plans for his domain, and kept labor teams working around the clock.
Donny joined a group of able bodied workers organized by Ashelyn, which made it their business to pick up the slack of the young, weak, and elderly, given those less able a chance to rest. In return, extra food was pooled and given to the covering workers.
The work kept his mind off a lot of things, some of which he was grateful of. Things like how the hell did he get here? Was there a way back home? Would Ashelyn stop talking about human rights? Was it Garth that was giving off that smell? Donny couldn’t shrug one question though:
If my gear from the game transferred over...and I look like my avatar...do I have my same stats?
Donny started to push himself during work hours, thinking that maybe there was more to how much easier the work was then that he respawned into a healthy and in shape body. He found that he was able to sustain a longer amount of heavy work than the rest of the cover workers, but he would get tired all the same. Still, as the days wore on, and the people in the cover crew recovered less and less, Donny felt he about the same amount of energy each day, and never felt sore at all.
So at least my Stamina is definitely above everyone else’s, but what else? Strength? Dex? I don’t seem to be super strong. I don’t feel extra agile. But more importantly...what’s my defense? Swordmaster wasn’t the best tank class or anything, but at level 120 I should be pretty beastly compared to these NPC villagers.
Donny never felt brave enough to test that until a workplace accident forced the matter. Garth was winching some stones to the top of a wall while Donny and Wheezin’ Eddy stayed on the bottom to load. Since Wheezin’ Eddy spent half the time wheezin’ Donny was there to do the other half of Eddy’s work. It was the second day working with Eddy and the wheezin’ was beginning to wear on Donny.
“Like seriously, dude. It’s like you swallowed a whistle,” Donny snapped.
“You think I’m *wheeeze* doing this because *wheeeze* I want to? Jerk,” Eddy snapped back.
“C’mon you guys!” Donny heard Garth call from above them, “We’re all on the same team here.”
“Sit the fuck down for a second, then!” Donny continued, “I know it's killing you to breath, and it's driving me fucking nuts.”
“First off, you go to hell. Second, *wheeze* a taskmaster thinks I’m slacking then *wheeze* I’m off to the dungeon. I got to at least put up *wheeeeeeeze* a show. Third, don’t talk to me like you *wheEeEeEze* know what i’m going through, asshole. You don’t know what it's *WHEEeeeeeze* like to *WHEEZE* wheeze all the time *WHEEeeeeeEEEZE*, prick.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Hey guys! Let’s relax, the both of you,” said Garth trying to calm the two down.
“First off, you don’t talk to me like you know what I been through. I’ve had asthma since the second grade, so if you think you so special cuz you got problems breathing, guess what? You’re not, sunshine.”
“First off, what the hell is asthma?! *WHEEEZE*.”
“Guys? Hey Guys!”
“It’s where you wheeze all the time like a jackass, jackass.”
“I’m not a *wheeze* jackass. You’re the jackass!”
“Hey! Listen you two!”
“At least wear a dust mask!”
“Don’t you tell me *wheeze* what to do! Besides, *wheeze* tying the cloth around my head irritates *wheeze* my ears. I’d rather wheeze.”
“BOYS! WILL YOU LISTEN.”
At this point both Wheezin’ Eddy and Donny looked up at Garth, annoyed.
“What the hell do you WANT?” yelled Donny.
“You have to *wheeeze* yell? We’re just here,” yelled Eddy.
“GET OUT OF THE WAY!” yelled Garth.
Donny now saw that the rope holding up the winch was unravelling, causing the platform to tip precariously. The rope snapped, dropping the full load of stones to where they were both standing. Donny shoved Wheezin’ Eddy, knocking him to the ground far away, then he squeezed himself against the nearby wall, hoping that at least most of the rocks might miss him. Stones began to smash against his back, shoulders, and the arms he held up to cover his head. Everything hurt at a level of pain he had never experienced before. Every bone inside of him must have been snapping or crushing.
Then suddenly, it was over. The shock to his body was replaced by a firm and steady pressure. He heard voices calling to him.
“Someone help! I tried to warn them. I’m so sorry, lad. Please someone! Help!”
Don’t worry, Garth. It was my fault. You’re a good guy, always remember that.
“You two! Over here! Move the stones away slowly.”
Good old Ashelyn. Rallying the people. A Che Gueverra of medieval fantasy. Will you say something at my funeral too?
“He *wheeze* saved my *wheeze* life!”
God damnit. Fuck you Eddy.
Donny felt a little bit of weight leave his chest just as some stones covering his view were rolled away, revealing a dust covered Ashelyn, wearing a scared expression on her face.
“Hey,” she managed to say, “Are you okay?”
Donny stared back at her incredulously.
“I am buried in rocks. What you think I’m gonna say? Oh yea, Ash, shit’s hella comfy?”
Ashelyn’s face immediately soured. She picked up a hand sized stone and dropped it on Donny’s head.
“He’s fine,” she said as she ignored Donny’s yelp of pain and turned to the two others helping her. “Let’s get him out of here before he complains any more.”
Ashelyn had some training as a mage, and with the help of an herbalist in the same labor team, learned a few things about healing and was able to apply some of her minor spells to help heal and recover the injured. After pulling him free of the rocks and sitting to the side, she inspected Donny as she moved her hands slowly around his body. Her palms began to glow a light blue color, and Donny could feel refreshing cold pass wherever her hands were near.
“It doesn’t look like you broke anything,” she said finally, “You got away really lucky. The rocks must have just grazed you.”
Donny nodded, but he had his doubts.
Felt like I got hit dead at least a couple times. I should be busted up a lot more than I am, I’m sure of it.
The next day he felt pretty good too. There wasn’t as much as a bruise on him.
Maybe it was the magic first aid? I’ve seen her do wonders for the others. But still, I know its magic but it's not that magic. There’s got to be more to it.
The thought that he should be more injured - or dead - kept bothering him. Donny felt that more than just luck played a hand. He kept going back to the same idea.
What else from the game transferred over here?