The light coming from his bedroom window was as gray and wispy as the void he’d just dreamed up.
When Grant had gone to sleep, it was an average southern day in late November. Now it looked like he was up north again. Drifts of snow covered everything outside his windows. He couldn’t see his car on the street.
That wasn’t all. He could still see icons on the right side of his vision. The same he’d dreamed of just now. Realization was starting to dawn on him.
Grant Guston (Level 1)
Void Walker
[ 14 ] Health
[ 16 ] Mana
[ 10 ] Stamina
[Status]
[Inventory]
[Party Options]
[Quests]
That was no dream, Grant thought. Things were really fucked up. What was he supposed to do about it? He brought up his quests by focusing on the icon and looked at the list.
Active Quests
Defeat the Frostmaiden I
Defeat the Forstmaiden II
Gain your first level!
Help Dragonpulse
Grant focused on the first Frost Maiden quest and a description popped into view.
Defeat the Frostmaiden I
As you are now, you stand no chance against the powerful might of the frozen anomaly known as the Frost Maiden. Seek out allies that might be able to assist you!
To Complete
One ally must join your party.
Rewards
200 experience
“OK, so I need to find somebody to help me,” Grant said, moving to the window of his office. The panes were completely frosted over and he couldn’t see any real detail outside. Just anyone seems easy enough if everyone got magic. He looked at the second quest he’d gotten.
Defeat the Frostmaiden II
As you are now, you stand no chance against the powerful might of the frozen anomaly known as the Frost Maiden. Even worse, you have no idea where it might be. Find a way to locate the source of the Frost Maiden anomaly on Earth 669.
To Complete
Locate the coordinates or similar location information about the anomaly.
Rewards
700 experience
How the hell was he supposed to locate the anomaly? He’d shelf that for later. Maybe somebody else had the ability to locate the thing. He looked at the quest to help Dragonpulse, the Arbiter or whatever of his Earth.
Help Dragonpulse
69, -27
Error. Unable to locate quest details.
No details. Just coordinates. He didn’t even know how to use coordinates. Was there a map? Maybe there was a map talent. It looked freezing outside and yet he didn’t feel a thing. The Void Resistance skill he had from being a made it so that he didn’t have to worry about changes in temperature.
This might take some getting used to. Video games in real life? This is some crazy isekai nonsense going on right now.
Grant shoved his door open. A feat that was harder than it should have been. The snow was up to his waist and once the door was open it wouldn’t close again. His roommate was going to kill him for letting all this snow in. He was at work at this hour.
How the hell was he supposed to go out in this kind of weather? How could he find anyone? Did he just go door to door asking people about their strange magical power dreams? That felt awkward. Fuck it.
Grant trudged through the snow to the street. He held on to a bent stop-sign to brace against the wind. A truck slid down the street, lights flashing, pushed by the wind. It stopped when it crashed into the dumpster at the end of the street. There was somebody inside!
He focused on getting over there quickly. Purple images of himself appeared in each direction he looked. He was subconsciously trying to activate Void Step to move faster. Grant warped. The cold sensation of his mana leaving his body wasn’t as intense as before, but it still surprised him.
Grant ripped the frozen door handle right off the side of the pickup. He kicked the door. Nothing. He looked in the window and stared in horror. Eyes glazed with ice stared straight ahead. Blue skin, icicles forming around the eyes and nose. Lifeless. Well fuck.
He dropped to the ground and slid backwards. That was horrifying. Was it that cold out? Grant looked at his phone. The real feel temperature was way below freezing. Antarctica levels cold. There was a flashing blizzard warning in effect.
A crashing sound pulled his attention away from his thoughts and his phone. A massive elk was charging down the road. It yeeted cars left and right through the air. Some slammed into houses or snowbanks. The elk itself stood three times Grant’s height and had tendrils of black shadows writhing from its body like a symbiote.
What in the hell is that?” Grant was panicking. Shadow Moose? Warp! Warp! He blinked across the street as the creature slammed into the red truck and the moose swiveled around to look at him.
It lowered its horns and charged. Grant warped again, to the roof of the yellow house across the street from his. The moose plowed through the first floor, easily taking out more than a few walls. It huffed and stamped the ground with its feet as it stared up at Grant on the roof. He was barely out of reach.
Fuck me. Fuck this. This is bullshit. They didn’t say that Polygon 20 was actually the Dark Souls system.
His mana was down to 6 of 20, only enough for one more Void Step. Why did it recharge so damn slow? The moose charged again. Its horns ripped through the roof and Grant leapt off to the side. He tumbled off the tin roof and down a snow drift. His health bar was reduced and the notifications that appeared under his stamina bar indicated he’d taken fall damage.
Grant has avoided Shadow Moose’ charge!
Grant takes 4 fall damage!
This is stupid! Grant ran for it. He wasn’t ready for this! He ran through his apartment door moments before the moose caught up to him. The horns slammed through the stove and appliances around him. He was in the middle, between the worst of it.
The creature couldn’t go any farther, stuck on the frozen cement slab it sat on. Grant immediately withdrew his Void Knife and threw it straight into the face of the beast.
Grant’s Void Knife (thrown) deals 4 (1d4 + Power)
piercing damage plus an additional 5 (1d4 + Magic)
damage to Shadow Moose!
The creature wheeled back, shaking its head furiously. Grant dove into the other half of the kitchen, grabbing at the knife block.
Kitchen Knife, knife, common
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
A plain kitchen knife used for preparing food. Deals 2 - 4 piercing or slashing damage on hit.
Lame, Grant thought. He shouldn’t have thrown the Void Knife. The adrenaline had gotten the best of him. Now he just had 6 regular kitchen knives in his inventory. Another point of mana had returned, taking him to 7 out of 20. Still only enough for one jump.
The moose’s horn slammed through the window towards Grant. No time to think. No time to dodge. With a shake, the horn sent Grant flying through the window and tumbling across the ground. Another 7 points of damage. He was bleeding heavily from the impact and the glass.
The moose was stamping the ground, kicking up snow and debris as it prepared to charge him again. Grant pulled a health potion from his inventory and scrutinized it.
Healing Potion, potion, uncommon
A magically brewed mixture that heals anyone who drinks it for 5 - 11 Health!
Grant drank the potion. He watched his health rise instantly 9 points, taking him back up to 12. His wounds closed before his very eyes. It was an odd sensation, like his skin was a hoodie to be zipped back up at will. He stood, kitchen knife in hand, facing down the creature the size of a small school bus.
The moose charged. He threw his kitchen knife. 3 damage. The moose didn’t stop. Grant jumped out of the way at the last moment but was still partially caught by one of the horns. He pulled another kitchen knife from his inventory and threw it while the moose reoriented itself. Another 2 points of damage. Did this thing have a weak spot or something?
Grant had a thought. “Here moosey moosey!” He shouted, moving out into the street. The moose charged him again and Grant took off running. There was a power station not too far from his house. The moose was gaining on him.
Faster! Faster! Grant looked back. The moose was right on his tail. He could practically feel the heavy breathing on the back of his neck. He slid between cars and jumped a fence between snow drifts. The moose crashed through everything, barely losing speed.
The power station was within reach. A car flew past Grant and slammed into a tree. One of the tires flew off and hit him, sending him and the tire sliding through the street. Grant activated his last Void Step as the moose slammed his hoof down on the tire. Instant death! The tire exploded and the moose turned.
“Fuck you!” he shouted at the Moose. It charged him. Grant ran like hell between the generators and electrical components. The sound of crackling filled the air and his combat log went crazy.
Shadow Moose takes 14 electric damage from hazard!
Shadow Moose has become restrained!
Shadow Moose takes 12 electric damage from hazard!
Shadow Moose takes 17 electrical damage from hazard!
It had over 70 health. Grant panted, watching the sparks and wires engulf the shadowy creature. It disintegrated. A prompt appeared.
You have defeated Shadow Moose! You have received 900 (base 600 + 50% difficulty modifier) experience points!
You have gained level 2 in Voidwalker! Open your Status to select a new skill!
You have gained level 3 in Voidwalker! Open your Status to select a new skill!
You have earned Rank 2 in the Knives skill! You can now throw two knives at once!
You have unused Talent Points!
You have completed the quest: Gain your First level! You have received an additional 150 experience!
Grant took a moment to take it all in and read every line. Wow. He hadn’t expected the thing to be so strong. This was what Dragonpulse had meant by danger, but the anomaly was supposed to be worse? How could it possibly be worse?
The area around him was desolate. The wind whipped through the streets. Vehicles were stuck in snowbanks, buildings, and were even flipped upside-down. None of the buildings had lights on.
* - - - - - -
Grant trudged across another road, climbing over a fallen lamp post and broken glass. There was a supermarket here. He could get some food, take a break, and check out his status. Maybe. Every place he’d been was the same. Totalled vehicles, death and huge beasts roaming around. He’d been careful not to attract the attention of any.
The door to the grocer was locked and a hand-written sign on the door said they’d closed early for the weather. That didn’t matter. A car had driven through the front of the building. The driver hadn’t survived and was the same as the previous ones he’d seen.
That’s enough dead people for one day, Grant thought begrudgingly as he squeezed his way through the space created by the car. He always thought getting magical powers would be cool and fun. Nothing like this. Fuck this. Nothing about this was fair or balanced or fun.
Grant pillaged the grocery aisles for snacks and drinks, all of which were frozen solid or coated in a layer of frost. He retreated back to a break area with his spoils. One window let in the dull gray light from outside and was just enough to light up the cluttered room.
A stuffed fridge sat in one corner and a wall of coats on the other. The table was a simple plastic table with folding chairs around it. He shrugged and sat down. He pulled up his status and was immediately greeted with a prompt.
Congratulations on attaining level 2 in Voidwalker!
Your health has increased by by 11 (2d6 + Power + Level)
Your mana has increased by 16 (2d8 + Magic + Level)
Your stamina has increased by 7 (2d4 + Spirit + Level)
Please choose a new skill from the following list!
Scan
Stealth
Void Wrap
Grant focused on each of the talents individually. Scan would give him the ability to see the Health, Mana, and Stamina bars of other creatures and humanoids. Not bad. Stealth would help him not be seen. It was pretty straightforward, he thought. Void Wrap was different. It entangled one enemy in void magic and reduced their speed while dealing 4 - 9 void damage each turn while active.
He took Scan. As helpful as stealth could be, knowing the strength of his enemies was also important. The magic would have been nice if he didn’t have to worry about using all his mana with Void Step. Maybe next time.
As soon as he made his selection, another window popped up.
Congratulations on attaining level 3 in Voidwalker! Your connection to the void has deepened. You have gained the Void Mist trait!
Your health has increased by by 9 (2d6 + Power + Level)
Your mana has increased by 15 (2d8 + Magic + Level)
Your stamina has increased by 7 (2d4 + Spirit + Level)
You have 2 attribute points available!
Please choose a new skill from the following list!
Summon Voidling
Alchemy
Void Sight
Grant took a moment to look at each skill’s description in depth. This was life or death now. His talents mattered more than he realized.
Summon Voidling, magic, ranged
Summon a Voidling, a creature who sucks the very warmth from all around it. As a Voidwalker, you are immune to the effects of Voidlings. A summoned Voidling will return to the void after 1 minute and will be friendly to you and your party.
Not very party-friendly, Grant thought. He was supposed to seek out allies after all. If he was the only Voidwalker the others could be attacked. No thanks. He looked to the next skill.
Alchemy, mental, self
You can identify natural materials and have the basic skills to create uncommon potions.
Pretty straightforward, Grant thought, just as expected.
Void Sight, magic, passive
You can always see into the void. You will be able to see invisible creatures in addition to those that make that naturally dwell in the void.
Were invisible creatures going to be a problem? Did he want to see the horrors of the void? He wasn’t interested in those Cthulian vibes he was getting. Nope. Alchemy was the safe choice and he took it.
There was a flashing indicator on his Knives talent. He realized that’s what it meant by he had a talent point available. When he focused on the talent, a talent tree in the shape of a knife appeared. The tip was where his first ability was activated, the ability to throw knives.
The tree branched towards the handle in two directions. To the right along the blade he could use talent points to increase the damage of all knife attacks. The first node, a small circle that wasn’t lit up, would increase his base Knife damage by 1 rank. On the flip side, the back tree of the knife would increase the range and velocity at which he could throw them.
Grant opted for damage now, range later. Once the tree reached the hilt there were more nodes. He couldn’t see what they did yet. You could only see the next node in line on the tree. He backed out of the menu and focused on the attribute part. The prompt said he had two to use. He focused on Magic. The value flashed and increased by 1 point to +4. He focused again and the number increased to +5.
A prompt appeared, a small box confirming the changes.
Confirm attribute selections
Magic +2
Confirm / Back
That was it. He was level three. He brought up his character sheet to see the results of his leveling.
Grant Guston (Level 3)
Voidwalker
Health [34] 2d6 (max at level 1) + POW MOD each level (min 1), + total level)
Mana [51] 2d8 (magic)
Stamina [24] 2d4 (spirit)
Power +1
Spirit +2
Mind +2
Magic +5
Luck +3
Traits
Void Resistance - You take half damage from elemental sources. You are immune to changes in the temperature.
Voidwalker - You can enter or exit the Void and have access to Void Magic Talents.
Void Mist - The wisps of the void help to conceal your presence in dim light or darkness.
Talents
Knives, rank 2
Void Step, rank 1
Scan, rank 1
Alchemy, rank 1