Death. They say you’ll see a peaceful light guiding you to heaven—yeah, that’s not how it went for me. What I got was pain. A whole lot of pain, a murky swamp, and a monstrous body.

As it happened, I was fighting a five-alarm factory fire with my mates from the fire station. Things were going well—until a flash of light blinded me. The shockwave hit a heartbeat later like a punch to the soul. Searing pain ripped through me, and then I was falling.

The tumbling plunge ended with a bone-jarring splat as I collided with the swamp’s surface. The green carpet of algae did little to cushion the blow. Panic, and water engulfed me. Pain throbbed down the side of my body. I clawed and kicked my way up, and even as I broke the surface I struggled to breathe.

I whipped my head from side to side looking for land. I found it among the cat-tails and dead trees, a short distance away. A pair of eyes popped up above the water in the distance, and I froze.

Gators? What the hell!

I didn’t recall seeing a swamp near the factory, and there were absolutely no gators in Maine. The yellow eyes turned in my direction. I bolted for land a dozen yards out, swimming as fast I could. Adrenaline coursed through my veins; my heart thumped in my ears.

Within arms’ reach of the shore, I clambered up to my feet and moved through a thicket of cattails, sloshing through muck and filth. The musty scent of damp earth and rotting vegetation filled my nostrils. Birds chirped, frogs croaked in the distance, while insects buzzed in my ear.

I broke through the tall vegetation into a clearing with a sight of ruins, a short distance ahead of me. They rose from the mire like a forsaken sentinel. The once-grand walls were now weathered and eroded by time. Vines and moss clung to the decrepit stone. Cracked archways and crumbling pillars hinted at its former grandeur.

A subtle rustling in the vegetation set my nerves on edge, warning me of lurking danger in the water. Instinct took over, and I bolted away from the water’s edge, sprinting toward the shadowy refuge of the ruins without a second thought.

I entered through a gap in the outer wall into a courtyard. Inside, trees grew out of the rubble, jostling for space. Moss covered the walls of rough-cut stone. No doubt this place was infested with vermin, and snakes maybe? I scanned the surroundings, straining to listen, but the swamp offered little beyond the rhythmic croaking of frogs and buzzing insects. Even so, my own heartbeat thundered in my ears, quick and unrelenting.

Though the gators remained hidden, I thought I could smell them—a rotten scent of carrion, lingering just beyond sight. Stranger still, all my senses seemed sharper, keener, like those of a predator on high alert. 

Wanting to get a better view of the area, in the courtyard, I found a tree, thick and full of wide limbs within easy reach. I reached to grab it, and that’s when I noticed something deeply unsettling—my hands were clawed, sharp and animalistic, and my feet were no different.

In stunned disbelief, I examined myself. My hands brushed over a pair of imposing horns now crowning my head, their unfamiliar weight making it sway awkwardly with every movement. Adding to the strangeness, I discovered I had bat-like ears, twitching at sounds I wasn’t used to hearing so acutely.

A tail swished behind me, brushing the ground. To my surprise, I could move it, each flick and sway responding as if it had always been a part of me. I ran my tongue over my teeth, now sharp and predatory. Strange, arcane symbols adorned the fronts of my forearms. Yet, most unsettling of all was the gray, scaled hide that now covered me, a rough and alien armor replacing my once-human skin. Whatever crawled out of that water wasn’t me. Maybe in mind and spirit, but certainly not in body.

I staggered, my breath shallow, my vision blurring as panic clawed at the edges of my mind. This isn’t real. It couldn’t be. For a long minute, I stared at my clawed hands, hoping for some sign that this was a nightmare I could wake from. But nothing changed. I was still here, this wasn’t a dream, and I was still … a monster?

"How?" I whispered. "How did this happen?"

A cold wind tore through the ruins, cutting through the protection of my scaled hide, snapping me back to the present. The cold was a harsh reminder—I was wearing nothing but drenched, tattered pants. Standing still wasn’t an option; I needed to move, I needed to find shelter.

My clawed hands gripped the rough bark of a nearby tree, and with surprising ease, I scaled it. Reaching the top, I crouched low, my claws finding purchase on the wide stone wall. From this high vantage point, I gazed out over the swampy expanse, the eerie landscape sprawling endlessly under the fading light. The swamp was still. Not a ripple in the murky water, not even the faintest splash to betray the presence of the gators. Their absence, rather than reassuring, left me on edge. 

In the direction I had arrived from, past the trampled reeds, and the water, I saw an uncanny black wall. It spanned from left to right as far as my eye could see.

Was that where I fell out from?

I looked up, attempting to measure its height, and my gaze drifted higher until I was staring into the sky. Before me, the sheer wall of polished darkness reflected the red and orange of the setting sun. The wall rose up out of the swamp as if land was folded upright, piercing the clouds that had piled up against it. A flat, endless plane. I felt like an ant before a skyscraper.

Where the hell am I?

The sun was setting to the west, while this strange black wall was to the east. Aside from that, I couldn’t see far past the tall trees as it was nothing but swamp. 

“Not good,” I muttered.

Movement caught my eye. A short distance away, a small moss-covered island in the middle of the water shuddered. It sent ripples over the serene surface. It moved, cutting through the green carpet on top of the water. A head popped up and then the rest of the body emerged.

A turtle?

I ducked low and held my breath. The gigantic monster lumbered over a strip of land, dove back in and vanished under the surface. The monster had to be the size of a school bus.

My jaw dropped as I spotted more of the same islands scattered about the swamp. Swimming in this place was out of the question, and even walking would be risky. In fact, these ruins wouldn’t be enough of a defense if something that size decided to ram through it. 

I desperately searched for any signs of civilization, maybe a road, power lines or a building, but saw none. Then I spotted something to the south. Was it the evening light playing tricks, or a wisp of smoke? It was hard to tell, but it was well worth checking out. I wished I had a map, or some clue as to where I was.

Suddenly, an image blinked into my vision, expanded out. Startled, I nearly lost my footing as I tried swatting it away. The intruder vanished, and I was left confused. It looked like a…a map? 

The image returned, and I gawked. It was a map, but how was I seeing it? I stared at the image that showed the swamp, much like a Rorschach pattern of land, ponds and streams. Other ruins scattered about the area were of different sizes and shapes. Maybe I could follow them from one to the next? They would provide a bit of cover, and a place to hide. I thought about zooming out and the map did exactly that, revealing more of the swamp. I tried again, and it only zoomed out one additional time, but it was enough to show what I needed. Fields, huts, and a wall to the south past the swamp.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

A village!

That’s when I noticed an ‘!’ icon blinking in the corner of my vision next to the map. I concentrated on it, and it moved to the center to open as a semi-transparent dialog window.

* Error: Race #25490 is unrecognized. 

What could it mean? I swatted at it with my hand and it vanished, but a nagging thought remained. Could this strange world be like a video game? Would it mean that I should check for a status- .. my thought was interrupted as a screen of blue and white sprung up, blocking my vision. I stopped and stared at it for an entire minute.

* Name: Kevin Coleman; Race: [Drakon-Human-25490]

* Age: 23; Height: 6’7”; Weight: 270lb

* Level: 0; Experience: -|--------

* Skill points: 0

* Passive points: 0 

* Evolution points: 0

* Attribute points: 0

* HP: 3580/3580

* MP: 3460/3460

* MP Regen: 34.60/min [Base: 1% / min]

* Str: 366 (base: 135) (Drakon’s Hoard: +231) 

* Agi: 351 (base: 120) (Drakon’s Hoard: +231)

* Con: 358 (base: 127) (Drakon’s Hoard: +231)

* Per: 345 (base: 114) (Drakon’s Hoard: +231)

* Wil: 346 (base: 115) (Drakon’s Hoard: +231)

* Profession: Cartographer

* Skills 2/12: [t1] Power Shot, [t1] Steel Trap

* Passives 0/12:

* Racials: Drakon’s Hoard, Versatile, Keen Eye

The display correctly showed my name and age, but the listed height and weight were far higher than they should have been. It didn’t shock me, given my unnatural nature. However, seeing my Status Screen left me with no doubt—this world functioned through a system of magic akin to a video game. I wasn’t sure how to process this revelation, despite my familiarity with RPGs.

The attributes appeared to be quite high, if one assumed 100 to be average. Constitution had to do with HPs, I could see that from the amount of HPs I had, and similarly with Will affecting mana. The [Cartographer] profession accounted for the map that I could summon up at will. 

I mentally selected the skills and their descriptions appeared.

* [t1] Power Shot [Projectile] [Attack] [Physical] [AOE]

* Empowers a projectile

* Requires a projectile weapon (e.g. Bow, Wand, Javelin, Sling, Thrown Daggers, etc.) 

* Cost: 35 mana

* Affected by [Strength] and [Agility]

* [t1] Steel Trap [Trap] [Physical] [Duration]

* Immobilizes a target

* Cost: 80 mana

* Cast time: 1 second

* Duration: 5 seconds

* Expires after: 3 minutes

* Range: 3 feet

* Limit: 3

* Affected by [Strength] and [Will]

I quickly scanned the text, a grin spreading across my face. A sense of hope and empowerment washed over me. Maybe I’ll make it out of this swamp after all. However, I didn’t have any of the listed ranged weapons for [Power Shot.] A bow would be amazing as I had some practice in bow hunting, but maybe a simple rock would do the trick? 

I climbed down to the courtyard and picked out a good sized rock to test [Power Shot.] I threw it, but nothing happened. Did I need to yell out the name of the ability every time I used it, like in shonen anime? That always seemed absolutely stupid to me. Almost as stupid as explaining your powers to the enemy before fighting to the death. 

Perhaps simply focusing on [Power Shot] while throwing the rock would work? I grabbed another and tried again. A burst of light erupted, followed by a deep, resonating boom as the rock shot from my hand. The shockwave rattled my hand, traveled up my arm, and settled in my shoulder, leaving a lingering chill in my chest. The rock struck the wall with a thunderous impact, sending shards of debris flying in all directions. As a result, a portion of the wall crumbled to the ground.

Was it because the impact was so powerful, or was the wall on its last leg? I wanted to try again, but an alarm went off in my head. Something felt wrong, and I could smell it—the faint scent of carrion was getting stronger, closer.

I scampered up a nearby tree in an instant and looked around. Nothing stirred in the courtyard. I stayed still, and listened intently. What I didn’t hear was the croaking of frogs. Then, a distinct gurgling, hissing sound pierced the silence. It came from outside the wall to the east, in the direction of the ominous black wall.

Gators couldn’t climb up, so I felt safe. Unless in this world of gigantic turtles, and magic, those gators were something else entirely? Do I hide, or do I act? I had the advantage of a higher ground, maybe I could ambush them? First, I’d need to know what I was up against. 

A sudden growl from below caught me off guard, and I nearly lost my footing on the tree. My senses sharpened as a vicious face emerged from below me, glaring up at me. It was a grotesque hybrid—mostly lizard, some fish. Its mouth, filled with jagged teeth, snarled menacingly.

What the-

How the hell did it manage to sneak up on me? 

Light glistened over its shiny green scales. Bulging eyes wobbled over the top of its head on twig-like stalks. It had to be them – the eyeballs I saw in the water.  It jumped up and down on its stubby legs, arms raised high. Did it think it could reach me with its clawed hands?

A window popped up in my vision.

* [t1] Merman [Gray]

It had to be my [Keen Eye] racial, but I wasn’t entirely sure what [Gray] meant. Maybe its threat level? I had seen that before in an RPG.

The damn thing kept on growling and hissing at me, and soon, more emerged out of the water. They came in all sorts of sizes, one was as big as a bear. A dozen of them filled the courtyard.

Death awaited below. They’d tear me to pieces in seconds. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the bastards started throwing rocks. Thankfully, the thumbless brutes had terrible aim, but they made up for it in quantity. One tried to climb the same tree as I did, but didn’t even get his feet off the ground. Their finned feet weren’t made for walking, let alone climbing. 

I wasn’t going to take this abuse sitting down, not from these aquatic neanderthals. I caught a bunch of the rocks they were throwing at me, filling the pockets of my pants. Next, I formed an intention of using [Steel Trap] and a frisbee-like object materialized in my hand. The steel disk felt smooth and cold in my hands. I chucked right at their feet, and watched eagerly.

The disk clattered to the ground, its gray color blending in with the surrounding rubble. For a moment, nothing happened, and even the savages fell silent as they stared at it. One of them got too curious and moved closer. With a metallic click the trap sprung open to a massive bear trap the size of a serving platter. It lashed out and snapped around the curious brute.

The victim tried to run, but it was useless. The trap wasn’t any ordinary bear trap I’d seen before. A yard-long steel chain had materialized from the jaws down to the anchoring point on the ground. It screamed and thrashed in agony, but that only made other merman converge on it. They pounced on the hapless thing, tore it to shreds in seconds. Its screams were short lived. Blood and guts sprayed out, covering the ground. The stench of it rose up, and I gagged.

Eighteen of them crowded the courtyard, and maybe more were hiding outside the walls in the water or the reeds. I checked my mana and it looked like I had plenty to take them all out.

After their snack, the lizards hushed down, narrowed their eyes up at me. They had no idea what was about to happen to them.

I grinned. “Line up, boys.”

Taking out a rock from my pocket, I hurled it at the largest, fattest merman, aiming for its head. Charged with [Power Shot], the rock exploded with a flash of light and a deafening crack, sending the mass of them into a frenzy. An ‘Experience gained’ message scrolled past as the fat, but now headless merman keeled over and crashed to the ground. The rest bolted out of the courtyard.

Many stumbled and fell in their desperate attempt to flee. I didn’t stop after the first stone hit its mark; I kept hurling every rock I could find. Some missed, but those that connected were lethal, sending waves of satisfaction with every impact. Experience notifications rolled in steadily. More of them died, and I relished it. That’d teach them to attack me.

With nothing more to throw, I scanned the courtyard. It was eerily still, save for the sound of splashing water as the mermen retreated to safety. The scene before me was a grisly mess of torn flesh and scattered remains, the ground slick with blood. A peculiar blend of disbelief and grim satisfaction washed over me. 

I had survived.

Now, it was time to find that village.