A wobbling figure could be seen through the lush treetops. Walking forward step by step all the while leaving behind a bloody trail. If one were to smell it, they would be surprised to learn that it left behind no sweet smell one would expect of blood.

Nick seeing as there wasn't anything threatening his life, he stopped walking and leaned against the nearby tree for support.

"That cunt did quite a number on me." He said between the sharp breathing that accompanied each word.

On his way he made sure to bandage his stump properly. Yet the pain still came as he was far enough from the python.

He was currently on top of one of the small hills that were all over the area. From his view he could see the rising sun.

"How likely is it that I'm going to die?" He spoke through his light-headedness. Wondering if the voice he has been hearing was nothing, but an imagination.

[Hundred percent as everything and everyone will return to oblivion.]

"That's some pretty shitty outlook on life."

[You're the one to say.]

Just then a loud hiss broke the atmosphere. Turning around Nick could see the python looking at him without breaking eye contact. What a polite python.

Perhaps Nick didn't think so and turned his head right back around taking in the view. Waiting for the inevitable.

It wasn't a bad place to die by any means. The view was gorgeous with trees as far as eye could see while in the distance could be seen a grand mountain.

But fate had opened a door for him. It was but for him to decide if he wishes to take it. Or die on a quiet hill, with even his remains being swallowed by a python.

A portal opened twenty meters from him. It radiated red energy, the grass around it was being withered down until it died and then it somehow appeared once again healthy.

Nick ignored his wobbly hands and the approaching feeling of doom he felt. He walked forward step by step until as he was but a few meters away the hiss of the python.

He couldn't dodge even if he tried. So, he threw himself face first into the ground. It saved him from the fate of being swallowed.

Yet it still wasn't over as the massive weight of the python weighted down on him. He crawled forward, inching closer until his fingertips touched it.

*

Waking up on the cold hard floor was the only relief from him. He lifted up his head from the pool of blood that formed underneath him to see a gate in front of him.

On it were engraved runes of some kind. They were unreadable for him, but gave him a feeling of power as if challenging whoever gazed upon them.

"Telno, do you know anything about the runes or where I am?"

[I do.] She said taking a pause as if trying to take it all in. [You're at the gate of the dead. As for the runes nobody knows what they mean or how they are formed.]

"What does that mean for me? Am I dead or what?" Nick said as sat on the ground and felt his missing arm hurting. Yet he didn't feel the usual light-headedness he got used to for the last four hours in the forest.

[Check your health interface and see for yourself what is your state. If it's dead or alive.]

Looking in the corner of his eye he saw the usual green bar to be black without an ounce of colour. He brought it forward and expanded the window.

It showed his whole status to him. Missing arm broken bones throughout the whole body, while cuts across his body were few the same thing couldn't be said for his organs. They had tears in different places, while one of his lungs looked to be close to collapse.

"Healthy as a fish. I'll say, nothing a few stretches wouldn't fix."

[You're effectively more dead than alive. Or in other words. You're teetering at the edge of your life a light blow of wind and you'll be dead.]

"Then what do I do. Wait here to die. I could have done that outside where I had a nice view."

[That's kind of your problem. But the only advice I can give you is to go through the door. After you go through, I won't be able to contact you in any way.

As for what's behind, nobody really knows. As nobody made it out.] She said sounding more uncaring by the second.

"Thanks, for the motivation and whole lot of nothing you said." He said and started crawling towards the door. He had smirk on his face, looking forward to what'll kill him.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

[It probably will be a face off against something.]

He went pushed the door open with relative ease. The first thing that hit him was the strong smell of blood in the air and then the sight of the dust that was all over the ground. While in some place’s bones were sticking out from the ground.

It littered the whole room? It was no room it looked to be a whole world without anything living. The distant areas weren't occupied by no fields of wheat, but of weapons. Spears and swords without orders pointing towards the cloudy sky from which dust was falling, threatening to swallow what happened here.

There was light here yet no sun. The sole source of light were the shattered fragments and rocks that were overheated. They roasted all around the planet keeping a semblance of a light.

In the middle of all of this Nick laid on the ground. He took it all in before looking at one of the weapons that was before him. A dull dagger crossed with a short sword.

Right then and there a hooded silhouette of a man took them from the ground he looked at his weapons as if reminiscing before pinning his sight at Nick.

[Carrier of Chaos] was simply on top of the figure.

The Carrier did a slight bow as to acknowledge Nick before rushing at him. Seeing that Nick tried getting up from the ground which he managed even through the pain.

They both clashed their daggers against each other. Thought the Carrier was doing a follow up attack with the sword trying to pierce Nick's stomach.

Yet Nick expected being at a disadvantage he pushed his body forward crashing into the Carrier, effectively cancelling the attack. As he was swinging his dagger about to pierce the Carrier, trying to take him down while suffering the same fate.

That ending didn't arrive, because as his dagger touched the Carrier's back it sizzled into the ground. The next thing he felt was an excruciating pain as a short sword sticked out from his neck.

He started gurgling on his own blood, coughing just worsened it as the blood started sleeping into his lungs.

The Carrier spun him around and removed the hood that covered his face. Yet Nick saw nothing of a face, just an orb roaring in the place of the head. As some kind of energy seeped from it.

Visions appeared in front of him. Feelings seeped into him that he couldn't process fast enough. Memories that weren't his wreaked havoc on the inside. Pain overwhelmed his mind as he started spasming on the ground.

He laid there on the ground light leaving his eyes as he looked to the skies above. Yet the end he waited for never came.

*

After a fair bit of time passed Nick opened his eyes looking at the familiar grey sky above. He felt his throat with feeling there no sword or hole. Air filled his lungs as he drew in air, full of dust and decadence. It felt as the sweetest nectar.

Touching his face with his hand brought a thin layer of dust off. Yet it did nothing to quell the mess of emotions and memories he got behind.

Feeling himself all right he turned himself back to the ground below.

There he saw the familiar dagger and short sword still crossed, sticking out from the ground. He didn't have much time to think about what happened as the familiar figure once again drew the weapons.

What greeted Nick was the same fate as the last time. Yet this time he let it take its course.

He cleaned the dust off of him once again.

"I'm fucked, aren't I?" He started cackling to himself, for kilometres sounding his laugh. Disrupting the light blowing off dust.

"At least I can access the system."

[Name: Nick Willson

Race: Human (Bronze)

Main:

Body: 6(Bronze)

Mind: 6 (Bronze)

Chaos: 3

Skills:

Movement: 1

---Stealth: 20% ( No smell )

---Parkour: 15% ( Fool's escape )

Weapon prowess: 1

---Bladed: 22%

---Improvised weapon: 5%

Affinities: 0

---Mana: 8% -(Mana discharge)

---Fire:0%

Traits 2/3: Flexible, Strength overdraw]

"This doesn't seem to be the same."

"No matter, at least I can inspect my stats."

He paid it no more mind as he stood up. Looking around himself he picked a direction and started walking.

*

He walked perhaps for kilometres. Lack of food, water or sleep not giving him a problem as his body seemed to not feel such burdens.

His body was aching being the sole reminder of any kind of feeling he got. The memories and emotions he got long since consumed by him.

In the middle of his stride, he stopped seeing two figures in the distance. He came towards them to see two abominations with human like features battling against each other. A particular fact about them was they weren't looking at each other. They were looking to the sky as they battled.

They were abominations by the fact that muscles were growing from all around their bodies and bones. One of them had a dragon's mouth embedded in his stomach while the other had spikes all around his body. The spikes were shooting out piercing the body of the dragon kin.

But it was decided from the start how it'll end. In the end the dragon kin abomination sprayed flames, frying him. Before it started devouring him.

Nick was looking on through the whole process wondering what's this all about.

He saw the abomination perk up as if sensing for something. Seeing that rather than leaving it to chance he started backing off before it was too late.

Yet it already was as it rushed at him. He felt unprecedented aura bearing down on him. His knees gave up and he went tumbling to the ground.

Back against a giant sword he felt his life about to end as he watched the mouth of the dragon before him.

Nick pushed himself further into the ground and as it was about to attack it stopped. He was sunk in thick layer of dust as the abomination sniffed around.

He saw that the dragon's eyes were missing, having been ripped out some time ago. He watched as the abomination sure of someone being in the area, paced around trashing the place.

After a few minutes, not finding anything it started going away. Just then a soft sneeze was heard.

It turned around and looked at him. It started trashing the place, not focusing on anything in particular.

Nick saw as some kind of energy was chasing it around. It was leaving behind cuts on it that seemed illusory with no blood leaking out, just some dust. It all ended with a big cloud of dust as the abomination came tumbling down towards the ground.

Laying there, Nick came to a decision. He clenched his dagger and walked over. The abomination was laying there unconscious, dust settling on its body.

Nick brought his dagger to its neck about to end its miserable life. When it opened its eyes, they focused on Nick. Enraged it tried throwing him off, but he already plunged his dagger through its neck.

Nick watched as the abomination brought its raised hand and pulled the dagger out. It tried plugging the hole with its hands, but it was futile struggle as blood flowed down it's lungs.

It died just like that gurgling on its own blood. Killed by a mere nobody.