Military men are always prepared_Origin

Normal day, normal life, normal me. That wasn’t really my ambition, but it was an outcome I was willing to accept. I had come back from war, changed. I had taken lives of both guilty and innocent. Others try to convince themselves that they didn’t have a choice, their country made them, or all other sorts of things, but I knew that the choice I made rest solely on my shoulders. I could have deserted and not followed my wretched orders, but I knew that would get me killed down the line. So, I killed the enemies. I decided between my life and theirs, and chose to keep mine. I’m not proud of it, but I will live with it.

When I came back at age twenty-three, I had been gone 5 years. I had been drafted the moment I turned 18. I am now 25, and have been trying to suppress the animalistic side of me that the military likes to uncover on their soldiers. I try to live normally, but things can never quite be the same.

I’ve accepted it though, and I will continue towards normalcy as best I can.

I open my eyes and look at my ceiling fan, making an annoying little sound. I groan as I realize it’s Saturday and I have nothing to occupy myself with. Rolling out of bed, I walk to the bathroom bleary-eyed, still wiping away the goop that tried to seal my eyes shut last night.

I walk into the bathroom and stare into my reflection on the mirror, a bit proud of myself for my body. With nothing to occupy myself with the last few years, I have taken up body-building. Not like I compete, but I would consider myself aesthetic. I was lean, about 180 pounds, 6 foot 1 inches, but I was pretty strong.

I sigh and pick up my razor, and begin shaving my face. I look into the mirror, then a box pops up.

*In twenty-four hours, all earth inhabitants will be transported to Origin, the Beginning World of all new integrations. You will only be transported to Origin with the items on your person at time of transportation, and you will be given a guide to spearhead the journey of earth. Good luck.

“What the fuck?” I ask myself. What does that even mean? I must have imagined it. That war really fucked with my head in some wierd ways. I finish shaving and walk out of my bathroom naked. I grab some gym clothes and my gym bag and head out of my room. I walk into the kitchen at the end of the hall and open the fridge to grab my meal.

I heat up the chicken, rice, and broccoli while I grab my protein to go to the gym. As I am about to walk through the door, my phone rings. I pick it up and it says my mom is calling.

“Mom? Whats up, I was just abo-” My mom cuts me off before I can finish.

“Son, did you see the message earlier?! Honey, you need to get home, now! Look at the news!” Mom practically screams at me. What should I do? Was that stuff really just in my head? It must not have been. If what it said really was true, then I should begin preparing for whatever is to come on this place called “Origin”.

“Mom, calm down. Remember the emergency supply bag I had you keep? Grab that and huddle together with dad and jake. I can’t make it to y’all in time, so you’re going to have to fend for yourself. I’m sorry,” I try to reason with my mother. I moved far away from my parents because I couldn’t always keep up the mask of an 18 year old me. So I moved just far enough away that I could visit easily, but not regularly.

My mom seems to calm down a little when she hears me being calm. “Alright, but what about you? Who is going to take care of you?” She interrogates me. I sigh.

“Mom, I can take care of myself. I need to prepare and so do you. In case I don’t see or hear from you again soon… I love you, and be safe, okay?” I can’t waste either of our time with needless talk. It might be a bit cold, but you don’t mess around when time is so short and so important.

“Okay, I love you too, Franz. Just… Don’t do anything rash, okay? Please, I need to know you’ll be careful,” My mom begs. I feel so bad about what I just did, but we need time.

“I promise, mom. I’ll take care of myself. Just take care of yourself,” I demand. I need to know that they will take care of themselves.

“Alright, Franz, we need to prepare, I’ll call you an hour before we have to leave, alright?” I was surprised she would bring it up, but I had been drilling them on what to do in case of emergencies.

“Okay mom, I’ll talk to you then.” I hang up so we don’t keep going back and forth. Alright, Franz, focus. Gather the supplies.

I walk through my apartment to my room and reach underneath my bed, then reach under my bed and grab a big canvas duffle bag. I shoved some extra clothes and some food into the bag for later. In the bag, I had put a combat knife, a utility knife, a canteen, 3 packs of purified water, 3 packs of dried biscuits and jerky, an emergency blanket, a cot, and a straight razor. I threw in some food that would expire in a few days so I could eat it before wasting the dried goods.

After sorting the bag, I throw it over my shoulder and head into the bathroom. Past the bathroom is my armory. It doesn’t have much, but it has a pistol, a rifle, and a lot of medieval weapons. I had always loved cold weapons, but I only started collecting them recently.

I am embarrassed to say, but I don’t know how to use any weapon other than a rapier. I had done fencing, but never learned to use the other weapons I collected. My collection of cold weapons is almost all quality weapons. I learned after my first two purchases that the crappy stuff that you can buy for a couple hundred dollars is most likely cast forged and made of mild steel.

I grab a few straps and a belt and put them on, then I put a gladius in the sheath at my left hip. I grab a halberd and strap it to my back, along with a bow. I grab some arrows and fill the quiver on my right hip. It isn’t too full so the arrows didn’t get caught on other arrows on the way out.

After sorting those out, I throw the pistol and rifle into the bag and walk over to the shelf filled with ammo. Holding the bag open, I sweep all the ammunition into the bag. By now, the bag is really heavy, but you can always drop stuff you don’t need. I might not need as much food depending on where I’m going.

I walk out of my room and walk to the door out of my apartment. I’d bet every person on earth is panicking right now except those who have been trained to be ready for anything all the time. I peek through the hole and see people flooding the hall, frantically trying to leave and enter. Not my problem.

I turn around and head to my bed. I set my stuff down and then try to focus on the announcement that came earlier. I was hoping maybe I could read it again, because I was pretty groggy this morning. Surprisingly, it worked.

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

What? I didn’t see that earlier! Oh God, people are already massively panicking. Immediately, I pick up my phone and call my mom.

The phone keeps ringing… and ringing, and ringing, until I realize something is wrong. I rush to the door of my apartment and look out. It’s completely still outside, not a person in sight.

I rush out of my door with all my stuff and run to the window. Holy shit… Outside, a massive figure is standing. The humanoid thing's head is literally in the clouds. When I see it, the creature's enormous head turns to me scarily fast. It reaches up and beckons me with a crooked finger. I feel like I just dry-heaved but I don’t have time to care. I’m nowhere near where I was just a second ago, I’m now standing on the creature's palm.

Oh God, why am I the only one here?! What the hell!!! Wait… it occurs to me that two hours have passed, but I’m still here. Nobody else is though, so… that must mean I’m the only one here right now.

Interesting… What is your name, young man? It was many millennia ago that I last ran into another Shepherd. Ahhh, you have no knowledge of anything related to the Chain. You are the pioneer of a new link, after all. Hehe, nevermind, you needn’t introduce yourself, we will meet soon anyway. Hmm, I now recall that you Shepherds require a special gate to enter Origin. I will summon it for you now.

HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FU- Before I can fully express my disbelief to myself, the giant waves its hand that doesn’t hold me. Holy crap, it just summoned a portal with a wave… I have to know what this thing is.

Hehehe, you need not ask, for I… am a God. Not a thing. You will meet me again soon, so I will explain when we have time, mortal. For now, you should experience the orientation like all the others of your kind. I am in charge of making your world fit to join the chain, so I should get back to work. So long, Shepherd.

What the- again, no time to think. The stupid giant tosses me at mach 3 into the portal. I have no clue how the hell I didn’t die from going that fast, but I would say something like a God could make it happen. When I cross the portal, nothing. No senses, no nothing. Just my thoughts.

I began to feel chills running down my spine. What the fuck is happening? What is a God doing here? Why did he call me a shepherd? Ughhhhhh. My head is hurting, and not the kind from nerves, just the conscious pain.

After what feels like hours, I suddenly regain all faculties as I appear in a white room. Across from me is a miniature version of the God from earlier. I flinch seeing it. Why is it here now?!

“Ummm, hello? What, uhh, what is going on right now? Can you please explain?” I ask the white silhouette. It sits perfectly straight, staring right at me.

Greetings, Shepherd. I am the Handler of New Links, and I am the guide that assists all the residents of the new universes to grasp the situation as well as making good decisions. You are able to see me directly as you are the Shepherd, but that will only be important later. Right now, you need to make the same decisions as all the other Earthlings.

Again, he called me a Shepherd. I can’t let the small things bother me right now, focus, Franz.

“So, what am I supposed to do now?” I have no clue what he wanted me to do. He just stares at me.

Ahhh, yes. I forgot, you don’t have the automated version of me. Apologies. Let me start from the beginning. You are being transported to Origin right now, and you are nowhere near strong enough to even kill the weakest of creatures there right now. But, now that you are a part of the Chain, you have access to the W.I.P., also known as the world influence panel. You can gain strength by absorbing XP. XP is gained when you kill something stronger than you, create something, or when you perform tasks.

Hmm. I can get stronger just by doing things? It can’t be that simple. “It seems too easy to get strong. What's the catch?” I ask.

I tell no lies, Shepherd. It really is that simple. But it is not easy. All things strive for experience, and beasts only have one way to do it. Kill. It is also the most profitable way. You have to kill or be killed, whether you hire people to help you by making things for them, or get hired yourself.

Ok, so I’m entering a world of homicidal murder-beasts. Great. One more thing. “Hey, if I’m not strong enough to even kill the weakest thing, how am I going to grow stronger?” I ask. He said crafting was an option, but you had to gain materials and survive long enough to gain enough skill to make something. And I doubt the gods go through all this work just to watch us die in the first day.

A good question, Shepherd, and an even better segway into the next step of this whole process: Class selection. You will be given a shot of XP that is equal to the impact you had on your world in the time you were alive. Hmm, I see you were a soldier. You have killed many, and that will give you a pretty decent amount. But, be warned, Class selection is merely a starting point on your sprawling Path, and your class will evolve.

Ok, so I get a few levels when I enter, and I get to choose a Class. That's nice. “How many levels will I gain, and where would that put me compared to the rest of the humans and the beasts on Origin?” I need to know how careful I need to be.

I have no way of knowing exactly, as Origin protects its new inhabitants from the meddling of gods, but I would say, as you are a Shepherd, you will gain between 10 and 15 levels. You will be the highest level in all of humanity, that I am certain, but not by much. Time grows short, Shepherd. We still need to complete this final process of the integration. Race selection. This can only be done here, when your soul is malleable and receptive to change. You can access the wip to see your options.

“What? But I’m human, I can’t just change my race! I choose human.” I’ve been a human my whole life, how can I change now? That would be foolish.

I have to explain every time… Look, Shepherd, humans aren’t a real Race. They are what is known as a Seedling race. That means humans are like unmorphed clay, waiting to be turned into something. You can become any race you want, which is a boon you will only understand when you come upon it. Now, Shepherd, be swift, you don’t have much time left here. You have an hour.

Suddenly, the god disappears before I can ask questions. What? A seedling race? Are there no humans out there? Before I can ponder more, the god appears again.

How am I, a god, so forgetful? Apologies, Shepherd, I forgot to mention, whatever race you choose will become the race of your entire planet. Keep that in mind when choosing.

Poof, gone before I can yell at him again. Thats getting on my nerves. But, really, he neglected to say that earlier? That’s huge! The future of humanity rests on my shoulders to a certain degree!

Well… no use wasting time. Lets see my options… Race selection!

*Race selection procedures beginning… Ding, procedures complete, please select a race, Shepherd: Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Fae, Warg, Dragonkin, Dragon, Merman…

The list goes on, and on, and on… and on and on and on. Good god, there are a lot of options. I can become anything from an amoeba, to a friggin dragon! I’m definitely not going to choose anything smaller than I am now, so… I’m cut off because as soon as I don’t want anything smaller than I was, all options that were smaller than me disappeared.

Hmm, so I can filter out options. That’s handy. Lets look at… Dragonkin.

*Dragonkin: A race born between an elf and a dragon. They possess twice the magical abilities of an elf, but have rather weak physical abilities.

Racial skills: Scale skin, flight, lesser dragons breath, call to arms

Damn. I expected something a little more physically attuned. I guess the dragonkin didn’t inherit the physical strength of a dragon, but only took the magical aptitudes of their parents and created a synergy, resulting in ridiculous magical abilities.

I continue scrolling through options, eliminating different categories of Races. I eliminate anything with a strict path forward, only one elemental affinity, or something that makes you of lesser intelligence. Soon, I narrow my choices down to three things.

*Panfoma: A race of birdfolk. Born between a roc and an elf. Highly variable race. Can live on the ground, and can inhabit the skies with the Panfoma exclusive Roosts. Panfoma can pick a path, but once they embark it, they must see it to completion.

Racial skills: Flight, Talon Hardening, Resolve of the Endless Sky, Roost, Keen

*Demon Sapling: A highly variable demon. Can traverse many paths, all except the holy path.

Racial skills: Essence absorption, Essence Evolution, Infinite paths, Demonic aura.

*Druid: A race of indeterminable variance. All druids start as an elf-like creature, but can begin to vary their form after level 20. A druid starts with 1 animal incarnation, but can obtain more after level 20.

Racial skills: Infinite paths, Natures beacon, Beast bond, druidic bond, Call to Nature.

Uhgggg. I can’t decide… I only have 30 minutes now. I’ve gotta decide quickly.

Military men are always prepared

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