The last of the light finally disappears and my first day in this confusing world comes to an end. A chill unrelated to the temperature runs through me. My memories are firing contradictory instincts. My broken memories are telling me night is dangerous, that horrors await those that stay out. My unlocking memories are telling me night has fallen. Temperature will drop, certain species of creatures will roam around while others will rest.
The broken side of me is starting to get frantic. I need to find shelter. A small cave with a single easily defensible entrance. An abandoned shack with a locking door and barricade windows. Anything! I need to hide! They are coming!! I inhale, and exhale.
The other side is mostly calm. New experiment means new unlocking memories. I could find more things to discover at night. Things that would not be visible during the day.
A rustling sound make me look behind me. A set of brillant red eyes on yellow stare at me from the edges of the forest. But they quickly disappear when they realize I have spotted them. Nothing too dangerous for now then... I hope
I look around, nervous. Why am I nervous? Seriously, what is there to worry about? Yeah the gurgling growl, but that could have been some unknown pokemon. It also sounded like it was coming from quite the distance. Why would it come to me?
As I look around a bit longer, I notice something. The 'Frend' marker is getting closer. It now stands at only 2.1km. Wait, 2 now! 1.9. It's approaching fast! Was I that fast when I ran earlier? The marker symbol is a bit in the way, but I can kind of see some sort of sparkling thing coming closer. Or is it just a trick of the display? Clearly there is not a large square floating in the distance with a billboard size display above it visible for every creatures to see.
Movement on the side of the marker quickly divert my attention. Someone is coming! I cannot make out too much details from the distance, but, yep, that is someone. I am not the only human here after all! It feels strange to realize I might not be alone. I did not realize the need to see or interact with another human before now. Weird.
I start making my way toward them, waving my arms. "Heey! Hello?" I shout, trying to get their attention. The figure, maybe a couple dozen meters from me, continue to walk toward me. I wave again, continuing to shout, but obtain no answers.
My broken memories seem to go into a pure panic attack and I have a hard time giving into the feeling. This is dangerous. It's just someone. Not someone! Danger! It's just another human. Danger! Danger! My thoughs are all over my mind, with conflicting warnings. I am barely able to keep a straight line of thinking.
Still, I continue to approach, but something suddenly make me stop. I cannot place it, but there is something off with that person. I try to look closer, to understand what makes me feel so uneasy all of the sudden, beyond my broken memories panic, but cannot- There! What the fuck was that? The human approaching me is doing so in a strange, almost shambling way. Its entire body just jerked up as he took a step.
I could not see it from the distance, but he is either unwell, or there is some truth to what my broken memories seem to be suggesting. Whatever is coming might actually be dangerous. I try to focus on it, but nothing come up from the system. Too far? Or maybe I need to upgrade the WAYLA system again? A quick check shows me there is a new tier for the WAYLA system for 15xp, three time pricier than going from tier one to two. I might as well take it. Also, I still have 20 points. I separate them into the four main upgrades I can continuously invest in: repair, power, coolant and generator efficiency. It might not be much of a boost, but maybe it will be useful. Experience might be collected in other, easier ways than just the quests. The boost is minimal, but it should pay off in the long run... If I make it to the long run. No, let's not focus on that right now. What about our guest? HOLY!
It must have taken me maybe less than thirty seconds to do all that, and the shambling man is now far too close for comfort. Did it speed up when I looked away? Or was his speed deceptively slow? He is now close enough for me to realize that, even without the WAYLA display identification, what is coming is not a human. No that is wrong. What is approaching may have once been a human, but not anymore.
The thing is dressed in ragged and torn clothes, showing a lot of festering greenish-grey skin beneath. The thing's eyes are two black holes and a gurgling moan escapes his seemingly ever-opened mouth. I gulp at the horrific sight. he is now less than a few meters from me.
"Hello?" I try one last time with a shaky voice. "I am armed!" I also add as I grip my flimsy hatchet with both hands.
'Zombie' says the header above the zombie's head. Yep, I kind of expected that. So, mindless walking corpse it is then. Looking for brains? Too bad but mine might be plastic. Heh. I grip the hatchet tighter. And then freeze. What am I about to do? Fight it? Can I? Well it is alone. Would the classic head crush be enough? Why a head crush? What if it bites me? Are the zombies a result of a virus? Could I run the risk of becoming infected? Can I be infected? Five meters. Maybe not? But then could it even hurt me? The fleshier parts I have little doubts, but the metallic parts? Can it bite steel?
Two slimy hands fall on my shoulders. I shiver and realize the zombie has reached me. I can smell the disgusting odor of his rotting insides and outsides. On reflex I push him off me. it stumble back a few steps but recovers far too quickly. Another pair of slimy hands land on my left shoulder and pull me. I lose my balance and fall, letting go of the hatchet in the process. Another zombie has sneaked behind me and now I am on the ground.
I panic and flail around, trying get the second one off me, to little success. The first one returns and try to plunge his rotted nails in my stomach AND ACTUALLY PENETRATES! Fuck! Shit! LEGS!!
I kick him, hard. A quick whine can be heard from my legs. The zombie does not stumble this time, it flies back a couple meters, with a foot imprint with five stab wounds above it on his chest. My leg feels hot, but the second zombie divert my attention by trying to stab my neck. "None of that!" I grab his hand with my left and pull. Another whine, and the zombie entire body flies above me, landing to my left. With the immediate danger gone, I scramble away from both creatures. They are already getting back up!
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Mewtwo flies over a dozen creatures, all walking toward the marker. None seems to pay him any mind. Even the walking skeletons are content to just go toward the marker. A few make their ways to the right, toward another unknown destination, but they are few and far between.
I will not make it in time. He realizes. Cold sweat start to form upon his skin. I did not get the chance to meet this potential ally, and he is about to be attacked by a horde of horrific creatures. He tries to push himself to go faster, but he can feel the strain growing. Five hundred meters left, I should arrive soon.
With the time he still have left to fly, his sight wanders. The monsters clearly ignores him and pokemons in general. A few rattatas dart between the monsters, scavenging bits and parts loose enough to be taken. One monster has a hoothoot right on top of its head. The round brown pokemon content to look around on her shambling perch. With this, this 'Frend?' must not be a pokemon. Then what could they be? A hundred meters left to find out the answer.
The closer he gets, the less of the monsters there seems to be, as if they appear less frequently the closer to their query.
I am almost here! I- The marker disappears. Mewtwo stops. No! I was too late? He frantically look around, he had less than thirty meters left to cover. He cries out in dismay. His cry echoing loudly in the night.
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The hatchet! I let it go, but I rush for it. I then get back up. Both zombies are also getting back on their feet. This time, I will not hesitate. Actually, let's not wait! I kick the closest one, the one I flung above me, back on the ground and then slam my foot on its head. With a wet crunch, its head breaks open, splattering dark jellied liquid and rotten flesh on my foot. Yuck.
Both my bodies and the corpse shine for less than a second and a little notification appears.
Achievement got: Monster hunter.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
(Slay a monster. We knew you had it in you!)
Reward: 20xp, 1 Exp. candy S
Why thank you system, but please clear my vision. I need to see what I am doing. I quickly swipe the notification away and return my attention to the remaining... Am I drunk or are there four of them now? No wait, one is a bit too bony. An arrow zips past my ear and another problem presents itself.
"Archers? Fuck off! How do I counter that?" The answer hits me at the same time an arrow ricochet on my left arm, leaving a dent and making me cry in pain. What is that metal? Aluminium? And why did that mechanical part hurt? Another arrow misses me and returns me to the present situation, i.e. I am about to become an urchin if I do not move.
I turn around and a distorted, almost like an electronic sound, scream echoes close by. NOPE! Nopenopenopenope. Fuck that, I do not know what that is I do not care. I'll stay with my zombies and skeletons, I want nothing to do with that scream. Wait where did the 'Frend?' marker go?
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The marker suddenly reappears. Mewtwo head immediately snaps toward it and he jumps toward the new location. It is moving back into the forest. Yet the moment the display reaches 25 meters, it disappear once more. Mewtwo screams again, but this time in frustration. Is this some sort of joke? the marker appears again, 26 meters away. Why make a marker if it disappear when I am too close to its position?
He flies towards it and try to look for anything strange beneath the trees. The edge of the forest is not too thick, allowing him to see beneath. He catches movement between branches and descends. And get slammed into the ground by a bipedal creature. his crystals and berries fly in every directions, his hold on them shattered by the sudden impact.
"Oof" The creature exclaims.
Mewtwo grunts. His stomach still hurt from his little fight with the geodude. That impact reminds him the bruise is still here.
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Yep, trees were a good idea. The arrows either miss me or strike bark. Now I just need to get a better position and- I slam headfirst into something that has just fallen from above.
"Oof" I exclaim as I bounce back. Squishy.
Little luminous crystals scatter around us. A blue fruit lands next to me. I blink away the stars and look at what I have just bounced off of. Sprawled on the forest floor, but already getting up is a humanoid looking creature.
The immediate feature that jumps to me are its long purple tail, already swishing around, and its arm, thin with only three round-tipped fingers, one of them a thumb. The creature is rubbing the back of its head, from which there seem to be two necks. One is thin, positioned where a neck should be. The other starts behind the first, a bit higher than normal and seem to curve back on the creature's back, maybe between its shoulder blades.
Its head is feline looking, with stubby flat horns on top of it instead of ears. Its eyes snap open and a purple glare filled mostly with annoyance, but also a hint of curiosity meets my own studying gaze.
"Greewileelileelilee!" It growls at me in an almost indescribable, but familiar way.The same, distorted electronic sound.
I blink as I realize the implications. I slowly back away. An arrow lands right next to my right hand. "Ah shit." I turn my head behind me and yup, the skeleton has caught up.
I had managed to forget about my fucking pursuers. Don't ask me how, I do not know, I'll blame that creature from the sky being a weird creature from the sky.
The newcomer's eyes glow and the crystals and fruits start to float and slowly orbit them like a halo. He is up now and, he is tall! Even if I got up, I would barely reach his neck. He stands on two chicken-shaped legs finishing in two-round-toed feet. I notice a darker patch of purple on his already purple belly. An injury maybe?
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Mewtwo pat his head from where he impacted the ground. Will that leave bump?
He look at the being that rammed into him. Bipedal, each limbs seem thick. the neck is about as large as the head it supports, both arms, should they be put together, would be as large as the being torso, its legs even more so, as they also seem slightly longer than the being torso. What are you? He growls in unison to his though.
The most surprising parts are the dichotomy between the pinkish soft-looking flesh and the dark gray, almost black, glossy metal that comprise three of the being limbs as well as part of their lower abdomen.
Their thin flat face, compared to his own moves down as a 'twack' sound breaks both their studies of each others. The neck long black mane atop his head follow the sudden movement. Its bright blue eyes open wide and his mouth turn into a contrite expression. The being turns away, revealing part of another metallic graft. A long series of cylinder half embedded in the being flesh, following their spinal cord.
Let us remove this threat first. If my moves worked so well against that geodude, they should work on these creatures.
He concentrates and extend his power. He grabs the skeleton and slams it against a tree. Some of the bones crack, but Mewtwo can feel the monster struggle against his psychic grip. He slams the skeleton three more times and finally, the creature shatters and falls apart.
Achievement got: Monster hunter.
(Slay a monster. We knew you had it in you!)
Reward: 20xp, 1 Exp. candy S
The little blue window is quickly followed by a red one.
/!\ Warning /!\
You are operating under the redux version of the OS. Please update to full version to access the all system features
(We do not apologize for the inconvenience)
He blinks in surprise. What does that even means? His thoughs are interrupted by the arrival of a couple of disheveled bipeds.
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I look in astonishment as the skeleton that had followed me into the forest suddenly start to shine with a blue aura and float. It then get repeatedly slammed against the nearest tree until it shatters into bone shards and pieces. Some light up as collectibles. Uh... I wonder if the other thing left something behind too.
A couple of gurgling sound makes me realize I might be able to find out soon. I get back up and prepare myself. The plan is simple. I get them down and crush their heads. I turn back toward the creature. It helped me, or so I want to believe. A quick motion he does makes me pause. Did... Did he just swipe the air? No way? I look around, but the 'Frend?' marker is gone. No way! NO FUCKING WAY! This is the 'frend'? I cannot even determine what it is! Which is worrying, because I have been able to get information on a lot of things up to this point.
I let that line of thinking stew on the side. Right now, it might have helped me. I will just get rid of my followers and see if it will help again.
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The moment he removes the notifications, Mewtwo realizes the being was staring intently at him. Did it understand what his motion had been for? Debatable. But then again, the 'Frend?' marker was gone, and this being was the sole creature that appeared to have any reasons to be marked. And they were attacked by the monsters he had been following. Maybe he was the 'frend'? This would have to wait until they were safe.
The being rushes toward the closest shambling monster and tackles it to the ground. They then proceed to crush the monster's head with their feet multiple times until it burst open. Mewtwo, curious as to what other ways he could bend his powers, grabs the other monster and slowly start to twist.
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Yup, sound plan. Head turned to paste, monster is dead. I prepare to go for the other one, but it starts to float, its body surrounded by the same aura as the skeleton. Its body begin to turn left, while its head turns right. Soon after, with a ripping sound, the head fly on the other side of the body. The congealed fluids running through the monster fly everywhere, some splattering on me.
"Ew" I cannot help but exclaim.
The creature lowers its right hand and I gasp. Running from its shoulder to its hand is the same tattoo I have. Three circles, one on his hand, one inside his elbow and one on his shoulder, linked together by circuit like links. Shoulder circle has the cat-wolf stylized head, elbow has the X and the hand has the three eyes arranged in an arrow shape.
"You... You are the... frend?" I ask, unsure.
It- no they look at me, and nod. They growl in their strange way, and I just stand there. Another user! The swipe was him removing notifications! The skeleton must have been their first kill!
More gurgling growls echoes all around us, and I look to the other user.
"I think we need to go."
They nods as the last of the annoying followers appear.
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Beneath the bushes, observing the duo, a grey dog-like pokemon looks with suspicion at the newcomer. He exude a strong aura, but not too strong that it would be a danger. The observer's charge seems to show little worries about him, so she decides to show the same level of caution. She is still unsure if this is pack leader Hound quarry, but up to this point, it could be.
For now she remains, making herself as little as she can be. She do not need to act yet. But she stays ready.