Cold breeze kissed my cheeks.
Winter is coming.
“ETA five minutes. Prepare for drop off.”
Clank Clank
“Preparations complete, ready for take-off.”
Suya strapped his beloved blade to his waist, a short blade around 25cm long he personally designed and crafted using the highest grade of materials.
Rifle, pistol and some grenades, he brought it with him even though he hated those items.
A supply bag containing medicines, water, and MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) strapped in front of him.
He wore a black suit covered by carbon fiber vest, arm guards, knee pads, combat shoes and helmet.
“I don’t need this helm.”
Suya threw the helm.
“Opening hatch! In 3.”
“2.”
“1.”
“Hatch open!”
“Jump!”
Suya jumped from the plane.
Descending at a rate of 100mph, the air felt really cold.
Before reaching the critical distance to the ground, he opened his parachute.
He landed at an open field. There was no grass in the ground. The moisture in the air is too dry like the desert.
The island was very desolate.
Ruined buildings covered the area.
Trees that have been long dead were scattered all around.
Even though the island is already ruined, there were still signs that it was a former beauty along with lush environment.
This island doesn’t appear on an ordinary map. It was recently discovered by the satellite by accident.
The target of this mission is to explore the gigantic ruins at the center of the island and report if this place could be used as a base of operations.
‘They wanted me to explore this land, but i doubt it. They just wanted to silence me permanently.’
“This is strange. Even though the size of the island is vast and countless ruins were all around there was no skeletons here.”
“What the hell happened in this land?”
‘No enemy to fight, nothing to hunt. I’m getting bored. I’ll just finish this mission and fuck the organization.’
----------------------------------------
Secret Government HQ
“Status?”
“Target just landed on the target location sir.”
“Wait for him to enter the building at the center.”
“Yes sir.”
“Are you sure about this Vince?”
“I don’t know. I’m actually against it.”
“He’s our best. We won’t be able to find someone like him that easily.”
“We don’t have a choice. This order came from ‘them’. Even I hesitate to do this. I know you’re the one who trained him Ryan. I know how it feels to lose one of your students.”
----------------------------------------
“Suya to HQ.”
Bzzzzzzt
The static interference meant that someone or something prevented him to contact the HQ.
“So their plan is now in motion.”
“Let’s play along for now.”
Suya looked up in the sky, raised his right hand, made a fist then pointed his middle finger.
His left hand imitated a slicing motion to his neck.
“I know you’re watching me over there. After I explore these ruins I will definitely return this favor. You will be my new source of entertainment.”
Suya reached the center of the island and entered the target location.
It was a grand building despite its ruined state.
The front door was large enough to accommodate up to ten people simultaneously.
Various statues were aligned at every pillar of the great hall. They were already destroyed and cannot be recognized anymore due to great time that has passed.
At the innermost part of the building lies a golden throne covered with giant roots of dried trees.
Above the throne there was a circular hole with strange symbols engraved around it.
Moonlight shone where the throne was located. It was a beautiful sight. Even Suya was mesmerized at its grand image.
----------------------------------------
Secret Government HQ
“Target is now inside, waiting for orders sir.”
“What is he doing?”
“He was sitting sir.”
“Fire the missile.”
----------------------------------------
Click
The lighter lit up a small flame.
Suya lighted up a cigarette. He sat on the golden throne.
Pheeeeeew
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The sound of air being sliced apart echoed around the sky.
“You really intend to finish me up huh.”
Booom!
“Target hit!”
“What’s the target status?”
“Life signature detected. Target is still alive.”
“Fire the second missile. I never thought that he would be this tenacious.”
“Yes sir!”
The walls collapsed, pillars were shattered into boulders, and the ceiling came crashing down.
The place where Suya was located caved in due to falling debris.
Under the golden throne lies a deep hidden area.
Ughhh
Suya coughs for a moment.
Luckily Suya survived the first wave of attack. Immediately he checked his status.
“No deep wounds, no broken bones. I can still move around.”
“How about the weapons?”
“Rifle is busted.”
He touched his waist, to his surprise his blade was nowhere to be found.
Suya looked around.
“Ah! There you are little buddy. Come to papa now, I missed you already.”
He loved this blade; he was one with his blade due to countless missions they’ve been through. It was a part of him that will never be replaced. He even named it Betty, named after a certain TV show of an ugly woman that turned into a hot piece of meat.
“I need to get out of here before they start the second volley.”
But it seems hopeless, wherever he looked there was no open path of him.
“Is this really my end?”
“The end of my boring life. In the end I didn’t get to enjoy it.”
“All of those money I accumulated, all those piece of technology that I have used that is forbidden in the hands of an ordinary people.”
“After all those killings, those travelling, studying, playing, reading, watching. Even I did a lot of things, in the end I still feel empty.”
“Is there anything else that this world could offer?”
“Everything seems so easy to accomplish.”
“Why did they make this world a place of comfort? With a simple press of a button you can almost accomplish everything.”
“I don’t want that kind of life... That kind of boring life.”
“I just want to feel alive.”
“I wish I wasn’t born in this world called Earth.”
“Ah, if there would be a chance to change my life, I will definitely take that chance even at the cost of this useless life.”
The moonlight started to shine brighter to a certain place.
Beneath where the throne was formerly located, light started to pour down. After the light settled down, the whole building quaked for a moment.
Two spiky pillars were sprouted from the ground adjacent to each other with different symbols engraved within it.
White liquid-film like substance filled the gap between the pillars.
Suya approached the strange pillars.
Tried to touch the strange substance, it doesn’t seem to be dangerous.
“This seems to be a gate.”
Pheeeeeew
Another air splitting sound echoed all over the place. The second missile is coming.
Suya decided to enter the strange substance.
As he stepped in, he remembered something.
“Ah that’s right. If this strange gate-like looking thing is a gate to another world then...”
Suya threw the rifle, pistol and grenades far from the gate. But he kept his supply bag and his beloved blade.
“I will never bring this accursed thing to the new world.”
“I hope it’s a new world.”
As soon he stepped inside the missile came down.
“SAYONARA!”
BOOOM!
Loud explosion filled the air, the entire building was smashed into bits of dust.
“Target hit!”
“No life signatures detected.”
“Target completely obliterated.”
Pweh!
Ryan spat out some saliva leaving the operations room with a bitter expression.
Vince didn’t react because he understood Ryan’s feelings.
----------------------------------------
The space distorted with different twists and turns.
Suya felt his world being tossed around. He is losing his consciousness but tried to stay awake instead.
He was in a dangerous situation where his life could end at any moment, that’s why he tried cling in his fading consciousness.
Over an hour has passed, the distorted space gradually settled down.
He then saw a familiar substance.
“Finally it’s the end of the gate.”
After he stepped out the gate, the pillars were gone.
He was still disoriented; his vision is still failing him. He knelt down feeling the ground, closed his eyes and calmed his breath.
After he recovered, he immediately observed the surroundings.
Thy sky is black; there is one thing that shined throughout the land. A red orb resembling the sun, it seems that it was the lands source of light.
Air is too thin due to lack of oxygen; it is quite hard to breathe. It feels like your lungs would explode at any moment.
The soil is dry; it seems that this vast land suffered from erosion.
It stretched over the horizon as far as my eyes can see.
Even rocks are dead.
Even the word despair and desolation would not fit this place.
Giant walls of rock were behind me. Not far from my location there was a strange looking bluish rock that seemed to be carved out by someone.
It has giant lips and strange shaped eyes. It doesn’t have a nose but there was a pair of pointed ears.
It seems to be safe to move around.
Suya decided to walk in front of him, past the strange rock.
Krrrg
There was a sudden grinding noise.
Looking back, the strange rock was now in a different position.
Suya prepared himself, drawing his blade and ready to attack.
“!@#$%%^^&”
“Huh? What is this thing is saying?”
The strange blue rock went silent, but Suya was still on high alert. He didn’t know what kind of dangers it might possess as this was his first time seeing a speaking rock.
Deep silence covered both of them when the rock decided to speak once more.
“I !@$#... am @#$@!... Mar’guth @#e$@@. ”
“Me $#@! ... #$#@ No ... $#@ Mean... !#$ harm.”
He spoke with a broken language.
Suya was shocked.
“How did you know the language I am speaking?!”
“!@# Please #$# wait $@#”
“%^**$%@”
“I am Mar’guth, one of the ancient guardians of the World Gate.”
“I know every language of the universe. You are from a human race lived in a world called Earth.”
Suya was speechless even his genius couldn’t completely comprehend what was revealed before his eyes.
“So what does this esteemed ancient guardian ended up in this desolate place?”
“I have escaped the last great war over ten thousand years ago, protecting one of the few surviving World Gates.”
“What is thy name human?”
“I am Suya.”
“How did you manage to cross the World Gate?”
“It was just a coincidence, after entering the great ruins of a deserted island.”
Suya answered honestly as he saw that the rock was not hostile against him. Lying will just bite him behind his back if he did so. Lying is only used when necessary.
“Anyway ancient guardian Mar’guth, where is this place?”
They talked for quite some time, exchanging different informations.
Mar’guth seems to be enjoying Suya’s company. It’s been a while since he talked to someone. It must be lonely without someone to talk to.
“Before you go, can I look into your memories? I am quite interested at those stories that you have read and watched. Staying here is quite ‘boring’ and I can’t move anymore after my body was destroyed..”
A word he adapted while conversing with Suya.
“Haha I know that feeling. You can read it all, I don’t mind. We are somewhat alike at some points.”
“Thank you Suya the human.”
“Before you go there is something that I would like you to receive, an item that will definitely help you to roam these lands.”
Mar’guth spitted out some kind of a crystal, emitting a blue light with some kind of symbol etched in its core.
“Hold it in your hand and then absorb it. The process is just like breathing. Instead of sucking the air, you suck the energy within the skill crystal.”
Suya understood the logic behind it and started to absorb the skill crystal.
The light within the crystal faded leaving strange markings at the palm of Suya.
An unknown set of symbols, yet he understood its meaning like it was his primary language.
You have absorbed the skill Linguist.
- A skill to understand all kind of languages.
After a few moment the markings faded away.
“Thank you Mar’guth.”
Thus the two parted away. Mar’guth immersed at his newly obtained entertainment.
----------------------------------------
So it was basically like this according to Mar’guth.
This was a pocket dimension that existed deep within the space.
Its location was unknown.
This place was called Ablyss, the endless prison for the most notorious beings of different worlds.
There are three different factions that ruled this land.
The Dragon of Death that ruled the North, the Demon Lord of the South and the Tribe of Spir of the East.
Luckily I landed at the West which was a place where it could not support life.
War waged these lands for thousands of years, especially the Dragon of Death and the Demon lord. They hated each other so much that when they clashed a portion of land would be destroyed. The Tribe of Spir avoided war as much as possible because of the dwindling of their tribe members.
There was no food or water here that could be gathered in these lands.
If you want to survive you should absorb other races essence. The essence of life that is present in every living thing is the main source of food in these lands. You could eat others corpse and drink their blood but it was a risky thing to do. Some of the races contained poison in their bodies powerful enough to send you to your demise.
Absorbed essences will increase your magical capacity in terms of gaming ‘mana’.
Skill crystal is the materialized form of the skills of an individual that developed over the course of its life. This can be absorbed by other races by killing their adversary. It will automatically float out of the body when killed.
The stronger the enemy, the stronger the skill will be.
If you surpassed your limits you will be granted a Racial Evolution. Only few have achieved this state.
Learned skills cannot stack and overwrite the lower levelled skill if you absorbed a stronger skill.
An item enchantment is also possible using Skill crystals and life essence.
There are also storage devices, but it is very rare to find one. Only the powerful ones are known to possess such thing.
Skills can also be shared among the others using scroll engraving, the success chance of creating a skill scroll is very low.
To escape the Ablyss you need to gather three dimensional keys that the three major factions possess. That is the reason why they are always at war and cannot leave this place.
This place doesn’t give a damn even if you are a genius or talented. It doesn’t care about any of your shit.
Only those who struggle will live.
“At last! I found it! A place where I truly belong!”